For 2024 New Year’s Eve, I’m reflecting on the highlights–many of which I’ve shared throughout the year.
I assume you’re having a personal review of the year–and I’ll share some of mine.
Most enjoyed books of 2024
I read some 80 books in 2024. You can see my whole list on Goodreads.
The most appreciated books fall into several categories:
Bible-related
This year, I savored, enjoyed, and rejoiced in my readings of Lutheran theologian Chad Bird‘s Unveiling Mercy: 365 Daily Devotions, “based on insights from Old Testament Hebrew.”
Each day, he examined a specific Hebrew word, and I discovered many astounding nuances in the Bible’s Old Testament language.
Some mornings, I sat back in awe to savor the broader understanding of a specific word, which often changed my understanding of the verse. Glorious!
The One-Year Chronological Bible We happened to have an untouched version of this book at home, which is why I read it. I’m not a fan of the NIV.
But, reading a different version of the Bible than what you’re used to brings out concepts you may have overlooked. I’ve enjoyed reading through the Bible and seeing how the story unfolds in chronological order.
Novels
Of Love and Treason by Jamie Ogle, is a fictionalized version of St. Valentine’s story. I enjoyed reading about the life of Christians in 270 Rome–and how they went to their martyrdom. A sobering lesson.
Leaning on Air by my friend Cheryl Grey Bostrom. Such a lovely novel, beautifully written with multi-layered insights about marriage, birds, neurodiversity, the land, and heartbreak.
Nonfiction
The Elephant Whisperer by Lawrence Anthony–a narrative nonfiction story about a South African nature preserve suddenly receiving nine “rogue” elephants! I learned a lot about pachyderms!
Elisabeth Elliot: A Life by Lucy S. R. Austin. Ellen Vaughn also wrote an excellent two-part biography about EE, as well. I write about EE’s influence on my life here.
A 2024 New Year’s Eve overview of movies and films
The Boys in the Boat–which came out in December 2023, but I didn’t see it until 2024. I watched it several times while flying across one country or another! I liked the story, the cinematography, and the insight it gave me into several NCAA crew champions in our extended family! (CAL, not UW).
Shakelton: The Greatest Story of Survival is an IMAX film production we saw in Melbourne, Australia. My family loves the Endurance story, and this film was terrific. I felt cold just watching it.
Travel Adventures
2024 was the most heavily traveled year of my life. We crossed two continents twice each in one three-week period, as well as the Pacific Ocean. I’ll continue writing about our Australian experiences on the last Tuesdays of each month in 2025.
January saw us in Alaska at -37 F temperatures to see the Northern Lights.
We drove up and down California several times and spent a week traveling through Idaho.
The world is a beautiful place. We don’t know yet where we’ll turn up in 2025.
(Beyond Saratoga Springs, NY, in March. Fortunately, we have the clothes, thanks to our trip to Alaska!)
A final 2024 New Year’s Eve reflection from Oswald Chambers.
Perhaps your family likes to celebrate the end of the year with a watch night like Oswald and Biddy Chambers had on December 31, 1916.
On Oswald’s final December 31, he looked ahead to a better 1917. Hoping, with most, that World War I would end.
As he wrote in his diary about that night:
At 12 o’clock, I turned the blackboard over and showed on it–‘1917, A Great New Year to you all.’ And God shall wipe away all tears. (Revelation 21:4)
Oswald Chambers: His Life and Work p. 279
May Oswald Chambers’ words be true of all our lives at the end of 2024 New Year’s Eve into 2025.
Thoughts? Reactions? Lurker?