Hello my friends! It has been a long while since I have written, but I got a previous post out and wanted to get my New Year post out also. So let’s go!
Hard year last year…anyone else? Lots of great things happened, which my Gratitude Jar shows, but it was a hard one emotionally and in many cases, physically for me. My mind was a bit scattered and my emotions were rather all over the place, and I found it difficult to concentrate to do the things I would normally do to pull myself out of those places. I wasn’t too forgiving of myself as I struggled to admit there might be a bit of depression going on. So…I thought I would hop on here and chat a while about what I have learned, and where it might take me in this New Year of 2024. Also to tell you that re-reading my previous post, helped me to get in the groove to get this post out to you!
Because of the above circumstances, I hadn’t prayed about my word for the year as I usually do starting in November, which is my birthday month. So here I am days before the new year started (and now late in sharing it but that is ok) and I had to admit in my prayer time that I hadn’t asked the Lord for my word this year. I then asked Him if he would show me what it should be. Well when we ask, there is an answer. It may be what you are looking for, it may be something He wants you to work on, or it may take some time to answer. In my case, the next day I felt the answer…it was not what I really was wanting to acknowledge… PEACE. Yep. That was my word. Oh boy! I knew I had been having issues through the year because deep down there were many areas I was NOT in peace about. Oh… I can make a peaceful environment around me, in fact, I love doing that for myself or others who enter our home. But God was talking about MY peace; my INNER peace. And…I knew He was right. I wasn’t so peaceful inside. I was having a hard time walking that out, which of course, had been my problem in sharing the real stuff with God anyway. Funny part about that??? Like He didn’t know that already, and patiently waited until I would come to Him about it.
So once I had that word, I asked myself the usual question that helps me learn what is going on inside my head and heart: What is taking or stealing your peace? We have to be willing to be honest with ourselves. In my case, I recognized I am letting not just my life challenges grab a hold, but also those that are in the lives of my friends and family. The kicker for me was that I wasn’t turning them over and letting God work it out. I get involved; I get upset about their challenges, I go into recovery mode for them, I want to fix it… and I can’t. There are times I can help, but there are times and reasons that I might need to just listen. Satan will use any circumstance to lead us away from what helps us most…staying in close relationship with Jesus, pray and let Him take it on. Leave it with Him. Trust it with Him. Because I know that if I do that, I won’t be kept from the very special time and regime that I need to continue down the path God has for me. You see, my Bible reading and study was NOT what it should be. I would try and read and get nothing out of it, which is not like me. I love to read and learn and apply it to my life. I have also had to admit to a very short fuse…that is my inner self not doing well. I felt isolated which is the first sign that satan is playing with my head and heart, because, he wants me to feel this way; like there is no hope to feel better or get back to what I love to do.
I also learned that what I listened to in my home is important. So I have to spend more time in The Loft. Eyes off the world, and on what brings joy and peace to my heart and mind. That is where great things happen. It is ok set aside alone time if that is what it takes. I need to do that and use that time alone, not as isolation, but a time to listen and really hear anew what God has to say to me. Listen to the whisper. We have this idea that we need to go, go, go, and always be busy/sucessful. We are trying to accomplish everything and look successful and we are literally tearing down our bodies; and maybe our family and relationships with us. I don’t mind being alone because I know that is where I learn the most. So this whole way of feeling was very foreign to me. But by asking these hard questions, I can get more honest about the deep things that have changed in me.
I also remembered there was a natural product I was using that I had used for many years and I didn’t think I needed anymore. Well…to the ladies that follow this blog, if you have had a have had hormone difficulties, going through or gone through menopause, or you have had a hysterectomy as I have had, you may know that just because you get to a certain age, does not mean you might not need hormone support. Maybe too much information here, but I want to be transparent in sharing so you might recognize something that may help you. So my next step was to order it and start that this year. This decision also included consistency with vitamin regime. Do what you know to do. In my case, I believe these steps were answers to the question I asked myself. I felt better once I recognized them and took steps to change it.
So peace is my word for the year. I have made a logo for it (as you see as the cover) to use at various times through this year. I have made a scrabble tile with the word on it and it’s on my desk. I have that logo on my phone and watch. I am a visual person. The circle reminds me of life moving on. The heart is about me having the peace in my inner being…the heart reminds me that from the heart the mouth speaks. And the cross in a reminder to leave my problems and challenges at the cross. I loved finding the cross that looks a little like hardanger; a nod to my Norwegian heritage.
I have a list of goals for the new year as I always write. They are not resolutions, but just goals I have asked God to oversee. I love watching how God works them out in my life. I am never disappointed in the results and I love to see what He accomplishes from that list when I turn it all over back to him. I had almost 3/4 of my list to celebrate last New Year’s Eve when I read them, and that happened even amongst the hardship of the year. But sometimes we are more focused on what we think we don’t have rather than what we DO have. My daily prayers will be written in a little Prayer Journal given to me by a long time friend to pray over. I will also put my gratitude hearts in my Gratitude Jar. This year I expect to have more than last year because my heart is more at peace.
