An Exercise of Reflection

In the Winter 2019 issue of The Magnolia Journal they suggested we look back and forward as 2019 came to a close.

They asked several interesting questions that I thought might be a good ending to 2019 and a starting point for my 2020 blog.

It is called an "Exercise of Reflection."

Describe your past year in two sentences:

2019 began with us enjoying a Northern Indiana Polar Vortex in early February which was so exciting, and ended with Northern Indiana Christmas weather more typical of our Louisiana winters.  In between we had surgeries that were challenging, a wedding that was perfect, an engagement, time with family, and days that brought many more joys than anything else.

What are some things that stand out to you from the past year:

   Songs -  Hearing our church choir sing John Rutter's arrangement of "The Magnificat", and Ava Grace's solo in a play.

   Feelings - My feelings, in reflection seem to have run the gambit.  From the feeling of anticipation knowing families in need would be blessed by the food gathered and distributed from the Granger Community Church Food Drop in Michiana in which we participated in early February, to excitement of our only grandson's engagement to a very special young lady and a granddaughter leasing her first apartment.  There were feelings of joy having my two children together at a wedding celebration for a granddaughter.  The delight in watching our youngest granddaughter perform in a play and learning that she would be in a Cinemark Preview going nation-wide.  There was also the feeling of self doubt and frustration when I felt I was not dealing with pain as I should or wanted to.  There was the sadness in seeing specific prayers go unanswered, yet hope in knowing God is always in control; grief with friends who have lost loved ones.  The overwhelming feeling year-round though has been that of gratitude for God's many blessings.

   Books - I listened to several good books and read a few that I enjoyed.

  Movies/TV - There were a few good movies, but the ones that stand out were "Overcomer" and "Little Women."

   Tastes - My son's concoction of what our grandparents would have called a "hot toddy" to sooth my hacking cough and chest congestion last week.  It was exactly what the doctor ordered on a cold night in late December.

   Travel - Of course our surviving the Polar Vortex of 2019 will always be memorable.  Dick and I took a couple fun short trips into parts of West Arkansas and loved seeing and enjoying the Natural State.  I took several trips to South Louisiana and to Dallas which isn't really traveling, but definitely enjoyable.

What SURPRISED YOU most this year:

That I haven't done as much painting as I thought I would; that Congress actually carried out their threat to impeach the President; that the LSU Tigers will be playing for the National College Football Title.

What was THE BEST PART of your typical day:

The satisfaction of having a routine workout plan; completing a task; sitting and enjoying a cup of tea with Dick in the afternoons

What was your GREATEST ADVENTURE:

Spending three days exploring and enjoying the town of Bentonville, AR and surrounding area

What were some failures/wins:

My greatest failure was being so inconsistent with Bible study.
My greatest win would be the progress made after hand surgery.

   What did you learn from them?

The presence or absence of persistence and determination makes a lot of difference in an outcome.

What made you feel energized/drained:

I am most energized when I have something specific to look forward to, such a trip, a blog post, and completing a task.

I am most drained when I have to be around high energy people for very long.

What were your greatest joys/heartaches:

My greatest joys always involve my family such as when I am with them, when they experience successes of their own, when I see God working in their lives.

My greatest heartaches were times of disappointments in someone's behavior, especially my own.

What do you want to FOCUS on in the upcoming year:

I have started spending time doing a morning devotional that requires discipline.  I also want to focus on my painting and try to develop a style that brings me enjoyment and best uses my abilities.  My blogging needs a new focus this year as well.  I also want to focus on letting go of expectations of others.  This of course is an on-going focus for me.

What do you want to RESOLVE or ACHIEVE in 2020:

I want to resolve to be more Christlike in this new year in all my relationships and to those with whom I come in contact.

What do you hope to say about 2020 when it's over:

I would hope that when 2020 is over I can honestly say "It was a good year!"

"How we spend our days is of course, how we spend our lives."

Annie Dillard