New Year, Not New Me

I’m going to copy my friend and resolve to make no more new year’s resolutions. I want to begin to think in terms of choosing to work on myself daily as opposed to making a list of yearly goals. Partially because I made my list one year ago and then within months I was thrown for some loops, and lost my focus on those ‘priorities’, instead working hard at hanging on and making sure the rollercoaster didn’t throw me off the tracks all together. Partially because the root of all my goals is my relationship with God, but just because there was certain fruit I intended on harvesting from that relationship doesn’t mean that’s what God had planned for me in 2009.
That doesn’t mean goals aren’t important to me, I still have goals for my finances, my health, my talents, etc., but my predominant goal is to seek out God’s will for me every day, to discover who He is shaping me to be in each moment. I believe that will result in a lot of various fruits, as that’s what the Bible promises when we are plugged into the Vine, will that mean I lose more weight, reduce my debt, and so on? I hope so, but I guess it depends on if there are more imperative challenges I need to deal with first.
I don’t want to make it sound like 2009 was a complete failure, there were many wonderful things about 2009 I celebrate and am so thankful for:
1. In the first 4 months especially, but all through the year, God has proven when I draw near to Him, He will draw near to me, and I have basked in His presence more this year than I ever have. He keeps showing me more and more of my ‘big picture’, and although I most certainly don’t have the whole picture, I do have increasing peace about what He has in store for me.
2. God finally got the truth through to me about my past, showing me the lies I believed about it and knowing that truth has made all the difference. I finally have plugged a leak of negativity in my life that was not only a distraction but a danger.
3. Even with the economic struggles most of us have been facing, we enjoyed a trip to Nashville, I started a Stampin’ Up! business, we’ve been able to put more money down on our mortgage (thanks to choosing a variable rate on our new house), and we still only have a small amount of debt.
4. I have still overall lost 21 lbs, so despite my indulgences and lack of motivation to continue my weight loss, I haven’t fallen behind too much, and am back on track thanks to a husband who has increasingly become more involved in his own health this year.
5. The loops and detours this year have equipped me or provided me with time and resources to invest more in certain relationships, and I am so glad to have grown closer to many people this year.
6. Over the course of the year my perspective of the future has changed drastically, and so it changes my long term goals yet clarifies my current purpose more. It ties into my sustainable living and pursuit of truth, and although it is all still just pieces of a bigger puzzle, I am growing content and confident.
So, another year, another wild ride, and I look forward to many more :) And I hope to keep sharing them with you all as well!
Happy New Year!