Are Your New Year's Resolutions Out the Door....Already? I've Found It's Not Too Late - What I've Committed to!

Take it from me, I don't remember if I have ever really "resolved" to do something for the New Year... or any New Year.

My first roast turkey for Post-Christmas Dinner! It turned out great.

Maybe it just wasn't monumental enough to remember, or I didn't keep it (that would make it more forgettable), or I didn't write it down.

But the word resolution seems a bit removed from my world and maybe tainted by its blatant overuse and its failed history.

Anyway, even though 2013 already began, I decided to do something about it.

To commit to something. 

Commitment. (There - That's a word I use.)

Because I want to Change.

Committed to hike to Elephant's Eye (See the dark cave above?).

So I had time Alone to spend time with Jesus (so I wasn't alone-alone) this holiday and used my time more wisely.

Having a hard year of challenges - I'm concluding my first WHOLE YEAR as an OVERSEAS missionary - I Chose to do something about my battered state, and I Chose to do something different. I kinda needed a total Life Re-Orientation as I call it. I guess that meant letting God in Deeper rather than staying with, "I'm fine/holding it to together - You can just do your Surface-y stuff."


This meant...

Reflection.

Prayer.

Probably Crying.

Listening - well, I gotta open my ears more - definitely.

Oh, I read some books (I LOVE to read so this is a great way I can grow - Gotta remember that, Shannon.) - Yes, I read the Bible too, but I'm getting to that.

Journaling.


Then I got some...

Clarity.

Vision.

Plans.

It's kinda cool. God's kinda here for me. What a good thing to Remember.

So sometime after January 14th (see, it's not too late!), I went online and found a "read the Bible in one year plan." It has different selections on how you want to read through the Bible - I chose a little Old and New each Day. And - hold your breath for the awesome part - it will make a schedule for you beginning - with TODAY'S DATE (or start with January 1 and play catch up like I did)! Now I love this because some of my favorite things are checking off lists and calendars! I know, my detail-oriented tendencies can be a bit much. This is the website I like best so for: http://www.ewordtoday.com/

I could have just thought, "Ah, I think I'm going to read the Bible in one year." But umm, if I miss a few days... or a month... then I could write off my commitment pretty easily. SO I think that making a Goal, a Plan, and a Schedule are important to Success and give Accountability (sharing with someone helps too).

What a view! We did make it!

I guess I should get to WHY this is important:

God gave us a pretty accessible Way to Know Him. And for me to be Changed by Him, I need to Soak with Him - Including IN HIS WORD. This should be most important for my Life as a Jesus-follower and for my Life Re-Orientation too.

So WHY am I sharing this with you? 

I hope you are encouraged through my experience that it's not too late for YOU!

And you can always ask me where I am at. ;)

                                                                                                                                                                      

Do you struggle with resolutions? Is there something you want to COMMIT to?