Time for the obligatory New Year post! I don’t know if I write this for y’all or for myself – maybe a little of both. As I reflect on 2024, I almost feel… eh. 2023, especially the 4^th quarter, was intense with skydiving and the 3-week mission trip to Africa, it almost set 2024 up to seem uneventful. It wasn’t though in perspective.

For the last many years, I’ve had a word for the year. 2022 and 2023 were Diligence. 2024 was Wonder. At first, I thought that meant amazing things happening that would leave me in awe and wonder. In hindsight though, it was more reflecting on the miraculous things God had done in my life, what He’s doing now, and what He has planned for me in the future. 2024 was a reflective time giving me a chance to see and process.

I saved most of my PTO for the end of the year because I thought I’d need time off for surgery (more on that in a moment), but in October/November I concluded it wasn’t happening yet. I had to take some time over Thanksgiving and Christmas or lose the time. This respite allowed for a lot of thinking and praying, and some much-needed rest. 2024’s fruit is more clarity on what I want and feel called, and NOT called, to do for His Kingdom. I know that clarity comes from time and experience and can be fluid.

The word for 2025 is Moxie. I was thinking gumption, but after looking up synonyms and definitions, moxie is a better fit (and sounds cooler!). It’s a just-do-it or up-and-at-em or get-going mantra. Like discipline but with a spark. I, like many, have a lot of things on my to-do lists. Daily tasks, good habits to keep, projects to work on, books and articles to read, podcasts to listen to, videos to watch, etc. There lays the issue – I know what I want and/or need to do but I need follow through.

One thing I plan to do this year is have plastic surgery to remove the loose skin from my weight loss. I met with a surgeon last summer, but my insurance won’t cover any of the procedures, not even the part that’s medically necessary (panniculectomy because of skin-on-skin complications and back pain from excess weight). After doing research and getting recommendations from friends, there’s a surgeon in Mexico who I’m probably going with. Obviously, my insurance won’t cover any of it there either, but the out-of-pocket for me is significantly lower. I plan to write more during this process and discussing medical tourism, so stay tuned! In the meantime, anyone looking for a photographer? I really need to get some side hustles going.

I hope we all have a blessed 2025. Praying that it’s a year that doesn’t leave us wishing it was over.