Anchored in Faith, Open to What’s Next
- Jen Niemczura
- Mar 27
- 3 min read
The 2025 year was full of opened doors, new chapters, and transitions. Yes—that is better.
At first glance, many moments felt like closed doors and painful endings. But through prayer and reflection, I’ve come to see them differently. What I once labeled as loss, God was using as redirection. What felt like an ending was often His way of preparing something new.
Scripture reminds us, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5–6). Choosing gratitude in uncertain seasons is an act of faith—it is trusting God’s plan even when the path ahead is unclear.
In that season, I began creating a bucket list—not as a checklist for achievement, but as a faith-filled response to hope. This list includes books that stretch my thinking and deepen my understanding, practices that build self-awareness and personal growth, and intentional steps toward becoming more rooted in my faith and closer to God. Some goals are quiet—learning, healing, growing. Others are outward—experiencing, serving, going.
Recently, I came across a lovely blog entry from Annette White. White is an author, former restaurant owner, and travel enthusiast. While her blog is not Christ-centered, it still offers meaningful insight into positive thinking, reflection, and intentional goal-setting—reminders that align beautifully with the idea of living purposefully and thoughtfully. White defines "a bucket list" as - a collection of goals, dreams and experiences that you would like to achieve in your lifetime. Using her approach to creating an effective bucket list, I was able to strategically and prayerfully construct a purposeful bucket list of my own.
Creating this list has become a form of prayer. Each page reflects a willingness to grow, to listen, and to trust God with both my becoming and my going. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11).
There are places I hope to see, moments I want to savor, and experiences I want to step into with courage—but also habits I want to form, truths I want to learn, and a deeper awareness of who God is calling me to be. “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12).
When I intentionally look for His goodness, my heart shifts from fear to peace and from doubt to hope. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him” (Romans 8:28).
God doesn’t waste seasons. Every transition has purpose, and every chapter—whether joyful or difficult—is held in His care. “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). What once felt like an ending now feels like obedience, growth, and trust unfolding exactly as it should.
Prayer:
Lord, thank You for the seasons of change that shape us, even when we don’t fully understand them. Help me to trust You with every open door, every transition, and every dream placed on my heart. As I plan, dream, and grow, may my desires align with Your will. Teach me to walk in gratitude, to live with purpose, and to follow You faithfully—one step, one season, and one chapter at a time. Amen.
Sincerely,
Jen <3
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