The Big White Farmhouse

How do I describe the past year?  In some ways, it was one of the best years of my life; in others, it was one of the most stressful and difficult.  It was a year of great laughter and joy, but also of tremendous worry and grief.  Such is life, right?  Through it all, my prayer was the short Latin phrase, “Deo gratias,” or Thanks be to God.  Gratitude for the good and gratitude for the hard.

My 2022 One Little Word

I had been mulling over a few options for weeks, but couldn’t quite decide on a winner.  Then, in the last meditation I read on Christmas Eve, this paragraph jumped out at me:

God is simple and we are complicated; and the holier we become, the more simple we become, not the more complex.  Let us never make great issues out of small things, never be complex about the very simple mystery of our vocation and our redemption.  Both are tremendous mysteries but very simple.  Perhaps that is why they are such a mystery to us. – Come Lord Jesus, p.220-221

So my word for 2022 is going to be simple: simplifying my heart and home, keeping things simple, and being content with a small and simple life.  I’m excited to see how this pans out.

A Few Goals for the Year

+ Get serious about nutrition.  //  2021 was the year where I stopped making excuses and really took my health seriously.  I’m keeping that momentum by continuing intermittent fasting, weaning off of almost all processed foods, and giving up sugar for at least six months(!!).  I’d also like to focus on nutrient dense foods, with bonus points for food grown and raised by us.  My kids will be joining in on this adventure, just maybe a little less extreme.
+ Read more nonfiction.  //  One of the cons of my 100 book reading goal was that I prioritized “easier” books that I knew I could breeze through quickly.  This year, I’d like to read more nonfiction, even if it takes me awhile to finish.  I entertained the idea of a new challenge (something like a 1001 Nonfiction Book Reading Challenge?), but ultimately decided to complete the Alphabet Challenge for Nonfiction first.
+ Make something beautiful with my own hands at least once a month.  //  This is lifegiving in the best way for me.
+ Expand the homestead.  //  Bigger gardens and more animals!  Little by little, we are creating a more self-sufficient way of life.
+ Aggressively work toward the goal of paying off our mortgage early.  //  Lots of thoughts fall under this huge goal.  I know my first order of business will be to brainstorm multiple income streams…what I can offer in the state of life I’m currently in?  What are my gifts?
+ Improve my self-protection skills. // The world can be a dangerous place, but knowing you can protect yourself produces confidence and not fear.  This is the year I’ll finally finish my self defense course!