What the Lord Taught Me in 2020 and My Word for 2021!

Happy New Year!!!  Welllll….. I know it is almost February and I am a little late to the party buttttt ya get it!  😛 I hope 2021 has been off to the best start ever!

Let me be transparent with you, I went into 2020 with huge goals and dreams.  I knew 2020 was the year for my business as in being my best year yet.  I had so many weddings and sessions booked in some really cool places and we had planned to do a lot more traveling.  Wellll…. as you know something called Corona came in and changed everything and half of my dreams and goals for 2020 didn’t happen.  Through all of this, 2020 taught me a lot and with my unpopular opinion, 2020 was one of my best years yet.  Why?  Because I experienced the most growth in my life than ever before.

At the beginning of last year, I reflected on what the Lord had done in my life and my business and I started to pray over some words on what the Lord would have me cling to in the new year.  Here is a link to that blog post if you want to check it out!  The two words the Lord gave me for the year 2020 were Intentional and Embrace.  It is so funny to read back through that blog because I wrote, “I wanted to embrace this year and everything that comes with it.” LITTLE DID I KNOW… Hahaha 😛 I wanted to live a life and run a business that screams intentionality and that still reigns true for this year.  With me being intentional and embracing everything that last year held, the Lord revealed a lot of beauty in one of the hardest years.  Here are some lessons that the Lord taught me in 2020.

WHAT THE LORD TAUGHT ME IN 2020 ::

1. His plan is far greater than our plans.

2. Listen to the calling the Lord has on your life.

3. How to sit with uncertainty and to fully surrender it all at the feet of Jesus.

4. To be flexible and not get heartbroken when things change.  (Preaching to the choir right here)

5. It’s the little things.

6. Community is so important.  Having people rally behind you is key.

7. To serve my clients first and foremost.  Putting myself in their shoes.  (The Lord gave me a whole different perspective on this in 2020.)

8. Sitting in a season of waiting serves a lot of purpose.

9. That nothing takes God by surprise… even a pandemic.

REFLECTING ON WHAT THE LORD DID IN 2020 ::

1. I got to celebrate and love on so many people in such an uncertain time.

2. Photographed 47 weddings, micro weddings, and elopements!!

3. Photographed 100+ sessions.

4. I got to watch people surrender their heart to the Lord in conversations on my Instagram.

5. I had brides, followers on Instagram, and friends call me and ask me to pray over them and their situation. (This is one of my FAVORITE blessings of 2020!!!)

6. Traveled to California

7. Found out we are having a baby!!!!

8. My biggest win for this year was watching the Lord take the desire of my heart about my business being my ministry and show me tangibly why I do what I do!!

9. Launched The Refined Creative with my girl Kaitlin! Dream come true!!!!

WORDS FOR 2021 ::

The Lord did a lot of refining in my heart and my business in the year 2020 which leads me to the words I have prayed over going into the year 2021. 

Refine:  Praying that the Lord would continue to refine my heart and my business. Refine what He desires.

Present:  To be present in every single moment and not wish for that next thing to be here. I want to be present with my clients, my business, relationships, conversations, etc.

Purpose:  To live a life of purpose and not just going through life day to day.

 Last year, the Lord really started to show me the desires of my heart and started to change me in ways I had specifically prayed for.  He showed me the direction He has for my business which I will talk about in another blog one day.  He truly refined my heart in ways I am still blown away by.  I have prayed specifically that He would continue to refine my heart and my business in the year 2021.  One thing the Lord has specifically laid on my heart is to be present.  Which leads me to my second word for the year.  Present.  This word has been something multiple people have spoken over me and I have spoken over myself.  Honestly, it all came to be when I found out I was pregnant.  I instantly knew that I had to live a life more present because when we have a posture of being present we won’t miss out on the goodness of God.  So going into 2021, I want to live a life where I am present in every moment.  Present with every single client, conversation, relationship, wedding, doctors appointment, etc.  When I am focused on being present and not wishing for that next thing to be here, I truly believe I am going to watch the Lord work in beautiful ways and reveal things to me in the sweetest of times.  So how am I going to be more present?

Here are a few ways I am cultivating presence in my everyday life.

1. Journaling. Writing down how I saw the goodness of God that day and what I am grateful for. Speaking these things out loud will allow me to be more aware.

2. Celebrating the small and big wins.

3. Not wishing today away thinking about what is to come.

4. Listen without intending to respond.

5. Reducing Distractions

6. Unplug.  Turning my phone off and going for a walk, get coffee with a friend, go on a hike, etc.

7. Being more intentional in conversations, my marriage, my friendships, etc.

Honestly, I don’t have huge plans for 2021 other than to love and to love well.  I told myself that I wasn’t setting specific goals this year because I want to watch the Lord work with my heart and mind being open.  Last year my goals were wrecked and there were so many times I was left heartbroken because my plan didn’t happen and that is all I could focus on.  This year, we are keeping an open mind and watching the Lord work in whatever way He desires.  I have completely surrendered my business and my clients to the Lord because that is the one thing I learned from 2020… that His plan is far greater than my own plan!

 So there you have it!!  A little bit about my heart!  I will continue to share more later because this is the year for being as transparent and vulnerable with all of you amazing people as possible.  I encourage you to take some time and really think and pray through a word or words that you can cling to this year.  If you already have one, let me know in the comments below!!  Praying that 2021 is your best year yet!

Xx,

Maddie