“…In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ you should tell them, ‘The water of the Jordan was cut off in front of the ark of the Lord’s covenant. When it crossed the Jordan, the Jordan’s water was cut off.’ Therefore these stones will always be a memorial for the Israelites.”

Joshua 4:6-7 CSB

For the last few years, I decided that I would keep a commonplace notebook, and as part of that, recap every month. I jot down major events that happened in my life as well as what I’m currently enjoying and what is filling my emotional tank. I have loved doing this, because it is a capsule of each month and where I’ve been. I always then, at the end of the year, look back through these notebooks and am reminded of what happened and how God moved in my life over the course of the year.

I use Field Notes pocket journals, and I have loved documenting the joys and little things in life so that I can be empowered to move forward. I believe it is so vital to look back and see how much you have grown in order to move ahead with a deeper passion. As a writer, I love journaling, but I believe everyone can benefit by taking time to mark down your reflections in order to have a history that you can look back and be grateful for.

When we look back, we see how God moved in our life, which gives us a greater ambition to move ahead in confidence that He will move again.

We can see in the old testament how God would lead the Israelites, and often as they moved from one place to another, they would create a small monument in order to be a visual representation of God’s provision of leading them out of the wilderness into where they were meant to be. The entire Bible itself is a document of what God has done and how He continues to show up and love His children. I made this decision to document moments in my own life, not to share with everyone, but so that I could personally see how God has moved in my life. This gives me confidence that even in my current circumstance I might be facing, God will be there and make a way because He has before.

When you’re in the middle of the unknown, reminding yourself of your blessings provides a path in the wilderness.

It is so easy to be in the middle of a hard season in life and feel as if nothing is going your way, but the truth is, even in the hard moments, God is present and cares deeply for you. January is always a month of reflection for me, and I love being able to hold a tangible thing that reminds me of what God is doing in my life. Don’t let your circumstance determine your worth or how you see your own life, remind yourself of truth that God is present and God loves you.

This year, be intentional with how you remind yourself of your blessings, so that you can be confident in whatever may come.

There’s a balance of looking at the past, we need to reflect but not dwell in the past. I’m sure you’ve met people that live in the past, wishing that things could go back to the way they used to be, but this doesn’t help us. What reflection does, is show us how far we’ve come and how much we’ve grown so that we can be more confident in moving ahead, ready and prepared for more growth that will come.

Reflect, don’t dwell, because we should always strive to grow in our wisdom and of our character.

We never know what a new day will bring, but we can remind ourselves that God makes a way in the wilderness. As you move through this new season, mark down the moments where you feel blessed, write down the small joys of book you read, a flavor you tried, or a joke someone told you. Capture these beautiful blessings that God shows you, and remember them, so that as you look back you can move ahead with confidence.

Time will move fast if you let it, so slow down, take in the joys all around you, and know that God is with you and loves you in every season.

Create a monument of God’s goodness in order to propel you into new seasons of growth and wisdom.

-Your pastor and friend, Joshua.

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About the Author: Joshua Thomas is a husband, father, and pastor doing what he can to love others the way Jesus did. You can find him reading a good book, sipping warm tea, taking pictures, or dreaming. He may not have it all figured out, but the journey is the best part. You can find him on the social media he uses Tik Tok, Bluesky and Instagram