One Thing You Must Do in 2014

It’s the end of the year. Time to pack up the Christmas ornaments, take down the tree and set our sites on what the new year might hold. We consider resolutions, goals, look back, look ahead and join the gym.

On a recent after Christmas jaunt to my local big box store I noticed several displays that told me the holidays were over and the retailers were on to something new.

• Winter coats and bikinis side by side vying for attention- why this struck me funny I don’t know… it just did.
• Massive displays of exercise equipment, weights and work out duds calling “buy me, use me, this is THE year to be svelte and buff. No matter last year’s exercise video has barely been cracked open… this year will be different”
• Local stores are filled to capacity with treadmills, plastic tubs for organizing, yearly planning calendars and bright and beautiful file folders. We start each set of 365 days with great intention and a desire to live our days new- different and better than the last set.

I often set goals, write them down,  reflect on the past year and look towards the new.  I pray, I think and consider what I did with the days I was given and what the next 365 will hold.

The past year contained-

Joy– as Hubs and I moved closer to our dream of travel and adventure as we futher down-size our life- less stuff makes room for more life. Excited as we prepare to move from the apartment to our lake house in the spring.

Hope -as we have watched our daughter continue her journey of healing and restoration from the effects of her 2012 stroke and their little miracle baby who turned ONE in November!

Sadness – as we grieved with our son and his bride,  the loss of our yet to be born little grandbabe Drake- born without breath 7 weeks before his due date.

Celebration– as another son graduated college (can I say we are SO proud of him!)

Anticipation–  as writer and coach…I adore having opportunity to walk beside others on their journey . Crazy loving this part of my life.

Each January I sharpen my pencil and get out a spiral notebook – a little old school perhaps, but it works for me.

 

 

Many times I do the safe. I choose steady instead of rocky. I go for the sure thing, not the gamble.

This is how I was raised. Safe. Sure.Risk is bad. Go for what you know. But, inside I want to live big, large and arms wide open… 2014 stretches ahead of me. The turn of a new calendar feels like a fresh start, a chance to begin again.

22 Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“Therefore I hope in Him!”  Lamentations 3: 22-24

Thankful God knows we need a fresh start.. and his grace extends from generation to generation and calendar to calendar.

I have always wanted to run in a half marathon. This is something I am sure I can not do. But, then I think about what it would feel like to do it. To finish it.  I imagine that moment would be a game changer. It would signify I could run into the storm and live. It is scary to think about committing to this dream… but what if- I did?

What is your one thing?

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Blessings sweet readers, thank you for your love and connections through the year. You are a treasure to this writer girls heart.