Wednesday, January 4, 2017

2017: New Year! (Same ol' Goals)

Well here we are. Another brand new year. I LOVE New Years. I get all giddy excited about the possibility of a fresh start. There is a feeling in my bones that sounds something like "THIS is the year I'm gonna get it right!"

And then the next New Year rolls around and I spend a moment wishing I'd done a better job with the previous 12 months...and then think "THIS is the year..."

So, I am all giddy excited about 2017 and all the potential it holds!
I have volumes of resolutions and goals that can all be mushed together to read something like, you guessed it, "THIS is the year I'm gonna get it right!"

I want to mark 15 things off my bucket list. That's not nearly as exciting or adventurous as it sounds. Most of my list is made up of things i want to learn...or learn to do...or read. I have over 100 books on there. Last year, my goal was 5 things. (I need to go back and see if i made that.) I am being wild and crazy this year and mark off 15.

I want to blog once a week for 52 consecutive weeks. I have a terrible time with consistency. So, this year, I'm gonna get it right and blog once every week. May be some REALLY boring stuff on here. We'll see.

I want to read the Bible thru. Genesis to Revelation. The hubs has made this easy for me. He is doing a reading plan with the church so that we can all read it thru. Super excited about this!

I want to memorize the Sermon on the Mount. That's asking a lot of this old brain. i still remember the prologue to Canterbury Tales from high school...surely i can memorize one more thing.

I want to learn to knit and i want to learn Spanish and American Sign Language. Oh! I want to learn to use chop sticks.

Let's see, that's 7.

I want to journal every day. Again, likely to get very boring. Not much happens in my little life.

I suppose the rest of my 15 things could be books.

Oh no! Wait! I "resolve" to go to the gym at least 3 times a week for 52 weeks and to drink 80 oz of water a day for 6 weeks.

Ya know, the things I REALLY want are not things i can measure right now. I don't know if i will ever know whether or not i accomplished them. They are not tangible or measurable. I want to leave a big hole when i'm gone. Not so that people will be all sad and whatever. I just want it to REALLY matter that i was here. I want it to matter that i took up space on this planet. I want people to be thankful that they knew me. I want to make a difference in the lives of the people God has placed in my life. When people think of me, i want them to think of Christ. I want my life to be characterized by my love for Him. I want to be remembered as someone who truly loved Jesus, and who lived and talked like it.

I don't know that i will ever know if i accomplished this or not, but it makes me happy to try. Serving Christ and leading others to a deeper relationship with Him brings me tremendous joy. I guess that's why I don't have over the top exciting things on my bucket list or in my resolutions. I like my little life. I like where God has me. Sure there are things I'd like to improve on and ways I'd like to do to be a better person, but nothing compares to serving and knowing Christ.

Before i go, I will share my word and my verse for 2017.
My word is
 Self-Control

My Verse is 1 Corinthians 10:31
 "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."

Do you have New Year's Resolutions? 2017 Goals? A Word or verse for 2017?

I'd love to know how you face the new year!