“As followers of Jesus we have the opportunity
to live each day in wild amazement of God.”
–Margaret Feinberg[1]
Doesn’t that sound like a glorious way to live? Amazement can be a doorway to joy.
Even secular research has discovered positive effects for those who report feeling awe on a regular basis:
- Lower markers of inflammation
- Refreshed energy
- Less anxiety
- Enhanced sense of well being[2]
Now we know why God inspired King David to write: “Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles” (Psalm 105:5a). God doesn’t need our adulation; we need the recalibration that wild amazement provides.
What follows are categories of wonder and personal examples for each month of 2023. Perhaps this list will trigger memories of your own moments of wild amazement.
January—the wonder of nature
We woke up to a light snowfall that continued all day. At sundown Steve and I stood at the back window to enjoy one last time the white landscape and frosted trees when a fox trotted by, his plush tail extended gracefully behind him. Dark motion against pale stillness.
February—the wonder of friendship
Old friends since college visited for three heavenly days. The reminiscing, heart-to-heart conversation and much laughter strengthened the long-held connection between us.
March—the wonder of kindness
My cousin sent a package of family heirlooms she discovered while spring cleaning, items she thought I’d like to have. Imagine my delight to receive several handkerchiefs with tatted trim, created by our grandmother, and a needle case stitched by our great-grandmother. Such precious things to pass on to my granddaughters.
(I should have ironed them before snapping a pic!)
April—the wonder of family
When all thirteen of us gather, the house is filled with multiple, simultaneous conversations and much laughter. Beautiful noise!
May—the wonder of participation
What a happy privilege to speak hope and encouragement into the lives of others—sometimes to a group in a formal setting, sometimes to individuals over coffee-shop lattës, sometimes to a stranger.
June—the wonder of life
The daughter-in-law of dear friends posted the ultrasound image of their son, due in December. “He’s perfect,” the doctor assured them. Such glorious news after they’ve endured three miscarriages. I can only imagine their pain and sorrow, yet their faith has remained strong. (Perfect little Cam was born December first.)
July—the wonder of giving
My husband frequently blesses delivery people, wait staff, etc. with generous tips. One waitress puddled up with gratitude. After heart surgery she was behind on her bills; we had the joyful privilege of assisting her.
August—the wonder of imagination
Our five-year old granddaughter drew a picture of herself getting scratched on the leg while hiking a trail with her parents. However, the illustration didn’t depict a bush causing injury; it was an ogre.
September—the wonder of rest
Quiet time on our deck provides supreme restoration, especially when a light breeze keeps me cool and cheerful cardinals add a soundtrack. Beginning this time of year, our black walnut tree provides flashing, golden leaf showers. Mesmerizing.
(These are maple leaves, but they reflect the same golden glow as our black walnut.)
October—the wonder of miracles
Our pastor-son and his wife have served their current church for four and a half years. When they arrived, the church faced financial difficulty. But God began his good work among the people, giving increased, and they even established a savings account. Recently a dire need developed and $85,000 was required. Guess how much was in that account?!
November—the wonder of gratitude
Just this month alone, I celebrated God’s goodness for tasks completed in spite of little time, prayers answered, blessings not asked for, numerous moments of delight, laughter (especially that of our grandchildren), thoughtfulness of others, and memories of years past. “Joy doesn’t cause us to be grateful,” wrote Brother David Steindl-Rast, “joy is born out of our gratitude.”
December—the wonder of Jesus
He is our Savior and King, our Wonderful Counselor and Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace. These titles only begin to express his identity and attributes.
God is infinite, his marvelous works are infinite. What moments of wonder have come to your mind? Or perhaps you’ve thought of a whole new category. Please share in the comment section below.
Let’s begin this new year by celebrating our wild amazement of God!
[1] Wonderstruck, Worthy Publishing Group, 2012, 173.
