A Year-End Examen
A reflective exercise to practice as the year closes.
Welcome! If you’re new here, I’m Bailey Gillespie, a writer from Northern California. I write from the tension of suffering and joy, exploring the more tender places of life with God.
You might also enjoy My Life List of Books on Spiritual Formation, which gathers many of the voices that have shaped my faith. Thanks for reading and reflecting with me — I hope you’ll stay a while. <3
Dear friends,
Last year, Tanner Olson shared an exercise in his post Looking Back on 2024. I loved the questions he chose to help readers reflect on the past year, so I decided to do the same. (You can find that post here.) It reminded me of the Ignatian spiritual practice of the Daily Examen, a prayer to reflect back on the day’s events and notice where God was present. Well, I guess this is a yearly tradition now because here I am journaling my way through it again.
At the end of this post, I’ve included the list of questions in case you’re inspired to copy and paste them in your own piece!
May I also nudge you to listen to Tanner’s episode on my podcast, Listen to Your Life, from last Advent? He reads two beautiful pieces of original poetry that pair well with this season of waiting and longing.
Some questions to reflect on as the year closes:
What did you learn in 2025?
I learned that consistency is the secret ingredient in everything worth doing for the long haul. I also learned a handful of new words while using Duolingo to refresh my high school Latin skills. I can now say, “The teacher makes cookies.” Clearly, I’m ready to visit Rome.
What prayers were answered this past year?
So many prayers were answered. Both my husband Noah and I found jobs after praying for nearly a year. I made new local friends through the Inkwell arts community and signed with a literary agent. Noah was accepted into one seminary program so far and preliminarily approved for a veterans program to cover his grad school tuition. I recovered from iron deficiency this summer and regained strength. And we have a healthy new nephew, Henry.
What brought you joy?
Homemade hot cocoa. Being able to eat eggs again. Listening to audiobooks on my commute to work. These Bearpaw socks and heating pads in bed. Infrared saunas. Watching the TV show, The Middle. Tony’s Chocolonely bars — namely, the dark chocolate sea salt flavor. This candle warming lamp. Reading before bed. Swing dancing. Watching Little Women with my husband for the first time.
*I realize that most of these are fall/winter focused. But the ocean also brought me joy!! This summer, we had a chance to spend quality time in La Jolla, Monterey, and Carmel-by-the-Sea, and the beach is forever my happy place!
What is a memory from this past year you’ll be holding onto forever?
Balancing on a dining room chair under a tree, trying to rescue my cat. He was hyperventilating and so was I. Eventually, I just leaped up, swung from a branch with one arm like a gorilla, and grabbed him.
Who do you need to thank for helping you make it through this year?
My chiropractor and massage therapist. So many kind readers and fellow writers. Dan from Covered California (a legit angel). Our orange tabby, Chef. My spiritual director and therapist. My loving husband. The Throssel and Levin families for welcoming me into their clan. Our “newish married” community group at church. The Lectio 365 app and its nightly prayers.
Where did you see the faithfulness of God in your life?
In simple, everyday moments.
I heard this quote somewhere recently: “When you’ve been in survival mode for a long time, peace can mistakenly feel like boredom.”
That really struck me as true. I’ve found myself struggling with restlessness and boredom this fall and winter, but I think what my body is experiencing is actually a fresh kind of peace and stability. This is a very good thing. I want to settle in and savor the rhythms of my life right now even when the days are predictable. We’re building a future, and I see God’s faithfulness in every daily habit, every prayer, every meal, every workout, grocery run, and email.
What did you learn about yourself this year?
I learned that I can trust my own voice and judgment more than I’ve given myself credit for. God gives us a spirit of discernment1, but I have often allowed other people’s voices to have more influence and power over me than they should, making up for my own insecurity. As always, I am learning that faithfulness and obedience to Jesus are the goal, not acceptance by others.
What are you leaving behind in 2025?
Medi-Cal… thank the sweet Lord.
Last year, I shared how I’d also like to leave behind the habit of letting vegetables go to waste in the produce bin. I’m happy to say I’ve gotten better about this. Sadly, I can’t say the same for the bananas on the kitchen counter.
What are you taking with you into 2025?
A plane ticket to Grand Rapids, Michigan.
My words for this year were “consistency” and “softness,” and I plan to take them with me into the new year. I think we can all agree a year just isn’t enough to learn certain lessons or embrace certain words, is it??
Now, it’s your turn!
As you reflect on these questions, how would you answer them?
What did you learn in 2025?
What prayers were answered this past year?
What brought you joy?
What is a memory from this past year you’ll be holding onto forever?
Who do you need to thank for helping you make it through this year?
Where did you see the faithfulness of God in your life?
What did you learn about yourself this year?
What are you leaving behind in 2025?
What are you taking with you into 2026?
Thank you for being here, friends. I look forward to connecting more in the days to come!
With love,
Bailey
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1 Corinthians 12:10, New Living Translation
I love this practice, Bailey, and it was so nice to connect with you through this window into your 2025 Year-End Examen! I'm going to ponder on these questions too as we head to the end of the year 🫶🏻
Thanks for sharing! It was an encouraging read. All those answered prayers 🥳
I also loved nighttime homemade hot cocoa this year. God’s faithfulness in the mundane also resonated so much. Consistency, Yes!