Happy Sabbath and Happy New Year friends! It is finally 2025, and I am sure we all have different goals and resolutions we pray to meet by the end of this new year. I am so very grateful for 2024 as if I had to describe the whole year into one single word, it would be “growth”.

In the beginning of 2024, I was in a very toxic situation that I never thought I would get out of. I felt trapped, and felt there was no freedom for me, and what I had was what I deserved. Yet, God heard my cries, and He freed me from this toxic situation. The Lord saw my pain, and saved me. When I gave God all my burdens, is when I started to see my life turn around for the better. All the toxicity that was in my life suddenly was washed away, and I was able to start anew with Jesus by my side guiding me along the way. 2024 was not easy by any means. I struggled with abuse, depression, addiction, etc., but the reason I describe 2024 with the word “growth”, is because God gave me the strength to overcome it all. Each day isn’t easy as there are still setbacks as I am still of the flesh, but I can confidently state that because of Jesus I am a totally different person in the start of 2025 than I was in the beginning of 2024.

“That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
2 Corinthians 12:10 NIV

“I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”
Philippians 4:13 NIV

Another aspect of 2024 that stands out to me are the opportunities that God blessed me with. These opportunities not only helped me grow as a child of God, but it also were things that I prayed upon many years ago that I never thought I would achieve. In 2024, I was blessed with the opportunity of the career of my dreams, the opportunity of preaching the Word of God to my church family, and the opportunity to start up this blog again! Each of these opportunities I mentioned, and even the ones not mentioned, play a tremendous part into my growth in 2024.

Ever since I started junior high/middle school, I always prayed and dreamt of the career of my dreams, and what it would ideally look like. As I got older, it changed, but one thing remained constant, and that was that I would wake up and look forward to go to work each day, and work in an environment that was supportive of my religious beliefs, even if they are not the same. I can confidently state that when I started my career in March of 2024, it was a blessing sent from God. This job is everything I could’ve ever wanted ever since junior high/middle school. I am surrounded by people who not only uplift me, but respect and allow me to speak openly about my religious beliefs, in which they treat with such love, even if they may not fully understand. I have shared my testimony to multiple people at my job, and they have been the most accepting and loving of people. I can confidently state that each morning, I wake up and look forward to go to work each day. I truly thank God as I believe this job was just what I needed, and what I prayed for those many years ago. During college, I didn’t ever think I was going to graduate. It felt like the idea of being in my career was so out of reach, and that I wasn’t deserving of having one, but God reminded me that His strength makes me strong when I may feel weak, and I persevered. Because of God, I am where I am today. I am who I am today, because of Him.

“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.”
James 1:12 NIV

Like I stated earlier, I also was blessed with the opportunity to preach a sermon to my church family. This sermon was about the testimony I was subject to at the beginning of 2024. It was all about the toxic situation which held me back for so many years. Yes, it was about a topic that held me back, and brought me down, but the power and word of God brought out a healing upon me. After I had this opportunity to preach the word of God, and what happened to me, I was overwhelmed with the closeness of the Holy Spirit. It was exactly what I needed to fully let go of my toxic past. In that moment when I was done preaching, was when I felt fully free.

““Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.”
Isaiah 43:18 NIV

“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 3:13-14 NIV

Lastly, when I finally let go of the past, and the toxicity as stated above, I was able to press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. I went back to knowing my purpose in Jesus. He wants us to share the good news of Him. I started biblegalll in 2019 and kept writing until 2021. I stopped writing for three years after 2021, as that is how many years I was a lost sheep. When I finally returned to Jesus, I wrote my first blog post titled “Welcome Home”. After those three years, I was finally found again by our Heavenly Father, and even though I did not deserve it after being lost for so long, He showed me His unconditional and everlasting love by forgiving me and wiping my slate clean of all my past sins, guilt, and regret. I was free in Him, indeed.

““My people have been lost sheep; their shepherds have led them astray and caused them to roam on the mountains. They wandered over mountain and hill and forgot their own resting place.”
Jeremiah 50:6 NIV

“I long for your salvation, Lord, and your law gives me delight. Let me live that I may praise you, and may your laws sustain me. I have strayed like a lost sheep. Seek your servant, for I have not forgotten your commands.”
Psalms 119:174-176 NIV

Because of the opportunities that were brought upon me in the year of 2024, it played a huge factor in my growth as a child of God. Because of Him, I have been transformed and renewed. I praise Him each day for this, as I never thought in a million years that I would feel freedom. Freedom from the guilt, freedom from the past, freedom from the toxicity, etc. This is ultimately why I would say my end of year word to describe 2024 as a whole, would be “growth”.

“Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”
Ephesians 4:15-16 NIV

“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.”
2 Peter 3:18 NIV

As God states in His word, ““Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past”, and since we reflected on the previous year, we can now delve into the future and what God may have in store for us in 2025. Each year I like to choose a word that summarizes my overall goal for the year. This word may change by the end of 2025, but my word of the year that I would like to set as a goal would be “focused”. I am choosing this word at the start of 2025 for myself as since I have done so much of emotional, physical, and spiritual growth in this past year, I would like to fully focus on our Heavenly Father and solidifying my relationship with Him.

“Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.”
1 Chronicles 16:11 NIV

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
Matthew 6:33 NIV

In 2025, my goal is to be focused on the Lord each and every day. Even when I am at my lowest points, I want to be focused on Him. Even when I am at my highest of highs, I want to be focused on Him. No matter where I am at in life, or what I may feel, I want to be focused on Him. My word of the year is “focused”, and I pray that when I reflect on my year, a year from now, that I can confidently say that this year, I was fully focused on our Heavenly Father.

What is your word of the year? How would you describe your 2024? What word would you use to describe your goals for 2025? Take some time to reflect, and plan out goals that you wish to keep at the forefront of your mind. Once you have taken some time to reflect and plan, then give it to God. Share your reflection and your future plans with Him, and allow Him to take full control and allow Him to give you the dedication to pursue the goals you have in mind.

“In everything he did he had great success, because the Lord was with him.”
1 Samuel 18:14 NIV

I pray that as we go into 2025, our hearts are filled with the Holy Spirit. I pray that if we have any regrets, shame, guilt, etc. from 2024, that we give it all to You, Jesus. I pray that we forgive ourselves for our pasts, as You have already forgiven us and wiped our slate clean. Help us to start anew with You by our sides, guiding us along the narrow way in this new year. I pray that whatever we choose our word of the year for 2025 to be, that we keep ourselves accountable, and allow You to take the lead in our successes. Thank you for never giving up on us, and for being there for us throughout the highs and the lows. We are so looking forward to what You have in store for all of us in the year of 2025. Help us to put our complete trust in You during this new year.

Amen.