To 2024, With Love, Esther

I was tempted to end this year without sharing a reflection note on the year. However, I thought against it, especially when I read Amaka’s year-end review note.

Of course, I have had and am still having my personal review, I’ve just had a bit of a struggle with whether to share it here with you because 2024 was quite a year.

Of Two Extremes

2024, what a year! It tested me on so many levels, oh yes, it did, and yet it built me.

I wondered how a year could have several extremes:

Overwhelming joy. Yet premium tears.
New frontiers. With multiple rejections.
Supernatural provisions. Yet with great wants.
Deep belly laughs. With overwhelming tiredness.

I could go on and on.

One of the things I struggled with this year was rejection.

You know how you can be a superstar in your country and then move to a new country and keep getting ‘unfortunately’ in your applications? Oh yes, I experienced that like anything. YouKay job market said: hold my cap.

I would get speaking engagements where I would be invited to speak on topics like handling rejections, and I would go, wow, “Holy Spirit, You’ve got a great sense of humour.”

But let me not get ahead of myself yet.

Hey friend, how have you been? How was 2024 for you?

In all sincerity, I am writing this to stay consistent with my end-of-year notes which I realised I’ve stopped blogging about and to encourage someone out there who’s had a tough year.

A reminder that it’s okay to still look at the outgoing year with the lens of gratitude no matter how the year turned out for you.

So, now, let’s get into it.

God’s Goodness

The first thing I’ll share about this year is that God is good and great. He knows and sees. He walks with us every day reminding us of His strength, love, care, and grace.

As much as I can call this year a tough year; when I go through my gratitude list for this year, it is long. I’m reminded that God did not promise that life would always be easy, instead, He promised to walk with us each day and be with us through the joy and the storms.

This is your reminder that it's okay to still look at the outgoing year with the lens of gratitude no matter how the year turned out for you. Share on X

Year-end Review

As I used my year-end review template to reflect on the year, the first question asked was, “If this year were a story, what would its title be?“

My answer was “Through the Storms”.

Furthermore, I added, “Streaks of God’s Help” and “People & Newness.”

That encapsulates my year—a journey marked by challenges, yet filled with God’s blessings and surrounded by incredible people.

If your year were a story, what would its title be? Share on X

You can download my year-end review guide for free here. It is a guided, simple, and easy-to-use tool that focuses on emotional and personal wellness, emphasizing these aspects as much—if not more—than achievements and wins.

Jehovah Ezer: God my Help

I started this year with a desire to draw closer to God’s heart and to know Him more. And God helped me. He drew me closer, pruned me, and showed me mercy.

This year, my relationship with God was deeper. I learned about God from the Jehovah Ezer perspective more than ever before. I was more consistent in my Bible reading – I still did not finish reading my Bible in one year this year, but I found a pattern that worked for me and I read some books of the Bible over and over.
We complete the Bible repeatedly in the new year in Jesus’ name. Amen.

God helped me yield to Him more and this reflected in my service to Him.
I also became a co-creator with God and birthed the cutest little boy. Yup yup, your fave blogger is now a mum of the most amazing baby. See my pregnancy announcement here.

My walk with God is one of my greatest highlights of the year and my goal is to draw even closer to Him in the new year. To behold Him, and become more and more like Him. Amen.

Of Many Love Letters

This year marks the first time I have been out of a job since I started my career and boy, it is tough!

I should dedicate a post to discussing the struggles of adjusting to a new country and searching for a job, even in a supposedly lucrative tech market—especially as an endorsed exceptional talent. While part of this career break can be attributed to maternity leave, the challenges remain.

One of the rejections that hit hard was when I travelled over 8 hours (to and fro) for a job interview shortly after having my baby, only to receive an ‘unfortunately’ email afterwards. That was tough. Another disappointment was when I went through the recruitment process for a top global firm only to be met with the same ‘unfortunately’ at the end.

I am hopeful for a more positive 2025 in this regard. Please feel free to refer me for roles/opportunities as a technical product or project manager. I am currently freelancing and volunteering.

Supernatural Childbirth

Another highlight of the year was my pregnancy journey. What started as little fibroids, resulted in multiple visits to the A&E and being admitted to treat pain due to fibroid degradation.

One miraculous day during my second trimester, God showed up as Jehovah Rapha, healed me of the pains, and taught me about supernatural childbirth. The fibroids shrunk, my blood levels got better, and I had a miraculous natural childbirth experience. This deserves a post of its own too, hopefully, I get to share more details with you all.

Book Projects

As I write, I realise there’s so much to share with you, but before this post gets too long, I will share one more thing that coloured my year.

Navigating caring for my newborn alone with my husband in a new country issa lot, but God has shown up miraculously in several ways and more.

One of the ways He did was to inspire me to work on a prayer journal. Within a few weeks, I designed the journal completely and published it on Amazon. You can get your copy of the prayer journal within and outside Nigeria. To buy on Amazon, simply search for A 52-Week Guided Prayer Journal by Esther Ojosemako.

I also worked on another book project, a digital year-end review guide. A beautiful way to end the year if you ask me.

Prayer journal buyer review — Prayer journal review

Download Year-end Review Guide | Buy Guided Prayer Journal in USA | Order Guided Prayer Journal in Nigeria | Buy Guided Prayer Journal in UK | Buy Guided Prayer Journal in Canada

A Wrap

This year, I learned, in reality, not to tie my worth to the work I do, but more to what God calls me. It took a while, but I am so glad to be here.

2024 was a year, and it owes me nothing. 2025, we come in the name of the Lord. Amen.

In 2025, I am choosing joy throughout the days of the year.
I am choosing to rely on God’s help even more.
I am going to be more intentional about nurturing my community.
I am going to pursue whatever goals God lays on my heart with passion, trusting Him to continually take care of me and mine.

2025: Of growing and grooming. In God. By God. Through God. and For God.