Skip to main content

Year End/Beginning Thoughts 2025/2026

Last year, 2025, I posted 5 blog posts. In my mind, that's a bit pitiful for a writer, don't you think? This year, 2026, I shall try to do better.

At the end of one year and the beginning of another, people write about all kinds of things: what they accomplished, what books they read, the places the visited, or the goals they have for the year ahead. I find that all very interesting. I'm a nosy person and am intrigued by how other people spend their lives. 

If you're nosy too, go ahead and read the rest of this paragraph where I'll share a bit about what I did in 2025. If you don't care, feel free to skip this bit. I wrote and published a youth novel, learned that you can freeze sourdough dough and then thaw it when you want to bake it (this is a game changer, all my sourdough baking friends), and completed a university course on the Romans. I started a new job and gained 15lb thanks to the reality that both part time EAs and part time cooks do a lot less walking than part time waitresses (I'll probably talk about this in my next blog post). I bought a walking pad. 

Goderich, ON, is the farthest home I went from home.

2025 was a year of normal, everyday activities. And I'm grateful for that. It was not exciting (though I am thrilled about my latest book and deeply grateful for my new job). 2025 was full of cups of tea, baked bread and soup, friends, family, and quiet. 

I can't tell you about 2026 because it hasn't happened yet. I hope to at least use my passport, write another book, take some more university courses, and get on my paddleboard more. 

But mostly I hope that I understand God better. If the whole duty of man (and woman) is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever (Westminster Shorter Catechism answer 1) then I want to enjoy and glorify Him. I want a robust prayer life, a deeper understanding of the Bible, and to obey the Spirit. I want all my friends to know and love Jesus. 

God is good. He is worthy of all my love and praise. He is infinite and even if I study Him from now till eternity I will never understand Him completely. What a wild adventure that is to think about. 


Favourite Books of 2025

    • The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander
    • Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson
    • Watership Down by Richard Adams
    • Your Story has a Villain by Jonathan Pokluda
    • On Magic and Miracles by Marian A. Jacobs

Favourite Music of 2025

    • The albums "Magic" and "The Richest Man in the World" by Ben Rector
    • "The Narrow Way" by Steffany Gretzinger
    • "I Believe" by Phil Wickham

Favourite Home things in 2025

    • Vanilla Earl Gray Tea
    • Electric Heating Pad
    • Beeswax Candles
    • Walking pad/standing desk


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Actually, I'm engaged

If you are a Christian you are part of the greatest love story every told to mankind. This story begins with God speaking and it ends with an "amen". It's found between the covers of this book called "The Bible" and if you haven't read it I suggest you begin immediately because you will be amazed at the love recorded there. If you are a Christian you are described as a member of God's church and if you are a member of His church you are also part of the Bride of Christ (Ephesians 5). You might say that Israel in the Old Testament was God's church and He made His love story very clear to them as well...though not because they deserved it. Song of Solomon tells the deep, intimate love of Christ for His church and the adoration of the church for Jesus; it's the story of how it should always be . Sadly, in a few books later we read a story that is heart wrenching. Ezekiel 16 is titled "The Lord's Faithless Bride" because this bride, t...

Surprise Sin

Over Easter weekend I had the opportunity to visit my grandparents. We caught up over soup and egg salad sandwiches and then migrated to the living room with cups of tea. Gradually the conversation turned to a couple young siblings from their church whom they've observed seldom fight. Sometimes these kids do get angry or annoyed with each other and then they fight, but that is not their normal relationship. My grandfather made this observation, "isn't that just like sin? You are living your life of obedience and then all of a sudden its like sin gets the better of you." It was a comforting statement coming from my elderly grandfather who has been walking with the Lord for over 80 years. Even as a seasoned saint, sin still creeps up on him. But it has also made me think quite a bit. Sometimes I am tempted to think that if I do everything right (regular devotions, get enough sleep, listen to good music, eat well, have Christian fellowship, exercise) then I won't fal...

a different perspective

Henry was walking quickly down the sidewalk one sunny summer afternoon. He had finished his chores and so his mother had let him go out to the park to play baseball with his friends before Dad came home for supper. Henry was quite excited about this adventure but he stopped suddenly when he passed the white church and saw his pastor sitting on the steps with a downcast expression on his normally joyous face.      "Hi Pastor Clay," Henry greeted him as he came to a complete stop just on the other side of the white fence.      "Hello Henry," Pastor Clay's answer was sad.      "How are you today?" Henry asked again, hoping all was well so that he could go play.      "Oh alright," Pastor Clay answered.     With all his might Henry wanted to nod and smile and be on his way...but he couldn't. Instead, he lifted the gate's latch and walked over to the step. Once there, he seated himself beside the pa...