December 31, 2012 – 9:00 PM

Here it is, the last day of 2012.  So many people are thinking right now about what their New Year’s resolution is going to be.  I don’t make resolutions.  I’ve tried in the past, and it seems that within a few weeks those resolutions are just one more thing that I’ve failed at.  So, this year I have decided to set goals instead.  To me, goals are attainable.

So what are my goals? 

Of course the usual… get in better health – loose some weight and get to the gym.  I do have a membership, but I’ve recently leared that you actually have to go there too?   Who knew?  🙂

So then what?  I’ve been a Christian for many many years and I’ve read and studied the Bible for many years too.  But I can honestly say that I don’t think that I have ever read it from cover to cover – Genesis to Revelations.  So this year my goal is to do just that.  I found an interesting website that has a year long Bible Reading Plan that is in chronological order versus book by book.

http://www.chronologicalbibleblog.com/2010/12/welcome-to-the-chronological-bible-blog.html

Tomorrow morning, I start that.  I am really looking forward to it.  I’ll let you know how that goes.

What are my other goals?  Probably to get organized.  I’ve been told that I am too obsessive about how I keep my house.  The towels must be folded a certain way.  The labels on the cans in my pantry must always face forward and stacked in neat rows – like item together of course.  Shirts must always hang the same way on every hanger in the closet.  I have a schedule of what room is cleaned each day.  I have a shopping schedule, a laundry schedule, an ironing schedule, a cooking schedule.  Okay, I admit it…  I am obsessive about my home.  However, my office?? Well now, that’s a whole other story.

At any given time, I have 4 or 5 projects going at once.  Each project has little piles of paper that are stacked on the floor surrounding my desk.  Sticky notes hang everywhere.  I have always been like this.  I’ve had bosses tell me that I need to clean my office, get organized.  It’s never worked.  I guarantee that I can put my hands on whatever piece of paper I need for any given project at any given time.  It’s just the way I am.  However, I don’t know that it’s a good thing.  So another goal is to figure out an organizational system.  I don’t know yet what that is going to be… but there must be something out there that can help someone like me.

Probably my most important goal this year is to be consistent with my prayer and praise time.  I have a schedule for everything else in my life, but I don’t have a set schedule for the MOST important thing in my life.  My relationship with my Heavenly Father.  I remember after I was widowed in 2006, I suddenly found myself totally alone… hour after hour, day after day.  Since I was 600 miles from my nearest family member, the only one I could run to for comfort was My Lord.  And oh did He comfort me.  I would spend hours each day in His Word.  I leaned into Him for comfort and He held me so tight.  I don’t know where I would have been without Him.  I have to stop the craziness of my days from getting in the way of my time at the Throne.

Earlier tonight I was looking back through some of my journals.  I was amazed by page after page of entries from 2006 and 2007.  But then they started to get to be a little less.  I used to write pages every day.  I poured out my heart in those journals.  I had lists of people that I prayed for every day.  And then life took over.  My entries were less each week.  Sometimes I would dig in again… only to trickle off again.  So another of my goals is to write about this 2013 journey – either here or on paper.

Speaking of journalling, check out this article by my friend Pastor Jack Wellman:

http://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/how-to-create-a-prayer-journal/

Another goal this year is to write my stories.  So far my life has been amazing.  I’ve had the priviledge of being a part of some amazing things and some really horrendous things.  I’ve witnessed things that no living being should ever witness.  But then I’ve  also witnessed healing miracles.  I’ve looked a murderer in the eyes, hugged her and forgave her.  I was honored to be right there when my husband took his last breath on this earth.  I’ve lost so many these last 7 years. I was diagnosed with cancer and I’m healthy.  And dozens and dozens of more stories that only by the Grace of God, I’ve come through.  Not a single one of them for my glory.  Oh no…  these are HIS glory stories.

So, the Ball is going to drop in Times Square in just over 2 hours… and a new year is going to begin.  I have to say that I am looking forward to 2013.  It will be my 7th year of being a widow.  7 is the number of completion is it not? 

2013…  a year of new beginnings.