December 30, 2024


December 30, 2024
» a year in review - 2024

1. What did you do in 2024 that you'd never done before?
I ate pie for breakfast... for 4 days, employed AI tools in my job search (not impressed), learned my county is the fastest growing in the state, purchased a large print Bible for myself, purchased a smart TV, rented a hotel in the city where I live, saw the yard be overrun by 17-year locusts, started watching a movie so horrible that I turned it off midway and threw the DVD in the trash (fortunately it was only 50 cents, from a used bin at the library).

I served in new areas at my church: leading the children's music one Wednesday night in March, running the slide show projection and the Facebook live stream during a worship service, singing with the praise team on the Fall Festival stage (okay, it was a farm equipment trailer), and selecting the music for a December worship service in which I led the congregation in singing the songs.

A dove built a nest on the ceiling fan on the front porch and stayed there until the babies hatched and the whole family flew away.

2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
No resolution made for 2024.

For 2025, my resolution is in the form of a word: intentional. I tend to drift in a lot of ways, but I read earlier this year that "we never drift toward anything good." And from my own experience, I know that is true.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
no

4. Did anyone close to you die?
yes, two family friends

5. Where did you travel?
only commuted to work

6. What would you like to have in 2025 that you lacked in 2024?
my own home – and I am daring to dream that my new job is a step in that direction :)

7. What date or event from 2024 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
my April car wreck... and dealing with insurance companies

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Starting January 3rd, serious electrical issues arose at my residence – and challenges quickly followed on other fronts: relationship struggles, my family's and my own health issues, car repairs, the unpleasant cycles of interviewing and rejection during a job search, and even an upset at my church. But I felt as if I often succeeded in pushing past the initial emotions and pressing into God, praying for Him to work it out for good.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Too many times I acted as if I don't have one single clue.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Both. Recurring sinus trouble that included my worst headache in years back in March. A blow to my shoulder in my April car wreck left lingering aches, though - thankfully - they are recently showing much improvement since I implemented exercises I found online in November.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
a TV for my bedroom (woo hoo, a Black Friday deal) and an excellently sharp chef's knife

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
the people who hired me!

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
the uninsured unlicensed driver who totaled my car

14. Where did most of your money go?
to the purchase of a new car

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
doing what I love to do

16. What song will always remind you of 2024?
"Good Day" by Forrest Frank. The first weeks at my new job were challenging, but I'd hear that song in the car on the way and, every time, from the first word I'd find the singer's resolve contagious.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
Happier or sadder? happier
Older or wiser? wiser...?
Thinner or fatter? fatter
Richer or poorer? poorer

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
been more proactive to find things to do at work

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
grumped at my family

20. Did your heart break?
No, although tears were shed.

21. How did you spend Christmas?
My mother, my sister and I had our typical Christmas. I worked on these questions and reflected on the year. We opened our gifts around nine-thirty, after I set up our low-frills video camera. I took pictures of our gifts, and made lunch (a frozen entree: stuffed peppers). We ended the day watching DVDs.

22. How will you spend New Year's Eve?
I have to work, but it'll be slow because nearly everyone else is taking vacation. With so few people, I plan to skip wearing makeup and save myself a bit of time. Hopefully, I can take my usual walk during lunch. Later, the fam and I will watch DVDs, and then ring the new year in as we typically do: sleeping. (At least, we'll attempt to sleep, because the neighbors usually go overboard with fireworks.)

23. What was your favorite TV program?
I was a huge fan of Beauty and the Beast during its original run. In the years that followed, I became much less of a romantic; I lost interest in seeing it again, until this year when a fan video compilation of the pilot episode relit the spark. I ordered a pre-owned copy of season one and it has not disappointed. <3

24. What were your greatest food discoveries?
I don't remember any great discoveries. I've been repeating several tasty dishes that work for me, but branching out is definitely a goal for the coming year.

25. What was the best book you read?
Walking His Trail: Signs Of God Along The Way by Steve Saint and Ginny Saint. (Thank you, Mrs. Linda, for the book! Its points resonated with me and encouraged me throughout the year.)

26. What were your greatest musical discoveries?
Retro music videos caught my eye... and held it for much of the year. Specifically "Love Somebody," "Human Touch," and "Don't Walk Away" by Rick Springfield, none of which I remembered from back in the day. Also "Hazard" by Richard Marx. I rediscovered my fondness for this haunting melody through clicking a YouTube suggestion, and I found the story presented in the vid thoroughly compelling.

27. What did you want and get?
My sister received good results from her biopsy.

28. What did you want and not get?
Many of the situations mentioned in answer #8 have still not been resolved.

29. What was your favorite film?
As usual, I stick with oldies but goodies: Red, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol and Romancing the Stone.

30. What did you do on your birthday?
took the day off of work, computered after breakfast, lunched with my mother at Cracker Barrel (and saw my cousin there), ran errands, took pictures of my purchases, worked on a few volunteer projects, went for a walk, watched music videos, thanked the well-wishers at Facebook, enjoyed Cracker Barrel leftovers for supper and finished the day watching DVDs

31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
If I had more often practiced the relationship advice I read a few months ago to "meet people where they're at."

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2024?
casual, although I'm (casually) aiming for a bit more style at work and at church

33. What kept you sane?
Even in distressing circumstances, each time I turned my focus to God and trusted in Him, He gave me peace - just like the Bible says He will. (Isaiah 26:3 ESV)

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I suppose you could say that I "fancied" one of the artists mentioned in this list. (Or would rewatching his videos dozens of times this year be considered more of an obsession? Asking for a friend.)

35. What social or political issue or news story stirred you the most?
I've been repeatedly stirred to pray because the default browser setting on my work computer exposed me to more news headlines than I have seen in years.

36. Who did you miss?
our former pastor and his wife, and our former music minister and his wife

37. Who was the best new person you met?
Nearly all of my new coworkers are *so* nice, poised and well-spoken. (I am studying them, to learn their ways. #Seriously)

38. What changed the most in your life this year?
My car and my job, and both are such great fits that I'm still praising the Lord for abundantly answered prayers. :D

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2024.
Words to live by from my boss: "don't stew."

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
"It's like it was yesterday
I was praying for a miracle.
Scared to have a little hope.
And now looking back today,
Seeing all the things You've done
I can't even add them up:
One, two, three up to infinity,
I'd run out of numbers
Before I could thank You for everything..."
~ "Counting My Blessings" by Matt Maher and Seph Schlueter

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