2020: What I Lost

Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails (Prov 19:21).

In last week’s blog post, I wrote about the things I gained and the things that worked for me in 2020. This week, I’m looking at what I lost or what didn’t work. When I know what didn’t work, I can take steps to make changes.

Honestly, 2020 was full of losses—for some more than others. It would be easy to focus on all the bad things, especially since 2021 seems as if it’s just a continuation of the craziness of last year.

But my purpose is not to wallow in negativity. Instead, I want to acknowledge what was lost  so that I can grieve it and move on (because you can’t grieve what you don’t recognize). After that,  I can make changes to the things I can control and move on. Continue reading “2020: What I Lost”

Top 10 Posts in 2020

As 2020 comes to an end (finally!), I wanted to share my top ten blog posts for the year. COVID-19 was, of course, a major theme running throughout my blog posts this year. On the whole, I looked for positive things to share in my posts. The following posts have resonated most strongly with you, my readers, over the last eleven months: Continue reading “Top 10 Posts in 2020”

Developing Unity Among Believers

Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. (1 Peter 3:8 ESV)

This year has brought challenges none of us ever imagined. I wrote recently about how the year started with promise but quickly devolved into a year of chaos. As I mentioned in that blog post, I don’t have any answers. At the same time, I will continue to seek answers for the problems I see around me.

I recently heard the term “virus fatigue,” and I think it encapsulates how many people feel about the COVID-19 pandemic. Hopes were high for the second half of the year to be “normal.” But with the COVID-19 numbers spiking, and in many cases higher than ever, fears surrounding the coronavirus still abound. Continue reading “Developing Unity Among Believers”

The Process of Renewal

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (Mt 11:29)

Back in January, I wrote about choosing the word “renew” word for 2020. According to Merriam Webster’s Dictionary, renew means “to make like new; restore to freshness, vigor, or perfection.”

I chose this word because I felt depleted. After years of nonstop busyness, from running my editing business to volunteering at church and for writing organizations, I knew I was heading for burnout. I wasn’t getting enough physical rest, but this sense of depletion felt deeper. I studied spiritual rest and discovered how it’s different than physical rest—it’s a rest for the soul and a time of drawing closer to God. Continue reading “The Process of Renewal”

More of Lilly’s Quarantine Adventures

And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. (Gen 1:24)

Hi, friends! Lilly Doggins here. My mom and I had so many adventures during quarantine that she said I could tell you more about them!

When it started getting hot outside, Mom gave me a bath. And then, horror of horrors, she cut my hair. With scissors. Where was Ms. Connie, my groomer, when I needed her? I never thought I’d miss being groomed, but boy, did I! I didn’t think Mom would ever finish. I had to sit down to rest a few times. I looked like a mess when she got done, but I was so much cooler. I’m actually glad Mom cut my hair. Thankfully, it happened only once. At the end of May, Mom let me go to Ms. Connie’s again, and now I look like the pretty girl Mom always says I am. Continue reading “More of Lilly’s Quarantine Adventures”