9  Remember the former things of old,
   For I am God, and there is no other;
   I am God, and there is none like Me,
10 Declaring the end from the beginning,
   And from ancient times things that are not yet done,
   Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand,
   And I will do all My pleasure,’
11 Calling a bird of prey from the east,
   The man who executes My counsel, from a far country.
   Indeed I have spoken it;
   I will also bring it to pass.
   I have purposed it;
   I will also do it.
(Isa 46:9–11; NKJV)

Over and over again, Scripture calls us to remember what God has said and done. Remembering gives us a chance to reflect deeply about God and His work in our lives. It calls to mind the evidence of God’s faithfulness to His promises and His people, which gives us wisdom for the present and hope for the future.

January 2024 was the first time I published my New Year’s goals. In the past, I have found that thoughtful goals help me prioritize my time, energy, resources, and efforts. This past year, I found that when I approached my goals seriously and flexibly, they were helpful tools for keeping focus and motivation in my work and personal life.

The power of goals isn’t the goals themselves, but the lifestyle change that comes through prioritizing life around our core values and a vision for the future. As I look back on my goals for 2024, I want to reflect on how effective my goals have been and consider areas where I need to develop strategies to support the life change I would like to see.

Spiritual. I had two goals: read and pray through the Gospel of Luke and keep a prayer journal. Moving slowly through Luke has given me a sense of closeness with Jesus I had not previously known. I did not keep up with the prayer journal. Prayer is an area I will revisit next year.

 Financial. My goal was to pay off our cars. We paid off one. Last summer we learned we expect to move again this year. Paying off the second car is on hold while we save toward the move.

Career. I had three related goals: finish and defend my Doctrinal Summary, take Homiletics, and complete the fall semester of my Ministry Internship. Instead of Homiletics, I took History of Worldviews and Introduction to Missions. I am currently on track to graduate with a Master of Divinity in 2025 by finishing my internship in the spring of 2025 and Homiletics in the summer of 2025.

Intellectual. My goal was to write 20 blog posts. This post is my 29th this year. This is a huge win for me. I started blogging several years ago, but I have struggled to find my voice and restarted my blog several times. I feel like I am finally finding my voice and rhythm in blogging and I am excited for the future of my blog and other writing pursuits.

Fitness. I had two specific goals: exercise four times a week and lose at least 50 lbs. Life’s demands have regularly prevented me from establishing regular exercise rhythms. But I also fell back into using food to cope with stress and discouragement. I will finish this year about where I started last year. Weight loss is an area I will revisit next year.

Family. My goals were to see grandparents and cousins at least once a month and to host both sides of the family at least once at our house. On average, both of these goals have been met.

Social. My goal was to call a select group of friends at least once a month. This did not happen. I did manage a couple calls with some of these friends. I think this goal needs a stronger strategy to help me develop it into a life rhythm.

One last item of note is my church fellowship. Being in local church ministry means my church is my workplace and vice versa. There were a lot of unknowns last January, including where I would do my internship and what that might look like. My heart is in music ministry, but I was unsure whether that would satisfy my internship requirements or if there were any opportunities in my area. God has answered both questions with a resounding “yes.” Although there are still many questions about the future, where God has me presently has given me a much-needed sense of encouragement and confirmation.

This past year has brought many unexpected challenges and opportunities. The most disappointing for me has been the ongoing lack of stability for our household and expecting another move in the near future. The most rewarding has been finding a church that seems to be a good fit for my family and my heart in ministry. God is good. He has taught me much about stewarding my life this year and I hope to build on what I’ve learned next year.