Thursday 15 December 2016

2016 Recap

2016 is winding down.  I wish I could say that it was such a stellar year, but it really wasn't.  It most certainly had beautiful moments and happy times.  It also held heartbreak and challenges that took a lot of prayer and trust to get through.  

I looked back at my 2016 resolutions to see how I did with my goals for the year.  Things went well goal-wise and I managed to keep to most of them.  Here is a closer look:

Personal Resolutions:

-Finish the KonMari Method.  I did this.  It helped lighten the load for our move.  I didn't find it to be "life-changing" but it definitely gave me a different method to minimize my belongings.  This method was helpful and I look forward to continuing to pare down our possessions.

-Continue to develop a personal relationship with God through my prayer life.  My personal relationship with God is ever evolving.  I relied heavily on my faith this year and sought out different ways to further my relationship with God.  I feel that I achieved this goal and I will continue to work on this relationship.

Family:

-Go on a family trip.  We did this at the end of summer.  We went on a family trip to Red Deer, Alberta and Calgary, Alberta.  We visited a farm, the Zoo and Telus Spark.  Elizabeth had an absolute blast.  Hubby and I enjoyed ourselves, as well.  It was great and I am looking forward to the next trip!

-Build up our savings.  This happened.  It wasn't super easy with Hubby's job loss this year, but we managed to add to our savings.

Blog:

-Post on the blog 2 times a week.  This goal didn't work out.  With everything going on in my personal life, the blog really got put on the back burner.  I am okay with this goal being unmet.  My priorities have to be my own health and my family.  Perhaps next year will be more conducive to blogging.

-Post to Instagram 3 times a week.  This also was placed on the back burner.  Perhaps next year will work our better.

Relationship

-Go on a date night once a month.  We went on a date every month this year.  Not all of our dates were on "date nights", but we managed to date every month.  It was a great resolution and we really enjoyed having time together as a couple.


My word of the year was PEACEFUL.  My knee-jerk reaction to this is to scoff at my word choice.  This year felt anything but peaceful.  It felt chaotic and overwhelming.  The word choice wasn't meant to magically make my year peaceful.  I wish simply choosing a word could do that.  Thankfully, there was peace among the chaos.  My faith provided a sense of peace that I could never find anywhere else.  I am not saying that my peace never wavered, but I trusted God and He always brought me back to a deeper sense of peace.  I tried to help others find peace, or at least support, in their lives.  I tried to look for ways to help when I could.  It was a challenging year, but it made my faith deeper.

I am so looking forward to 2017 and a fresh start.  I love the New Year.  It always feels hopeful and untarnished.  I am excited to make new resolutions and new memories.  I will share my resolutions with you in January.

How was your 2016?  Did you keep your resolutions?  Are you looking forward to 2017?

6 comments:

  1. Wow - I love how you captured and shared your year, in the beauty and the not-so-beautiful moments. I'm so thankful that God gives us a peace that is unaffected by our circumstances! I love that your choice to do the Kon Mari purge helped you be more prepared for your move - something you probably didn't anticipate! I'm praying that 2017 will be a great year for you! Hugs!

    Whitney @ Come Home For Comfort

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    1. Thank you, Whitney. I am so thankful for that same peace. I have so appreciated your friendship throughout this year! Thank you! Wishing you a wonderful 2017!

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  2. Thank you for sharing about your year and your resolutions, Ashley! I hate New Year's/resolutions/word of the year stuff, but I've been thinking of doing them next year, so it was good to get another person's perspective on it. I hope you have a wonderful holiday and start to 2017! xo

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    1. Thanks, Jess! I hope you have a great 2017!

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  3. I'm sorry this year was hard for you, Ashley, but I love that you said there was peace among the chaos. Maybe God directed you to the word "peaceful" to help you through the difficulties. I chose the word "courage" for 2016, and I feel like God used it to help prepare me for some things difficulties I faced. Looking forward to 2017 with you!

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    1. It is wonderful to know that God will see us through, isn't it? I hope your 2017 is great and filled with joy!

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