Favorite things of 2020

Looking back on 2020 requires bravery. I found myself wanting to bundle up the past year and take it out to the curb like the trash, but when I stopped to ask what good things have come in 2020, I found myself feeling grateful. There were many good things this past year. So as I’ve looked back through my 2020 journal, I thought I’d celebrate a few favorite things from this year to remember.

Favorite book of 2021

My favorite book for 2020 was written by Chaplain Mary George-Whittle this year. I know Mary personally and she authentically lives out her life like the stories she shares in the book Skirting the Thin Veil, Meaningful stories from life-changing events. In fact, the first time I met Mary, I felt free to share and ask for advice on how to approach a close family member on their deathbed that I had been estranged from. She gave me a key that helped us receive reconciliation and peace. Through empathetic storytelling, Chaplain Mary invites us in to witness these sacred encounters, where we can receive wisdom and compassion, whether we are going through our own end of life experience or accompanying someone. Skirting the This Veil reveals Divine wisdom, in an easy-to-read format, through meaningful stories of real people encountering the edge of life. These sacred stories, seen through the eyes of a compassionate chaplain, are for all of us. At some point in our lives, we will all go through something similar, and knowing this kind of love and wisdom are available and transferable is a true comfort.

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Favorite Movie-TV of the year

Hands down, my absolute favorite movie/TV for the year is The Chosen. The timing of the release of season 1 couldn’t have been more hopeful this year. I’ve bought the series and don’t get tired of watching it. It has brought the reality of Jesus on a personal level I didn’t think any show could do. This series is not your typical religious movie. If you haven’t seen it, you’ll have to watch it to know what I mean. It is crowd-funded and you can watch it for free because of the Pay-it-forward donations.

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Favorite Music

Song of the Year

It has been a year like no other, and as we transition into the new year it feels dark and heavy on one hand and light and hopeful in the other. Music transcends, reflects, and inspires like no other art medium. Do you remember this year when ‘The Blessing’ song came out with Kari Jobe and Cody Carnes, and went viral, being sung throughout the world in the beginning days of the pandemic and shut downs? What a unifying encouraging song! This song wins my vote for the song of the year.

Music Album of the Year

A hymn that keeps singing in my head holds a key to the entrance of peace as we cross the threshold of the new year. Here is a beautiful rendition of the hymn ‘Abide with Me’ by Keith & Kristyn Getty released this year as part of a beautiful album that wins as my most meaningful music album of the year: Evensong. This album is a lullaby and I’ve listened to it dozens of time and let the peace and hope wash over my soul.

The hymn is ‘Abide with Me’ - written in 1847 by Rev. Francis Lyte as a parting gift to the people he loved and served. His health forced him to leave and live a warmer climate, where he died three months later.

Here is the text of the hymn:

1 Abide with me: fast falls the eventide;
the darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide.
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me.

2 Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day;
earth's joys grow dim, its glories pass away.
Change and decay in all around I see.
O thou who changest not, abide with me.

3 I need thy presence every passing hour.
What but thy grace can foil the tempter's power?
Who like thyself my guide and strength can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, O abide with me.

4 I fear no foe with thee at hand to bless,
ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness.
Where is death's sting? Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still, if thou abide with me.

5 Hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes.
Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies.
Heaven's morning breaks and earth's vain shadows flee;
in life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.

Abide means: to remain; continue; stay: Abide with me, to dwell; reside; to continue in a particular condition, attitude, relationship, to endure, sustain, or withstand without yielding; to wait for, await (Webster’s New Universal Unabridged Dictionary, 1993)

I feel a desperate need for God’s presence and comfort. Even though we are all in different places, inside and out, in the global storm of 2020, we are not alone. We must move forward with hope

Abiding with Christ is the key to peace, discernment, and courage to enter the new year.

John 15:4-5 NLT

“Remain in me, and I will remain in you.
For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine,
and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.

“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches.
Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit.
For apart from me you can do nothing.”

Favorite artistic & spiritual connection of the year

In March, the timing of the launching of the e-course Keys to Drawing Celtic Knots & Illumination - Easy ways to draw Celtic knots, designs & lettering on a spiritual journey through the Celtic Christian hymn 'Be Thou My Vision' - was prophetic. The messages of the hymn ‘Be Thou my Vision’ were so appropriate for what we’ve been going through. I loved the creative and spiritual connections made in the group. Two groups have journeyed through the hymn while drawing Celtic knots in 2020. I look forward to beginning another group for 2021 in March.The Shalom prayer, here in video form, continues to be a blessing…

Give yourself something to look forward to this coming year

Going through the looking back experience sparked enthusiasm for looking forward. The benefits of journaling through the year with others that includes creative challenges has helped me through 2020. I became inspired to create a new journaling course with a creative and spiritual connection: month-by-month throughout the year, we will set up planner pages along with a few special pages that celebrate a word of the year, and make space to respond to prompts and questions. Click on the button below for more info

Learn more about plan with me e-course

Thinking of my favorite things in 2020 made me realize I have a lot to be grateful for. These things listed above are just a few things. There are many personal blessings with family and friends, such as the birth of our precious granddaughter Florence, a special time with our son’s family in Texas after not seeing them for a long time…

Listing all those blessings would need another post… so I will leave this as a few of my favorite things and pray blessing for you in 2021.

“The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace.”

Numbers 6:24-26 NIV