[2] https://guideposts.org/angels-and-miracles/miracles/gods-grace/why-a-sense-of-wonder-is-important/ and https://hbr.org/2021/08/why-you-need-to-protect-your-sense-of-wonder-especially-now
Photo credits: http://www.pxhere; http://www.commons.wikimedia.org; Nancy Ruegg; http://www.commons wikimedia.org; http://www.pxhere; http://www.canva.com.
From the Inside Out 
I love how you’ve recounted your blessings from last year and shared them with us, Nancy. You’ve inspired me to keep a thankfulness journal so that I can highlight the things that touch my heart with amazement and joy. May 2023 be a blessed year for you and yours!
Thank you, Martha. It’s been a wonderful blessing over the years to keep a gratitude journal. Sometimes the entry is only a quick note, but just reviewing the day to decide what to write is uplifting.
Beautiful review of the countless wonders we will see if we just open our eyes. Just look out the window, or into the eyes of someone close, or taste something delicious, and we will know that God is good.
That’s right, Robert. Our five senses are taking in evidence of God’s goodness all the time!
Very uplifting, Nancy. Thank you for sharing those amazing moments. Visiting with my Mom today, being toasty warm in her mobile home. A picture of a beautiful owl on a calendar – Breathtaking. Enjoying something made from a new recipe that is truly delicious and also easy to make. These are a few of my amazements; but there are so many others, if we look. Have a great evening, Nancy. God Bless.
Thank you for sharing your list, Shelley. You’re a keen observer, noting all those delights in just one day!
Nancy, the Lord recently used a moment of extreme wonder to answer my most excruciating question. The world can give us so much pain that it’s hard to focus on the wonder of our future in Christ. But it’s real, and I want to live every day in awareness of His promises.
You’ll find an extra reply over at your blog, Annie, because I was having difficulty replying to you here. By a small miracle (the wonder of God’s intervention?) I realized the problem and now am back in business, to tell you that the wonder of God’s promises is a worthy category to add to our list and one we can enjoy every day, all day!
I am in constant wonder when I walk through our woods. The constant changes in natures seasons amaze me. I should cross over more into other areas.
Yes, I’ve recognized your sense of wonder in God’s creation over at your blog, Gary. Your lakeside property offers you a grand location to relish the seasons. After 40 years in FL I’m glad to be back in the Midwest where the seasons are more distinct. The changes ARE amazing to watch!
Over the years I have signed up to many blogs, only to be disappointed and quit them. I have to say I am really enjoying the things that you write about Nancy. You have a GREAT heart for God’s glory!! I have also gone back to past posts and really enjoyed them. God bless, richard
Thank you, Richard, for your kind comments. God HAS blessed me this day–with your encouragement!
I absolutely enjoyed going through your moments of gratitude. Reminded me to go through my own journal to remember the goodness of our great and mighty God
Thank you, Brenda. God is SO good and faithful, demonstrated by all the wonderful things he does (Isaiah 25:1). You’ll no doubt enjoy reading through your journal!
I do enjoy looking back especially for ways to improve
You are so right, Brenda–there’s much to learn for the way forward as we reflect on God’s ways and teaching of the past.
Amen 🙏🏽 that’s it
I truly love everything about this post. I was amazed to read the positive effects of awe. And I loved the ideas you shared on different ways to embrace awe, each month of the year. Thank you, Nancy. I pray in 2023 and beyond, we remain wildly amazed by our glorious Lord and Savior! 🙌♥️🙏
AMEN, Bridget. Our lives will surely be more joyful and contented if we “stand amazed in the presence of Jesus, the Nazarene.” (That’s the first line of an old hymn we used to sing, “My Savior’s Love.” You’re no doubt too young to remember that one!
I love the way you documented your gratitude and shared it with us. This could be the best way of expressing acknowledgment to God. May this year be filled with more love, fortune, and peace! God bless you🙏🏿
Thank you, Chris. My gratitude journal (a celebration of small things) and “God Is Faithful” notebook (a record since 1983 of miracles in our family, great and small) ARE wonderful sources of joy!
