2019 Taught Me A LOT

 

1. Leaving does not mean you are a quitter
2. God’s plan for me is not anyone else’s
3. God’s plan for me is his plan not mine
4. God’s love for me is 100x more than I can fathom
5. Trials aren’t to bring you down, they are there to bring you up, closer to the Lord
6. The journey never stops
7. Community is hard, but no community is harder
8. Rest is super important, and I don’t take enough of it
9. There is more to life than climbing the career ladder
10. Be interruptible
11. Be obedient
12. Trust the Holy Spirit in you
13. Hard work produces growth, but so does no work
14. Love goes a long way
15. Look at what they do have rather than what they don’t
16. Sometimes the journey looks different than what we thought. Are you going to trust the driver (the Lord) or be the driver yourself?
17. Seek the Lord daily. Its not going to look the same every single day. But have a relationship. Not a legalistic religion
18. Processing isn’t hard if you turn your phone off
19. Scrolling isn’t processing…it’s avoiding. And even when you think you have nothing to process…. Sit there for a moment. There is always something
20. Mentors are important
21. Picking up the instrument is harder than playing it
22. You don’t need much to be truly happy. Not everything is a necessity
23. Stop comparing
24. Walk in confidence where you are at. The Lord has you where you are supposed to be
25. Journaling is my sanctuary
26. Surrender is a daily battle
27. The waiting is hard, but the reward is so worth it
28. Don’t let fear of man run your life
29. Speak the truths over yourself and believe they are true
30. Head to heart is hard. But once you believe it, own it, and no one can break you because you know your worth, value, and how loved you truly are
31. You are worth it
32. You are not a quitter
33. Your relationship with the Lord is yours and only yours. No one has the same one. He is a relational God and knows how to specifically encounter YOU
34. The bible is so cool once you actually start reading it
35. The Holy Spirit is CRAZY and always gives you revelations when you ask
36. Family is everything even when they run your patience thin
37. Jesus’s birth is something to be celebrated everyday not just in December
38. Its hard to take things slow and take a step back because we like to be in control. But trusting in the Lord’s timing is comforting and will never fail us
39. Missteps and mistakes are different, and they are both forgiven
40. Shame has no place
41. There is so much I don’t understand about the bible, but that doesn’t mean I get to worry. It just means I get to rely more heavily on my faith and my father and on the simple truths. One God, three parts, and a son who died on the cross for me so that I may spend eternity in heaven
42. Abide
43. Rest
44. Pray
45. Write
46. These are all necessary
47. A smile can change the room
48. Put your phone away
49. Pictures are nothing compared to being present
50. Being present is harder but it’s worth so much
51. I am deeply loved, valued, cherished, and protected
52. God doesn’t need us, but he loves us enough to include us
53. A relationship with the Lord is like a one-on-one conversation at my favorite coffee shop with my Papa
54. I have a seat at the table, and I am worthy of that seat
55. Walking in freedom is so much better than walking in shame, guilt, and regret

After being asked “what’s one thing you have learned this past year, month, week, and day, I came up with this list of things I learned this year. There are tons more I’m sure but 55 is a lot so I left it at that. I am going to be real honest, number 26 is where I am at. Every day, I have to wake up and surrender all my baggage, weight, stress, and prayers to the Lord. I can’t do any of these things on the list without that one simple, yet challenging, act of obedience. But I know, that after looking back on what 2019 has taught me, the Lord is so faithful and will prove to be my provider, constant, protector, father, and biggest friend yet again in 2020 because of all he has done in the past.

With all that, my word for 2020 is “surrender”. I challenge you to find a word for your year. Pray about it and ask the lord to reveal one to you! Comment below if you have one!! I’d love to pray for you year and that the Lord teaches you about your word! 

I wish you all the very best New Year and I pray the Lord speaks clearly and that you open your heart to listen to what He has to say. May He bless you and keep you, May His face shine upon you.

Love, Kenzie