Goodbye 2024, Hello 2025

Jan 5

Let's start with a prayer:

"Lord, we look toward you, our hope, our peace, and our comfort in this New Year. As we enter into the unknown of the coming year, we ask for your guidance and wisdom. Illuminate our path with your light so that we may walk in your ways and make choices that align with you will. Help us to seek first your kingdom and trust that all other things will be added unto us. Amen."

Christmas 2024 has come and gone. Here’s what this past Christmas season taught me.

Christmas magic can be created in any home.
Togetherness is the greatest gift.
Traditions may evolve through the years, and that’s okay.
It is a beautiful thing when you see Christmas through a child’s eyes.
Jesus, you are truly the reason for the season.

Thank you God for another blessed and joyful Christmas season. Thank you for the gift of your son, Jesus. May his love shine upon us all as we begin the New Year.

This was my husband and I's fifth Christmas together and we celebrated in our fourth home. With that said, we thought we'd spend every Christmas in our last home, but some unfortunate events (or maybe fortunate) led us to a new town and community this past summer. As the New Year unfolds, we have had many conversations about needing this year to be a fresh start - a year of healing, a year of family moments, and a year of building community. Recent times have reminded us not to take the little things for granted, so therefore I hope we can move forward and illuminate the importance of always putting everything into perspective.

For those of you who are new here, welcome to ElizabethAndPlans, a personal blog. My name is Morgan and welcome to my little corner of the internet where I share the little moments of life that keep me inspired and close to my faith in the Lord.

I’m 30 years old.
My husband and I will have been married for 3 years in March.
I’m a mama to a beautiful little girl who’s now 16 months old.
I work full-time as a fifth grade teacher. I’m beyond grateful for winter breaks where I can relax, spend time with family, and recharge for the second half of the school year.
My interests include reading, cooking, journaling/writing, being outdoors, and spending time with my family.
God has guided me through the ups and downs in my life. I’m praying 2025 will bring my family and myself peace, adventure, and community this year.

This year, I have chosen the following to focus on and to help guide my decisions and day to day living.

GRATITUDE:

I’m grateful for a new year filled with opportunities for adventure, family time, and lessons.

I’m grateful for parents who are the best grandparents to my daughter who care for her and are present.

I’m grateful for the health of my family.

I’m grateful for motherhood.

I’m grateful for my husband who reminds me to find a new perspective in life’s challenging times.

I’m grateful for our small town community and all the potential it has to bring us community and memories to cherish for a lifetime.

I’m grateful for God who has blessed me with an abundance of love and life moments to cherish and learn from.

What are you grateful for in this new year?

FAMILY MOMENTS:

Family moments of togetherness.

Family moments of holidays, birthdays, and celebrations.

Family moments of laughter and joy.

Family moments of comfort and embracement.

Family moments that put everything into perspective of what’s truly important.

What family moments do you choose today?

LET GO & LET GOD:

As cliche as it sounds - this year I choose to let go and relinquish all control to Him! To me that means listening, considering all options, and being patient with my decision making. I will ask God to remind me to slow down in order to make the choices I NEED to make rather than the choices I want to make.

“Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” ~ Matthew 11:28

What will you let God take control of today?

JANUARY READING LIST:

One of my goals for 2025 is to read more and reach my reading challenge on @goodreads. Starting off the year with these books. Thank you to my coworker and brother for gifting me these books.

Jesus Calling for Moms
Summer By the Tides
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder
Beach Read
The Memory House

If you're still reading, thank you for connecting and letting me share with you my aspirations for 2025. I sincerely hope this year brings you and your family peace, joy, and community, as this is what I'm praying for myself and my family as the year begins.

Until next time . . .