“Recalibration” is a perfect word as the calendar changes from one year to the next. Your wonder examples remind me we don’t have to look very hard to find His presence among us, month-in and month-out. We’ve lived in our new little town about six months now, and my own wonder example is two local street signs, one bearing the name of my mother and the other of my father (both of whom passed away in the last couple of years). I drive by these signs regularly while running errands, and they remind me how fortunate I was to have such loving parents. Amazing!
I too love memory-invoking street signs, billboards, etc. How special that you regularly see your parents’ names on street signs where you now live! We should add the wonder of God-incidents (as opposed to coincidence) to our list!
BEAUTIFUL! THE PAST YEAR I HAVE EXPERIENCED MANY WONDERS OF JOY FROM GOD AS I AM ILL AND CONFINED TO BED AND BLESSINGS DAILY SO THANKFUL I
LOVE AND BLESSIBGS, JANET
No doubt your sweet temperament, positive attitude, and strong faith are an encouragement to everyone around you. Much love and many blessings to you, dear friend!
Wonderful post! Thank you for sharing your blessings!
Thank you, Linda. May 2023 be filled with many categories of wonder for you and your family!
I just finished working on my 2023 intentions, then read your post. New inspiration. Love these monthly themes.
I thought of you as I wrote this post, remembering that your word-of-the-year a few years back was “wonder.” You may have been the one who recommended Margaret Feinberg’s book! So glad you found inspiration here, Jean!
I love the sense of wonder! I still want to write a book or do something with the words: wonder, wisdom and whimsey!
I’ll buy the first copy! 😁
Nancy,
Never loose that sense of humor. It’s color is a muted world. Hope you have a great start to your new year.
In Christ, Gary
Humor IS an important element in a contented life. Happy New Year to you and your family also, Gary!
Let’s begin this new year by celebrating our wild amazement of God! Yes, yes, I agree! His world is filled with wonder, and he does great wonders in our lives!!
Amen to that, Sheila. It’s one of the great pleasures of life to notice and rejoice in all the goodness God bestows.
Hi Nancy, what a beautiful way to focus on the wonders of each month and draw our hearts toward the beauty in life. The change in our attitudes coupled with the health benefits would be enticing enough to change our perspective.
Thank you for this refreshment at the beginning of a New Year.
You’re very welcome, Janis. Praise God for his inspiration to explore Margaret Feinberg’s statement about wild amazement. And thank you very much for becoming a follower of From the Inside Out. I pray you find the posts meaningful whenever you’re able to visit!
Thank you, Janis, for stopping by and leaving your thoughtful comment. May we revel in the beauty God provides day in and day out!
I appreciate the ‘Wonder of Family’. First of all, I am so very grateful to still have my Mom with me. She is 92 and is in great health; I live next door to her and see her every single day and cherish every moment. Secondly, not having children of my own, I am very blessed to have my late brother’s descendants in my life. I have five grand-nieces, one grand-nephew, three great-grand nieces and one great-grand nephew ranging in ages ranging from 1 to 26. All but two live nearby and I am proud of each one of them. I praise God for granting me the privilege of being Aunt Cheri.
And they no doubt enjoy and appreciate their wonderfully amazing Aunt Cheri! Your nieces and nephews are very blessed to have you in their lives.
[…] Wild Amazement […]
Wow I love this, Nancy! My word of the year for 2023 is joy. So much food for thought and direction in your post. Especially “Joy doesn’t cause us to be grateful,” wrote Brother David Steindl-Rast, “joy is born out of our gratitude.” So good.
What a delightful year you have in store, Benita, focusing on JOY! Wonder and joy ARE close relatives, I think. I’m so glad the Steindl-Rast quote was meaningful to you!
I just read this Nancy… it touched my heart!! (June’s amazement post) I had the joy of spending time with sweet Cam this afternoon!! Our little Christmas miracle! Talk about amazement!! ❤️
I’m looking forward to seeing that little miracle with my own eyes–if we can make it happen! Thankfully family members post lots of pics on FB!