Tsh Oxenreider
About the Author

Tsh Oxenreider is the author of Notes From a Blue Bike and the founder of The Art of Simple. She's host of The Simple Show, and her passion is to inspire people that 'living simply' means making room for more of the stuff that really matters, and that the right,...

(in)side DaySpring: things we love
& you will too!
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(in)side DaySpring:
things we love
& you will too!
Find more at
DaySpring.com
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  1. Answering it now! My heart is full thinking about the good things and the circumstances God used to show His faithfulness this year! Thank you!

  2. great questions for reflection! thanks for sharing. this is going to be a good process for me. i plan to sit down with my very best friend this weekend and talk over some of the questions.

    thanks tsh.

  3. Love these questions to reflect on as 2011 come to an end. Thanks for sharing. I will take some time to answer these as will be a great way to praise God for all the ups and downs of this past year, and to praise Him for everything to come in 2012.

  4. I’m going to sit and answer these, then use your new e-book I just purchased to plan out some goals for 2012. Thanks for all the help with simplifying life.

    • Great idea to include these in a gathering you’re hosting for New Year’s. I was thinking of having them on the table for our next dinner club that we host this coming month too.

  5. Great list! I’ll have to think about these more deeply later, but they look like wonderful questions for putting the year in perspective. Happy new year!

  6. I love it when God impresses something on my heart to blog on, and THEN I read a post to comment on that very thing! YAY!!
    I think my biggest challenge – physically, spiritually, emotionally – was the planning, preparing and going on a support trip to North Africa, to minister to the needs of the workers there. At every turn we saw Satan try to discourage us, stop us, keep us from going. ALL. YEAR. LONG. Even while there, a flu bug ravaged through the families that we came to care for, and we quickly learned why God sent 5 women to care for 8 kids, because some of them got really sick and needed to be quarantined. And then some of US got really sick and needed to stay away. Above all, we felt the prayers of people who prayed for us even when we couldn’t send out emails explaining what to pray for, we felt those prayers. They lifted us in prayer when we could only hold on hard and deep to God and pray that someone would be praying for us at the prompting of the Holy Spirit. And they prayed. Hard.
    So thanks for letting me focus on this ONE thing – because I blogged about a bunch of stuff…I can get long winded sometimes…and it’s nice to not have to count my words, or my characters…
    May you see God’s goodness displayed in your life in the New Year!!
    Grace and Peace,
    marina

  7. I’ve been looking forward to going over your questions for days now! It’s been a great addition to my end of year journaling. Looking forward to sharing at a party on New Year’s Eve.

    Happy New Year!

  8. What a great start to the new year! Living life intentionally is all about introspection. Thank you for these!!
    Jen
    Mindful Moms Network

  9. This will be a challenge for me, but I am looking forward to it. I’d better make a venti latte!
    Thanks, Tsh

  10. I also set goals for the coming year and this will help me with looking back and then your next post will help in looking forward! :o)

  11. Great questions. 2011 started out the same–work ok, etc. My hubby & I flew to Vegas & the Grand Canyon that was fun. After that came a big change at work. I no longer use any skills I was trained to do. So the latter half of the year was kind of a big let down. My attitude got bad.

    I’m working on being more intentional, spiritual & loving as a Christian. Did these questions last year and will do them this year.

    Thanks for inspiring us to become btter people & Christian women.

  12. Great questions…thought provoking, Fits perfectly with my 5 days blog series…I would like to share your link on Sunday, the last day of the journey of Praying God’s Word, seeking His direction for our lives as we approach the new year. Thx
    Blessings, Susan

  13. This is great!!! Now myself and three other friends are going to use it when we get together once a month over dinner…good to have meaningful conversation…we will pick one question to share. Excited about this!!! thank you!!!

  14. I love your ebook “One Bite at a TIme” – its very useful. Happy New Year to you and your family Tsh, I hope you have a calm and relaxed start to 2012!!

  15. Thanks for sharing your list and doing the ground work for us! I like things like this, but probably wouldn’t take the time to make my own list. Looking forward to some time to ponder them Sunday.

  16. I’m always looking ahead for ideas on making the next year more Christ-honoring. Perhaps it’s time to look behind first for insight. Thanks for the thoughts to ponder, Tsh! Happy New Year.

  17. First thing I thought about how I grew physically was, well, how I GREW physically. And how I’m planning on shrinking a little in that area :). But seriously, I love the ones where we think of what’s been good and tough for our spouses. It reminds us we’re a part of a body, and to see what’s been happening in the wider context around us for the past year. Nice one, Tsh!

  18. Great ideas! I love the purpose behind these questions… So good to take the time to intentionally reflect on the past year. I’ve decided to blog thru them. I don’t want to link too much (I’m not Spam), but feel free to check it out! Thanks for the ideas, Tsh!

  19. HAPPY NEW YEAR to you and yours and Thanks for sharing. I have just sent it to
    several others. My greatest joy for the year has been the constant quickening of
    the Holy Spirit directing my life and strengthening me in my problems (smile)

  20. This was a great exercise. Some of my answers surprised me–especially the name of a person whose relationship was most valuable. Certainly helps put things in perspective, and showed where to focus energy in 2012. Happy new year!

  21. I am single, was married 40 years, my husband was ill for one year, God promised him to be healed, and to be patient. But he passed away, I am on my own , very dissapointed and very lonely. Where can I go.

    • I am so sorry for your loss. We can’t always understand God and what happens, but there is always one place to go, and that is to God. I had a really hard season in my life, too, a lost (very early) pregnancy, health problems, marriage problems, money concerns, it seemed like my career was falling apart, and it hit all at once, and I was so angry with God. Literally to the point that I said “God, if You truly care about me, You need to prove it to me.” I even gave a deadline. He didn’t have to answer me, but He did. Things weren’t all “fixed”, but God gave me what I truly needed to get through.

      God is big enough to handle our anger, our pain, our confusion. Talk to, yell at, cry for God, whatever you need to do, but you are never, ever alone. I will pray for you and I figure others here will as well.

      -T

  22. This is great. I will spend some time over the next day or two to think about these. Will make a great blog post! If so, I will most definitely link back to you, thanks! 🙂 Here’s to 2012!

  23. […] To be honest, I used a few too many disposable diapers and let the cloth diaper laundry slide quite a bit over the past month.  I’m adding a couple cloth diaper-related New Year’s resolutions to my other goals for the year (for the record, I don’t necessarily believe in strict New Year’s resolutions, but it’s a great time of year to take stock and reflect a little on what’s going right and what could stand a little improvement. I love Simple Mom’s list of 20 questions for reflecting on 2011). […]

  24. Great question, Will surley sit down with my better half and answer these questions.

  25. These questions really helps analyzing the past year and are nicely formulated. Sometimes it touches heart. These also helps assessing ones inner-self.
    Though its an year older but still it can be fitted into any year and ask yourself.
    Thanks for this post