Favorite Treasures of 2020

I think it’s pretty safe to say that 2020 was a challenging year for most of us–facing a global pandemic, much division and unrest in our country, and the personal difficulties that can come with or without these other struggles. But each year, I find it is helpful to look back and remember some of the treasures and gifts from the previous year, and I hope sharing a few favorites here can be encouraging for you, too!

Books

Narrowing down my favorite books from the past year is always a challenge, especially since I read so many great ones for my master’s program in spiritual formation. But here are a few that have stood out to me that I would recommend for anyone:

** This Too Shall Last by K. J. Ramsey— This book was an unexpected gem I read for my summer research paper on how we can be formed spiritually through trials, grief, and suffering. Even though it was a brand new book released in 2020, I chose to read it because I thought the perspective from a young woman with a chronic illness who also has a psychology degree from seminary could be helpful, and interviews I heard with her on podcasts such as Unhurried Living with Gem and Alan Fadling and OtherWISE with Casey Tygrett made me feel more confident in moving forward with that choice.

However, I was completely unprepared for how blown away I would be by Ramsey’s writing at every turn and how her book would actually become my favorite read of the year. (She is one of my favorite new follows on Instagram from the year as well.) I wrote more about the book in this blog post, and I can’t recommend it highly enough if you or someone you love wants to move past the clichés to find true hope in the companionship of Christ in the midst of suffering.

** Life without Lack by Dallas Willard— I always appreciate Dallas Willard’s writing and teaching, and this book especially hit home for me this past year. It was compiled after his death from his teaching many years prior in a small group setting on Psalm 23. Willard goes deeper into how we can really live in the truths from that beloved passage, experiencing the Lord as our Shepherd, lacking nothing, and with goodness and mercy following us all the days of our lives.

Another concept I appreciate from this book is his depiction of how our faith can grow from the faith of propriety (basically believing that things will go well for anyone who does right) to the faith of desperation and the faith of sufficiency, resting in who God is and His perfect provision even beyond what we can see.

** The Attentive Life by Leighton Ford— I read this book earlier in the year, but it comes back to my mind as a top pick because I love how Ford speaks to what God is continually reminding me about paying attention to what He is doing in every day and every season of life. Ford articulates it this way:

“As you learn to pay attention, it makes a difference in the here and now.

You will see things you have not seen.
You will be more fully alive.
You will experience life in its depths.
You will be more rooted, less rushing.
You will be a more whole and loving person.
You will live before you die.”

I long for this to be true of me. I want to pause to notice and recognize what God is doing and give Him thanks and praise. I want to remember what He is teaching me in big and small ways, because they all matter. It’s part of why I write and share treasures as well.

Podcasts

I love to listen to podcasts on walks or drives, and here are a few that have been bright spots for me over the past year:

** Annie and Eddie Keep Talking— This is a new show that started as a way of coping with quarantine and has somehow helped me survive this crazy year. This past March, when the coronavirus was just starting to make an impact in the U.S., Annie Downs was notified that she was exposed to someone who tested positive, and she had to be quarantined for 10 days (since it had already been four days since her exposure). At the time for her, not knowing what else was coming, 10 days in her house by herself seemed completely overwhelming. So one of the things she thought might add a little fun to help her get through and also share with others was to talk with her podcasting friend Eddie Kaufholz each morning to check in for 30 minutes, record their conversation, and release it (unedited) on her That Sounds Fun podcast the same day.

I love the chemistry Annie and Eddie have in conversation with each other, and in the midst of what felt like such a scary and uncertain time, I have to admit that snort-laughing at their hot takes on toilet paper hoarding or whatever else they would come up with to talk about was a welcome respite. And of course they talk more seriously about different issues at times, too. They really thought these “TSF Quarantine” episodes would only last for a couple of weeks at most, but before Annie’s personal quarantine time was over, her entire city as well as most of the rest of the country was going to begin “stay at home” precautionary measures. So Annie and Eddie kept recording these daily episodes until they finally decided to make it a separate, twice a week podcast, on Tuesdays and Fridays.

There was a stretch during the difficulty of this season that I found myself not really able to mentally take in some of the other podcasts I normally would listen to, but this one seemed like a perfect provision for the time, and I continue to enjoy their conversations. It’s the top podcast where I never have episodes left in the queue because I listen to them all!

** The Next Right Thing with Emily P. Freeman– I always appreciate how Emily helps us create space for our souls to breathe so we can discern our next right thing in love. Her episodes are usually short (around 12 minutes or so), and she typically offers a brief story, a Scripture and/or prayer, and a simple next right step.

I have especially appreciated Emily’s encouragement to Remember What You Know, her episode on How to Pray When You’re Sad, her exhortation of Don’t Try to Be Great, and her prompting to Use Your Reimagination, which I also wrote more about here if you’re interested.