So it is my hope that you all will have the same kind of revelation in your hearts and minds as you walk out your 2024. May you have the courage to ask the same question that I asked and see what God lays on your hearts. Should that happen, or you have a word for YOUR year, I would love to hear from you about it. Leave a message on the blog by scrolling down a bit after the sign off and leave it there. I will respond and certainly pray for those that do, so that, you too may experience God’s divine purpose in your daily walk this year.
From The Loft…
~ JoAnn
Knock…knock…come on in! I have a story to tell! The other day I did a happy dance because I received a book in the mail that I was so wanting. It is all about making the Scandinavian waffle; not just a waffle, but all kinds of ways to serve the waffle. I was very excited! I tasted the Norwegian waffle while on my visit to Norway. In the wonderful hospitality of my cousins, it was served like a dessert waffle with a jam and whipped cream on top and each one was heart-shaped. They were very, very good and had a touch of cardamom flavor. What a treat! I immediately wanted the recipe. I have a couple other books and recipes, and now, I have this book. I have learned the history of waffles also. And the recipes!! That is really fun!However, there was a word in this book that really grabbed my heart. My soul immediately resonated with it. I have been familiar with its feeling, and always leaned this way in my daily life and 
living. But this word description put the finger on the pulse when I read it. It is described as the Norwegian word “Kos”. As with many languages, sometimes it takes many words to understand the meaning of one foreign word used, and this word is no exception. If we tried to translate it, it seems the word “cozy” would best work. Sort of…but not really. It is really described as more of a life style. It’s about the quality of life we live and making an atmosphere that totally makes you feel like, this is the life! This is what it’s about. But she talks about “Kos” not just being about the home, it’s also about getting together for coffee, or when you see someone you haven’t seen in a long time, or sharing a bonfire with snacks or hotdogs together with friends, neighbors and family. It is also about being out in nature on a walk or hike, or sitting on a deck and just enjoying what you see around you. Hearing the sounds, and breathing in life.
other cousins, to see my grandfather’s church, and where his siblings and family attended, were confirmed, and lived their life. I walked the road where my grandfather walked and then went up the hill to where his house was. I traveled with other cousins to learn of my father’s mother and her life in Norway, and my great-uncle, who was a pastor, and gave his life to ministry in Norway, and later in the US. I walked inside of the house where my great-grandmother, grandmother and her sister lived. That was on my mom’s side.
I could imagine for a while what their life was like and how hard their life was. I could also look out the window at the beautiful mountains across the valley. I stood there a moment trying to imagine them waking up to that view every day! What a view a view it was. Did they stand at the window and dream about a time when they would leave these mountains and come to the land of plenty? Did they dream about a way to make a better life for themselves and for their family by leaving Norway? Maybe they prayed for provision and food enough to get by? Maybe their prayers were answered by our presence there that day. Stories…do we know them, or are we too busy to gather around small tables by oil light to listen? (I will allow you an electrical light too, or, candles are welcomed). Can we slow down enough to hear the stories? Everyone has one.
about. Whether by yourself, or with others, it is about squeezing every bit of enjoyment out of each moment lived. For me, one of them just recently was laying on the floor with my grandson and just talking and giggling. Listening to his story. I can remember many days going to my grandpa and grandma’s house after school and sometimes just sitting there in a rocker and rocking back and forth, the Generator wall clock is sharing it’s “tick-tock, tick-tock”, and the quiet…we just enjoyed being together. I have memories of my grandfather taking the time to teach me how to play solitaire. I play a game on my phone before I go to bed each night in his honor. Time. We all have it. What are we doing with it?
their lunch together. They invited on in to share the circle with them. We ate our snacks there and they offered us cookies and coffee. Here we sat, strangers to them, my son and I, and yet they invited us in like they had known us for a long time. We were invited into the cabin for a tour. My heart fell in love with this cabin on the mountain. It squeezed my heart a little to leave, but I left feeling the “Kos” that day for many reasons. Walking back down the mountain, it WAS hard to put into words. But I know the feeling because my heart recognizes it.
I thank my Norwegian relatives for reminding me once again what life is about and what is important. I think God wants us to live this way. It was never His plan to be running so fast that we run away from life instead of running to it. We are running so hard that we forget to look around us at nature and what God has given us. We can’t even hear Him because we are too busy moving on to the next thing. I came back home with a reinforced perspective about this area of my life! I am passionate about it! I implement it in my home as well. I now understand why. It was how I was brought up. But it still takes ME to implement it. When we allow it, our heart and soul will speak. When it does, we have no choice but to listen and follow if we want harmony in our lives.
Journeys of My Heart 