New Year preparations

I rarely make new years resolutions, at least not serious ones. Because I know that resolutions are usually forgotten after the first week or so into the new year. But because we are moving into a new year, I like to think of new beginings and plan the direction of the year ahead.

I am coming out of what I call"my three year funk". For the last three years I have gone through something... I am not really sure what. A trial, a dry place, a funk... whatever it is, and whatever the reason for it, only God knows, I hope that I am at the end of it. And I feel like there has been a re-awakening of sorts. I feel more alive and in touch with things than I have in the past three years. My mind is clearer, and my feelings and emotions are more balanced. I feel positive and have made positive changes in my life. First of all, I have lost 15 pounds and am working to lose more. I am exercising again, and I am making plans. However, one of my favorite saying is: "We make plans and God laughs." Not that He is laughing at us, but he is amused that we can make plans about a future that we have no idea about. I know that God supplies our needs and many times He gives us our WANTS also. He has for me many times in my life. So I don't mean, don't make plans, just make plans prayerfully and understanding that even the best laid plans go astray, and sometimes God has some detours in mind along our journey. And it is in those detours that He teaches us the lessons we need to learn in our lives. I know that He has been trying to teach me things over the past three years, and I hope I have been a good student and learned the lessons well. I know that I am a different person today than I was three years ago. I have different priorities and different aspirations. God is an amazing God and He will continues to strive with me, even in my frailties and humanity and carnality. He is still a loving God who is patient with me even when I don't get the lesson at first. Thank you God for being my constant companion.



I read a book by Robert Fulghum last week. It is his newest work called, What on Earth Have I Done. I have always appreciated his wit and wisdom. In an interview I heard with him, he said that when he was in seminary, he was told to keep his eyes open and try to be useful. Really, isn't that a great piece of advice...Keep your eyes open to those around you and what is going one around you---and do what you can to be useful in this world. I just thought that was great advice for all of us to follow. Be sensitive to those around you and use what you have been blessed with to be useful to others.



Again a new year is coming, and it offers each of us an opportunity to start fresh. All the things you wanted to do, but haven't, well now is your chance. My husband's job has moved us around some through the years and I always enjoyed moving to a new place. It offered so many possiblilities. It afforded me the opportunity to become anything I wanted to become, in the sense that the people I would be meeting didn't have any idea about me. There were no preconcieved ideas or notions about how I was suppose to act or what kind of personality I possessed. So I could become anything I wanted to be. When you are in one place all of your life, and people know you, they know your past, your mistakes and all your failures, sometimes they tend to keep you that person. The person you have always been. So it is hard to change in that type of environment. But new places, new people and a new life, offers opportunity to change without all the criticisms.



We have been in Arkansas for three years now. The three hardest years of my life. Three of the worst years of my life. Not saying anything against Arkansas, just that my time here has been difficult due to this trial I have been going through. The best thing about the past three years was the birth of my son. I suppose God knew that I needed something wonderful to help carry me through the hard times I was facing. Of course, my family is always something wonderful in my life, that goes without saying.

So with the new year approaching, I am contemplating the year ahead and thinking of ways to make my life more like the life that God intends it to be. I am going to search for the person that God wants me to become and hopefully come closer to that image that God imagined when he gave me life. I know that the past three years have been my training time, God has been teaching me, correcting things that weren't right about me, removing things from my life that didn't belong. Yes, it has been hard, and painful at times. I have cried and felt desperate at times. But through it all God was always there with me encouraging me and telling me that I could make it through. And with His help I am...

Words of Wisdom

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.