A Personal Note

Can you believe it is the last day of 2021? In fact, we have mere hours left before the clock rolls us into 2022. As I reflect on 2021, it seems like yesterday that I was quarantined in my bedroom with COVID. I was diagnosed a year ago today, and spent days on end at the beginning of the year reading, writing, praying, etc. During those quiet days of solitude, I was determined to have a year that was full and productive. I planned to accomplish every goal I wrote down and I wrote some pretty aggressive goals. Those goals were not all met, in case you were wondering.

A quick recap (more for me than anything) of highlights about how my year went:

• January: I recovered from COVID; spent a lot of time with the Lord; read seven books; wrote goals and got busy.

• February: Turned 36; took a beach vacation with my sister; wrote more consistent blog posts; struggled with my self-worth.

• March: Received an early month spiritual renewing that was a lot like the seed thrown on the rocky places in Matthew 13; I devoted SOOO much time to my job which lead to me questioning my job; I let my eyes fall away from the Lord and ended up spending way too much time seeking approval, validation, and acceptance from humans.

• April: I struggled with purpose in my quiet time (began in late March); a friend needed my help with a sin / temptation they were struggling with (I pray the Lord spoke through me); my personal relationships took a backseat to my job and it caused me to be more susceptible to the enemies fiery darts.

• May: What a blur of a month! The only thing I can recall is having some friends over for Memorial Day. I am certain I spent the month working…and struggling with my own growing temptations.

• June: My sixteen year old niece passed away – this wrecked my sister’s heart (she lost her husband nine years before to a car crash as well) AND rocked my faith; my husband and I celebrated ten years of marriage; I spent A LOT of time with my sister (I will cherish); realization of my priorities hit me hard – work could no longer be first; and I was questioning a lot of things in my life.

• July: Resume was updated professionally and jobs were applied for; conversations at my current job (with my direct leader and the CEO) were had; a postponed trip to Cabo gave my husband and I time away to unplug and reconnect; I determined to run toward the Lord harder than ever.

• August: A new job was accepted and a resignation was submitted; preparations to wrap up my current and enter my new one all took place; I began volunteering at church, and joined an End Times Prophecy small group; and my relationship with the Lord was my priority. The more I nurtured my relationship with the Lord the more the enemy came after me, specifically my earthly marriage.

• September: Some marital struggles came to a head; hard choices and conversations occurred which sent our marriage down the right track for the first time in a long time; and I continued putting Matthew 6:33 into practice daily.

• October: Relatively quiet month. Thank you Lord Jesus!

• November: We lost a close family friend – RIP Darren, celebrated my husband’s 41st birthday with a trip to New Orleans; had Thanksgiving with my family; and oh yeah – that new job, what a blessing of balance and appreciation!

• December: A busy month of time with family and friends; and questions about my purpose with this blog are new.

Which all leads me to tonight.

Reflecting back over the year, I have learned that my goals were all about checking off a list to achieve productivity. And frankly the world wants us to be productive. Always moving, doing, completing, accomplishing. Oh how I have gotten lost in the need to be productive.

No matter what my goals were, I feel like my year was filled with things that slowed me down and brought me out of checklist mode into “Be Still…”(Psalm 46:10) mode. Naturally, I felt like a failure because my productivity seemed to be lacking while I was doing all that sitting. In turn, I would fight against the sitting and try to get back to being productive.

As the months passed, I began to realize the pattern. The Lord was calling me to be Mary of Bethany, and a lot less Martha of Bethany. (Story found in Luke 10:38-42).

Jesus cares more about our relationship being complete than our checklists being complete.

Joanie love

I’m going to write down some goals tonight too, but they will be much more reflective of Mary than Martha moving forward.

If you’ve stayed with me this long, THANK YOU. And I want to ask a favor. I would like to better understand my audience and reach with this blog, so would you please comment on this post to let me know you are reading the posts? Would you consider also sharing the posts on Facebook? Lastly, would you consider subscribing to this blog at the bottom of the Jesus Through Joanie web page?

THANK YOU in advance for the above!

I intend to post at least twice monthly (on Fridays, sometimes Saturdays) during 2022. And I will be working on some other projects (a daily devotional, a children’s book, etc.). However, if I find that this avenue isn’t the one reaching people I will want to reevaluate, so your help is much appreciated!

Lord Jesus,

Thank You for an incredible year (good and bad), and thank You for lessons learned. May I take those lessons into 2022 and choose the better thing – time at Your feet and in Your presence. I pray for blessings and abundance of life for all my friends, family, and all those reading these words. In Jesus’ Name,

Amen!