A New Year

The beginning of a new year leads to the desire for us to change, to become better people, to make positive changes and to begin new things. My hope is that this year will be a year where I can pursue the changes I am trying to make in my life without losing steam. It is so easy to get going well and then as the months progress to lose steam and stop doing as well with the things I sat out to accomplish. But when I put my life into God's hands and ask Him for power to accomplish the tasks I want to accomplish this year, I know I will be successful.

This year I began the year knowing that I had to make headway with the disorganization and chaos that renovations created in our home. I was tired of the mess and desperately needed order to reign in my home again. As an organized person, the chaos and disarray were really impacting me. It was time to make changes. So my daughter purchased organizers and I cleared one of our rooms of the clutter it contained after peeling wallpaper and painting it. My daughter and I began organizing and sorting the devastation that such a task creates. With time the bins were filled, labeled and organized and we began to create order. It was amazing to see how as I moved through the disaster I would find things and bring them to the bin where they belonged. Little by little organization happened. Office supplies, crafts, drawers, and closets were finally organized. I was excited. Suddenly, I felt ready to tackle the other tasks on my list. We still have more to do but our office/craft room is looking good and my closets have more order. Yesterday, I organized our kitchen cupboards and drawers. Starting in one room provided me with the courage to move on to the other rooms and to organize them as well. With the organization in our home, I can finally think and begin to tackle other tasks like preparing food and freezing it so we have meals for the days when we are super busy, which seems to be often lately. I joined a group to help me as I tackle this task. God also helped me find a Bible reading program that will work better for me this year. The bonus is that it marks my progress so I know I am staying on track. With the organization, I am finally able to wake up early and begin my day with a quiet time. Before I was too overwhelmed by our mess to want to get up early but now that I have order, I have found a special place where I can journal and read my Bible. It has been a blessing to wake up early and spend time with God in the quiet of the morning as the cats play nearby. I'm thankful for the progress I am making with my goals. There truly is a blessing in a new year. I feel like it has allowed me to clear the cobwebs out of my life and start over on a better track.

What are your goals for this new year? How will you stay on track with them? My prayer is that you will focus on improving your relationship with God so you can accomplish these desires. When we lean into God and focus on Him and ask Him for help, God always comes through. May we persevere with our goals with the strength and power that God gives us.