Focus Friday: Let's Focus on Recommitment

We're at the end of another year.

It's time to look back at what we've done in the past year and look ahead at what we want to accomplish in the year ahead.

It's exciting...and scary.

It's exciting because we think about all of the possibilities for what we may be able to do next year. The sky's the limit, right?

It's scary because we know that we've felt that way in years past and our dreams or goals didn't turn out the way we hoped. Soon after the new year we got tired of the hard work or the uncertainty and we dropped back into status quo, the known, the comfortable.

I just want to encourage you as you think about the year ahead. Make big goals. Dream of doing something amazing and then write down some plans for how you're going to get there.

When something happens that throws you off course, don't despair and give up on whatever it is. Take a good look at what went wrong and then recommit.

A while back I told you about changing one little thing and how it helped me get out of bed when the alarm went off. Well, the last couple of mornings I somehow managed to s-t-r-e-t-c-h over and shut the alarm off without rolling out of bed. I slept a little more, but then I stayed in bed way too long, just chasing thoughts around in my head about things I dreaded doing, problems I wanted fixed, and the sadness of friends who had lost loved ones recently.

Lying there did nothing to help myself or anyone else. It just wasted a couple of hours in the day when I could have been getting something done, making plans to fix a problem, or reaching out to grieving friends.

I cannot give up on getting out of bed at a decent time. Instead, I need to recommit. I need to remember why I want to get up and get a good start on my day, and then I need to do it. I need to recommit.

Let's all plan to do that as we go into 2019.

When we start off strong and then falter. Recommit.

When we get discouraged because we're not reaching our goals fast enough. Recommit.

When we are tempted to ignore God and everything that will strengthen our relationship with Him. Recommit.

We don't have to wait until next January 1 if we get off track with our dreams and goals. We can choose recommitment the moment we realize we're wavering. It might have to happen weekly, or daily, or even hourly, but making that decision to recommit will make all the difference as we move forward.

Happy New Year, everyone!

"Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun." (Psalm 37:5-6 NIV)

Do you get discouraged when you see yourself failing at times? How can focusing on God help you to recommit and move ahead?  

Focus Friday: Let's Focus on Setting Up For a New Year

I have a list of 10 things I wanted to do in 2016.

I completely accomplished three of my ten goals: I finished Italian on Duolingo, I itemized my credit card bills monthly, and I read the Bible all the way through.

I partly completed four of my other goals: I submitted some devotionals to Keys for Kids (and they were accepted!), I lost some of the pounds I wanted to shed, I worked on a nonfiction project, and I got a little better at push-ups.

I didn't do anything on the other three goals: I wanted to read The Power of a Praying Wife by March 1, I planned to make homemade Christmas cards by August 1, and I wanted to fast and pray for my family members one time a month.

I didn't do those three things because I never went back and looked at my list after I made it in January. I got into some habits that let me get some of my goals done, but I could have accomplished more if I had just reminded myself of what I wanted to do.

So, as we get ready to begin a new year, I want to remind all of us to take some time to set ourselves up for success. Know what you want to accomplish and review those goals often.

As for me, I think I'm cutting my list down to five for next year and I'm going to keep my list in front of me in January, February, March, and all through the year.

I'm going to set some goals, but be open to changing them or letting them go if God prompts me to focus on something else.

Most of all, I'm going to make sure I'm set up to focus completely on God as I live each day. With Him at the center, I'll accomplish everything He wants me to do. I'll be the woman He has made me to be.

That should make for a pretty good year.

"If you do not listen, and if you do not set your heart to honor my name," says the LORD Almighty, "I will send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have already cursed them, because you have not set your heart to honor me." (Malachi 2:2 NIV)

Did you accomplish all you wanted to do in 2016? How can focusing on God help you to set good goals and work toward them in 2017?

I promise I'll tell you more about the Grand Canyon trip one of these weeks!

Focus Friday: Let's Focus on Beginnings

Happy New Year! 

This week's post is going to be short and sweet because I am just about to go spend an entire night with a bunch of awesome high school students at our annual youth group lockin. We have a lot of fun from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., but I'm afraid I may be getting too old for this. I hope I don't fall asleep (or someone might write on my face!).

I just want to remind all of us to focus on God as we begin this new year. We can spend a little time looking over the past year, but then let's move forward in confidence and joy as we seek to follow God's path for us. He can help us accomplish whatever He wants us to do and He'll give us wisdom to know what those things are.

I think it's pretty great that God has built in "reset" points in our lives. The start of a new day, a new week, a new year. We can look at those times as chances to begin again and do better, knowing that God loves us completely even when we fail.

Don't give up. Keep trusting God as you go into 2016!

"The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:22-23 ESV - English Standard Version)

Are you excited about beginning a new year? How can focusing on God help you to have a great year?