Taking Stock of January

Happy New Year 2022!

I hope and pray that your year has begun well.

I’m grateful to God for granting us the opportunity to experience this year. The past two years haven’t been a smooth sail for the entire world. Who could've thought that we'd be going through a pandemic for more than two years? I believe this is part of God’s Sovereign plan. I don’t know how 2022 will turn out, but I pray that whatever comes our way, whether good or bad, we will continue trusting in God and be obedient to His word.

In January, I began from where I left off last year in my Bible reading journey. Last semester Sep-Dec 2020/2021, two out of the five units I took were based on the books of 1 and 2 Peter, Romans, and Galatians. We were required to do a daily reading of these four books. Thus, I decided to incorporate them in my quiet time. This meant I had to put a pause on my normal Bible reading schedule. 

At the start of 2021, I had hoped to cover Genesis 1- Isaiah 26. But by the end of the year, I had only completed 1 Samuel and the four New Testament books. There are so many factors that played part in this;

     i. Inconsistency 

I haven’t been consistent in reading my Bible every day. I respect those who do so consistently. Consistency is a habit that is built over a period of time. I hope to build this habit. 

 

     ii. Life happenings

Our lives in this world are so unpredictable, uncertain, unsure and all the ‘uns’. Despite how life turned out in 2021, I’m glad that God was with me every step of the way. I didn’t feel Him every day, I questioned Him often and doubted Him frequently. But when I look back I can see Him in everything I went through. 

 

     iii.  Distractions

My biggest distraction last year was social media. Every time I checked my phone would find myself scrolling either on Instagram, Facebook or watching people's stories. The problem with this is that it's time-consuming. Time is God’s gift to us and at the same time, it's a limited resource. I hope to use it well this year-2022. I have been using the Digital Wellbeing App which helps in restricting such Apps so that I can have a productive day.

Bible Reading

In January I went through the book of 2 Samuel. This time around, I'm glad to read the Bible more for personal edification and not because it is a course requirement or I’m preparing for a bible study or sermon.

I hope to do a depth study of each book that I’m going through in the coming days. 

Prayer

I have been enjoying doing prayer walks in the neighborhood of Dresden, Germany.  The prayer walks allow me to pour out my heart to God. They've been so refreshing to the soul. I hope to keep this habit. It doubles up as an exercise since I get to record my steps. My highest so far has been 9054 steps- Samsung Health

Reading 

I have been reading “Courageous leadership” by Bill Hybels. I’m reading this book because I hope to improve my leadership skills in certain areas of my life. I'll give a review once I’m done. I’m a slow reader but I hope to read a book a month. 

Traveling 

I am grateful to God for an opportunity to visit Europe- Germany. I’ve had an amazing time here these past few weeks. I hope to share my experience in the coming days. 

This sums up my January stock taking. These are few among many things I would love to share with the world as God will grant me the strength and grace. 

I pray that all will go well with you and your family. I pray that things will work out for you. I pray that you will get to see God in every area of your life. Finally, I hope you will keep trusting God in the good and bad times. 

Have a wonderful month of February!