New Years Eve – Year in Review

December 29, 2017
“Stolen” from Shazam

“What are you doing New Years… New Years Eve?!” –Frank Loesser (made famous by the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Donny Osmond, and Harry Connick, Jr.)

As much as Christmas Traditions are often passed down from generation to generation because of the wonder and amazement of the Christmas Season, I don’t want to leave out the importance of ending the year strong.

Moses asked God to “Teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.”  A few years ago, I had read Psalm 90 and was convicted of letting years pass uneventfully and without gratitude.  I have, since, tried to intentionally “number our days,” and I have found New Years Eve a great time to do that.

Photo by Jamie Street on Unsplash

Many of us this year will watch “the ball drop,” and celebrate as the new year passes.  I want to encourage you that you remember what this last year included – the good, and the bad.  Sovereign God has allowed everything that happened this last year.  So, don’t be afraid to revisit the important parts of the year.  My mother-in-law died this last year, and though it is difficult we will remember what her life was and what she meant to us, much the way we did at her “celebration of life.”  It will be a part of our “year in review.”

REVIEW – “So teach us to number our days”

I try to use a simple outline to review the events of last year. Hopefully it will come in handy for you if you have never done this before.

Year in Review

  1. Lowlights
    1. God’s provision through the difficult moments of the past year
      1. Brought you safely through
      2. Grace upon grace to bring you to ‘now’
    2. Deaths
    3. Disappointments
  1.  Highlights
    1. God’s Miracles
      1. Where did God show up in miraculous ways this last year
      2. How did God surprise you this year
    2. Family/individual achievements
    3. Enjoyable moments

In this way I try to lead my family in numbering our days, and remembering the things that God allowed to be included in our year.

PRAY

Do you pray? Do you pray with your family?  Lead them, you can do it.  If you need to write out what you’d like to say (because you are unsure of how, or where to go with your words), then do so.  Hopefully this outline will be helpful.

New Years Prayer

  1. Thankful for Last Year
    1. Strategically pick out things God blessed you with
    2. Don’t forget the little things
  2. Promises for Next Year
    1. Things you wish for, next year
    2. Things you can see coming, things you desire to happen
    3. Things to which God has been saying “wait”
  3. Strategic Wishes
    1. Family
      1. Each member
      2. Individual wishes
    2. Ministry
    3. Career
  4. Plans that are already in the works
    1. God’s glory in them
    2. That they would benefit your mission for Christ.

Make this new year’s eve a memorable one!  …and as we look to the new year, make intentional memories that will impact the lives of your children!