Following God with Courage

"This is my command--be strong and courageous! Do not be

afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." -- Joshua 1:9 (NLT)

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

2013 New Year Goals


2012 has come to an end.  My Love and I wish it a bittersweet farewell.  2012 held extremes in highs and lows for us.  We experienced the blessed joy of the birth of our first son along with the soaring joy of holding him in our arms.  Then we experienced the deep, deep sorrow and pain of his leaving us to meet Jesus face to face.  So, we say, “Farewell 2012.”  We will always remember 2012 with a mixture of fondness and heartache, but we are ready for the hope of the unknown of 2013.

I do not usually set New Year resolutions or goals.  I have used it as a time to evaluate my devotional time and to get back on track after what might have slipped during the November/December Thanksgiving/Christmas hectic schedule, but as I seek healing and recovery from 2012 in 2013, I have decided to do things a little differently.  This year, I am setting New Year Goals.  As I do so, I am looking at the priorities I want in my life.  As 2013 starts, I want to take the opportunity to check my priorities and set reasonable goals for achieving a lifestyle that reflects these priorities.

That said, HAPPY NEW YEAR!  And, here are my 2013 Goals:

  1. Read two full chapters (one from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament) from the bible and ask God what He wants to say to me everyday.
  2. Thank God for at least 10 things everyday.
  3. Pray for My Love and our marriage every morning and evening.
  4. Purposefully do at least one special thing each week to make My Love a priority and show my love for him.  Be creative with it, and do a variety of things throughout the year. 
  5. Do at least one thing a week to pamper myself or just for my enjoyment because I am special to God.
  6. Integrate principles from Messies Anonymous (www.messies.com) to organize our house, improve the flow of our house, and lesson the stress of housekeeping for My Love and I.
  7. Make exercise like going to work, eating breakfast, and brushing my teeth.  That is, make it something that I just do everyday.  Stop thinking of it as an extra something.  It makes the rest of my daily activities easier and hurt less.  It is necessary.
  8. Pray daily that I reflect God and honor Him in how I do my job and relate to others (staff & public) at work.
  9. Evaluate all the "Rules" that I live by:  are they biblical, are they beneficial to both Josh and I, why do I think I "have" to do this.
  10. Seek ways to show my love and appreciation for all the wonderful people God has placed in my life.