Moving forward...

Happy New Year!

Yesterday I was working on my goals for the New Year. Thoughtfully thinking of what I want the focus of this year to be. My husband commented, "I was going to work on my goals. I wrote down 'be awesome' and realized I was already there." Yes, he is awesome. And there is something to be said about waking up each day and just trying to make it awesome and be awesome. Of course, there's also something to be said about watching too much How I Met Your Mother. :)

I think goals and priorities are important for each stage of life, each year, each week, each day. I don't make resolutions - because I would break them. I don't make promises, because I wouldn't keep them.

 But I do try to make a list of things I want to focus on and work towards accomplishing. Last year's list included getting more involved in church, tithing faithfully, being a supportive wife, and making family and friends a priority. While I didn't achieve each goal perfectly, I can look back at 2012 and see strides towards reaching those goals. See movement. See change. 

 

Here are a few for 2013:

Prayer

  This is always a struggle for me. It's easy for me to talk to God throughout the day, harder for me to have a hardcore conversation with Him. I get distracted. I think of other things to do. I feel like I'm rambling. 

So I have come up with a prayer calendar - dedicating each day of the week to one topic of discussion (of course, not limited to that). I have written that topic in my daily planner. And I hope to stick with it. 

Read the Old Testament 

 From October to December of 2012, we were challenged (through church) to read the New Testament all the way. While I had read almost all of it many times before, I had never dedicated myself to studying it daily and in order. It was a huge blessing, very challenging and interesting. Now it's time to tackle the Old Testament...which I know will take a bit more dedication. 

Volunteer 

I'm still trying to find the right place, service, organization, etc. for this one, but I want find ways serve my community at least six times this year. God has blessed me so much, and I should take the opportunity to give back. Six times might not seem like a lot, but I want to be able to meet my goal. I wanted a starting point I could build on. (Know any good organizations that need help? Let me know!)

Vacation with friends 

 Derrick and I love vacationing together and with family, but we've never vacationed with friends before. We have been blessed with many, many fun, godly couples in our lives - and so I hope that this year we can go on an adventure and make a big memory with at least one of them!

Work out

  Yes, this is a goal of mine. I will break it. I won't be perfect. But it is a goal. At the end of last year, I gave up on working out completely, and I could feel the toll on my physical, mental, and even emotional health. So this year I'm making plans to have a steady work out plan.

Be a dedicated Christ-follower, loving wife, caring family member, hard worker, and good friend 

 These are my top five priorities throughout life. Loving those I've been blessed with. Making the most of my relationships and responsibilities. Encouraging others. Making those in my life feel special.

I also like thinking about the probable events this year holds

 (although only God knows what the future really holds):

- Work Visitation Days and Pathways

- Road trip to Charlotte with my high school best friends to celebrate my dear friend Jessica!

- Valentine's Day

- Jessica and John's wedding!

- Our Alabama friends Joel and Ashley come visit for a concert!

- My husband's 25th birthday! 

- Class Reunion!

- Vacation with friends? Mountain trip with family? 

...and many more exciting things!

Whereas you do not know about tomorrow. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and we shall do this or that."