I’ve got to tell you how much I love the design the Joni and Friends team chose for this year’s Joni Planner. I feel a little funny saying that, since my art is always featured—and it could seem, well… self-focused, but let me tell you why.
When we designed the 2021 Joni Planner, I asked our team to consider using my oil painting I call We Three Kings. I said, “Grab a magnifying glass and focus in on my colorful brush strokes in the sky! How about if we magnify all that glorious color and texture?!” They thought it was a great idea. Especially when I told them that I rendered the painting years ago when I was trying to mimic Vincent Van Gogh’s style and use of color. I wanted my sky to express the same sort of vibrant movement and intense emotion. Like his classic, Starry Night, I wanted to capture another starry night… a never-before night in which three wisemen set their course by wondrous signs in the sky.
Oh, what a journey it was for those wisemen! And not for just one night. They probably traveled for months, even years. And so, day in and day out, as the moon waxed and waned, as constellations seemed to rotate up above, these kings… these wisemen—whether there were three or a whole company—these kings set their course and did not stray. Though long and difficult, they kept their eyes on their goal.
And isn’t that a great lesson for us?
There are so many unknowns about our nation and our world right now. Just consider 2020. I can’t tell you how many crossed-out events mark the pages of my planner this year. And the same may be true of the coming year. It’s hard to know, isn’t it? It’s why I chose to include lots of bright, pretty, hopeful colors on each page of the 2021 Joni planner. They’ll remind me—and I trust they’ll remind you — that we’re on a journey filled with hope and, yes, joy. We’ve got a goal to keep our eye on!
The days ahead may be challenging, but we trust a sovereign God who is heaven-bent on pouring his joy into our hearts, no matter what the trials.
Charles Spurgeon said it this way, “The thought is full of comfort that He who has established the boundary lines of our lives has also determined the boundaries of our tribulation.”
It’s thoughts like that one which fill the pages of my planner. As in previous years, each month features a devotional thought I’ve written, encouraging verses throughout, and in the back, a chronological Bible reading plan to help guide you through the Word of God in 2021. Plus, there’s plenty of room for you to write your own notes, thoughts, and prayers. So, may the swirling, colorful mists and stars of the We Three Kings night sky direct your thoughts to our true journey. As I always say, “onward and upward.”
Spend the year journeying with We Three Kings… and me! These planners are only available through Joni and Friends, and every purchase supports our ministry work. Oh, and one last thing… we’ve created coordinating gift items to make the Joni Planner even more fun – I just ordered three “Starry Night” gift sets for my sisters back east! So, invite a friend or family member to join you in journeying through 2021.
Let’s set our course for God’s glory and journey… onward and upward!