** That Sounds Fun with Annie F. Downs– I love the way Annie has fun yet important conversations with her friends that we get to listen to and learn from. Some of my favorite episodes from the past year were Annie’s conversations with Lysa TerKeurst on forgiving what you can’t forget, John Eldredge on getting your life back, Beth Moore on chasing vines, Jennie Allen on getting out of your head, Myquillyn Smith on welcome home, Jon Tyson on beautiful resistance, Amy Grant on one of Annie’s Christmas party episodes, and her pastor Kevin Queen on another of the Christmas party episodes.

** The Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast— Carey has a wide variety of guests and is a great interviewer, so I always appreciate checking in on his podcast as well. Some of my favorite episodes this year include Steve Cuss on managing leadership anxiety and taming your fears in a crisis, Tim Keller on bringing the gospel to a post-Christian America, Gordon MacDonald on the view from 80, Annie F. Downs on really connecting with your audience, Beth Moore on handling criticism and staying resilient over the long run, Bob Goff on dreaming big and making a difference across the street, and Harris III on recapturing wonder and the power of story.

** Oh, and I almost forgot… I actually got to be ON a podcast in 2020! Huge thanks to my friend Kent Sanders for hosting me on his Smart Business Writing podcast (that has now updated to the Daily Writer podcast) this past year. You can listen here if you’d like to hear a little more from my heart about why I write.

Other life-giving treasures

** Reading and writing about spiritual formation through grief, suffering, and trials— This was an unexpected gift for sure. Once the pandemic hit this past spring and precautions were being put in place, I really struggled with the isolation, loneliness, and renewed grief that followed. I had a difficult time concentrating on the reading and writing I was needing to do for school but kept sticking with it. Then the summer brought our big research paper— reading 1800+ pages and writing 25-30 on how our chosen topic can impact spiritual formation. I had already planned to write about suffering, trials, and grief, but that was before I knew we were going to be faced with a trial that would bring up every past grief afresh for me. I thought about changing topics, but I couldn’t think of anything else that sounded better to dive into that deeply, so I stuck with it.

I began with A Grace Disguised because it was the only book from my selections that I had read before, and I thought it would set a good tone for my research, which proved to be true. But as soon as I opened the book and started reading, every passion inside me was all of a sudden fired up again. I felt like I could concentrate to read, and my heart was overwhelmed with memories of how God has ministered to me in grief upon grief over the years with grace upon grace.

Even though it was still such a challenge to get all my reading done in the allotted time and especially difficult to write and edit what turned out to be a 27-page paper, my spirit was renewed with reminders of God’s closeness to us in suffering and how He truly works in everything.

** Long walks and long phone conversations— Stay at home guidelines and being on furlough from work for several weeks made for a lot of lonely and difficult days. But the opportunities for long walks in sunshine and nature provided a lift for my spirits, and it was even better when I could have my headphones in and chat with a friend along the way.

** Summer swimming— Swimming is always my favorite, and it has been a challenge to miss when so many facilities have been closed due to precautions. But summer sunshine and pool-sharing friends brought a welcome respite and much joy!

** Emily P. Freeman’s Sunday night reflections on Instagram stories— I’m not one to always look at the story feature on Instagram, but Emily P. Freeman is one I do keep up with most of the time, and I appreciate how she continually leads us in making space for reflection. At some point during the pandemic, she began to pause on Sunday evenings to go back through her pictures from the past week and share some of them in her stories. She often uses the prompt, “These are the days of…” to take a look at what is filling her days and how she and her family are going through life. I don’t think she originally intended to keep posting that way every week, but it became a helpful rhythm for her and one where she got a lot of encouraging feedback from her followers as well, so she has continued to post them, and it has been something I look forward to watching and reflecting on each week as well.

** The Christmas star— On December 21, 2020, the paths of Saturn and Jupiter crossed in conjunction, closer than they’ve been for centuries, and I think what I loved most about it was seeing so much of the world pausing, even if for just a few minutes, to take in the wonder of it all. As I’m sure you may have already seen, you can find much better pictures of the event on the Internet, but I couldn’t resist trying to capture it on my iPhone as well.

** Treasure Hunt Tuesdays— Each week I take some time to reflect and send out an email to share some of my favorite “treasures” from the past week. It could be links to posts online, podcast episodes, quotes from a book I’m reading, and/or a story from the week, but I find it helpful to look for encouragement and share it in order to remember some of the ways God is providing in the midst of the everyday. Sometimes noticing the small or simple blessings can help remind me of the bigger ways God is providing as well, and this practice has continued to be uplifting for me over the past year, so it’s one I want to continue in the year ahead, too.

If you aren’t already receiving these emails and would like to be on the list, you can fill out the form below, and then be sure to click on the button in your confirmation email to be added. I’d love to have you join in with me for each week’s treasures!

I’d also love to hear from you about your favorite treasures from the past year as well! Were there any unexpected blessings you noticed even in the midst of the difficulties of 2020? What has helped bring a spark of joy or encouragement? I’d love for you to share in the comments or send me a message anytime! And I pray we can continue to keep our eyes and hearts open for the treasures God continues to provide in the seasons ahead, too!