A Joyful New Year-January Scripture Writing Plan
With a year like 2020, I feel like I need to focus on something positive in 2021.
You too?
The never-ending pandemic has left me weary and worn. And to be honest, a little cranky and cynical at times.
Because of all the craziness and uncertainty of the past year, I’ll confess it is a little scary to think ahead to 2021 and make any kind of plans. I mean, almost everything I planned to do in 2020 was altered in some way if not outright canceled.
However, I truly believe with all my heart God does not intend for us to live a reactive life or to be fearful of the future. So, I will press on and make plans for 2021. Yet this time I will hold them loosely and will try not to get too upset if they get changed or don’t happen at all.
The only way I can do this, though, is to lean heavily on the Lord. And I must do this with a positive attitude.
For the last several years, I’ve chosen a word or phrase to represent the upcoming year. Usually, it was a characteristic or trait I wanted to develop or an attitude I wanted to cultivate.
As I’ve thought about what word I wanted to choose for 2021, I thought about what I just shared about having a positive attitude. I think one of the best ways to deal with the uncertainties is with a joyful spirit. When we have a joyful spirit, we look at everything that happens in our lives in a more positive way. It’s easier to see how God may be at work in certain situations. And a joyful spirit helps us to remember that no matter what happens, God is still in control.
So my word for 2021 is JOY.
I will choose joy (or at least try my best) as I lean in closer to the Lord this year and seek His purpose for me during this season of my life.
To help kick off this joyful year, I decided to focus on joy as the topic for the January Scripture Writing Plan. I found numerous verses that show us how to be joyful or give examples of situations where joy is an appropriate reaction.
Get your own copy of the January Scripture Writing Plan by filling out the form below.
New for 2021
2021 marks the 5th year I’ve created Scripture Writing Plans. When I created my first one, I never thought of how God would use them to encourage and inspire so many women. I am so humbled to hear from readers who shared how God has used the plans to speak to them.
This year I want to try something new. I’d love to see how you write out the verses each month. You can send me a picture at jennifer@theplanningwoman.com. I’ll share it on social media or feature it in my weekly newsletter. Or you can tag me at @theplanningwoman on Instagram or Facebook.
I can’t wait to see your notebooks, pens, Bibles, or any other tools you use to write out the scriptures. If we get enough participation, I may just start a monthly giveaway. We’ll see!
Visit the Scripture Writing Plan page to download the current month’s plan. You will also have the opportunity to access the Scripture Writing Plan Archives to download plans with other topics.
Last spring, once it became clear that we were going to be spending 2020 inside, we came up with so many different fun ideas and projects to do. Some individually, some as a family. So even with all the sadness that came with 2020, we had a wonderful year together. Knowing the way restrictions are organized in our area, we are planning for another 6 months or so of a similar lifestyle and I have to say that while there are places we’ll be happy to go and people we’ll be happy to see, we’ve really connected this year even more than travelling together for years has made us. We always try to find the good, so this year, we’ve made more plans together, we’ve started new projects and we’re actually looking forward to it. My word this year is Focus.
I love this, May! I’m so glad you and your family connected so well this past year. I, too, enjoyed my college-aged kids being home for an extended bonus time. I’m thankful for that extra time with them. Thanks for sharing!