2015 Goals Update - January

At the beginning of 2015 I made a list of hopes and goals for the new year.  To hold myself accountable, I'll be keeping track of them here....  Let's see how this goes.  My hope is that this will encourage me to continue working towards my goals, so fingers-crossed that this won't have the opposite effect!

Grow Closer to Jesus
What did I do? I am not great at it yet, but waking up in the mornings to spend time in the Word and in prayer before school is becoming more of a routine... Maybe 3/5 mornings during the week and on the weekend.  My January tithe didn't happen, if I'm being honest.  I hate that.  I didn't do it at the beginning of the month, and by the end of January I was out of money.  It will happen next month.  I am praying about leading a women's small group and serving somewhere this summer.  I'm trusting God that He will open the doors to lead me where HE wants me, and not where I want to go.  Byron will join me serving Middle School Camp this summer and I am pumped!
Results: I feel a lot more at peace in life and less stressed.  I have always believed that God answers our prayers, but spending intentional time with Him each day truly does bring a sense of peace and comfort.  I know my behaviors are different -- I am more patient with my students and joyful in general.  I stress less about worldly things and have begun to have many short conversations with God throughout the day.  If this is the most important relationship in my life, I need to make it a priority.

Make Exercise a Priority Again
What did I do?  As I am training for this half-marathon, it is mandatory for me to spend at least 3 days working out.  I've already hit 8 miles!
Results: I have more energy and my endurance is much better!  I don't always feel like I'm gonna die.  I crave working out, like I have before.  I've genuinely enjoyed making time for it and how I feel afterward.  I do need new shoes, though!

Read At Least 1 Book Each Month
What did I read?  The Giver by Lois Lowry
What did I think about the book?  I liked it a lot.  It was a very simple, quick read (obviously, it's on a middle school reading level).  A dystopian society where one person in the community holds the memories.  I can definitely see how it influenced the Hunger Games and Divergent series.

Write 1 Blog Per Week
Have I done this?  No.  I haven't posted weekly on the blog.  I love to write and that's why I made it one of my goals for 2015, but I definitely need to manage my time better so this will happen!

Take More Photos with my Camera
Have I done this? Nope.  I did finally upload my Christmas photos to my computer though!  I need to take my camera with me more often.  Just like blogging, I love to photograph.  It brings me genuine joy and I need to make this happen more in my life as well.

Go Somewhere New
Where did I go?  I didn't go anywhere...  Hopefully I can make something happen in February.

Figure Out my Stomach Issues
What have I figured out?  Gluten most definitely agitates my stomach.  So I've basically eliminated gluten from my diet, with the exception of a few items.  I can never give up pizza, but we don't eat it that often so I can prepare myself for a stomach ache when we do.  It seems there's another component but I'm not sure what it is yet.  But, hallelujah!  A GF diet has made a wonderful improvement!

2015 -- let's do this.

I can't believe I'm just now getting this together... I'm already slacking on one of my goals for the year!  But I'm only human and I am determined -- so here we go!

Before making new goals I think it's incredibly important to look back to what I've recently experienced -- to set realistic, attainable goals.  I made this list, separated into 4 sections [the idea was given to me at church and I thought it was great!] to help me organize my thoughts on the year.

of and off are not the same thing.  I meant off, not of.

After  pondering on my reflections, I decided it was time to formulate some hopes and goals for the year to come.  It's important that I learn from my memories and to understand that God has the ability and power to change the future.  That my experiences have built a foundation for where God can take me in the future.  I don't want to focus on only 1 resolution for the year, because well, quite frankly I couldn't come up with just one.  Instead, I came up with a list of smaller, achievable goals in multiple areas of my life, from my relationship with Christ to my traveling.  

As I wrote these hopes for 2015 in my journal, my spirit was excited.  These are things that I truly, deeply desire to accomplish.  Not because I want to look better in my bikini or to earn extra cash or gain recognition for an accomplishment, but because these are things that will joy into my life.  Things that, if accomplished, will make my heart happy.  So I am anticipating this year with jubilee.  I am eager to make these hopes a reality.

So where will God take me this year?  I'm not sure yet, to be honest.  And when I say not sure, I mean I don't have a clue.  But I am praying for something... something big.  I want God to use me in a great way this year.  I don't know how exactly, or with who, or where it will happen, but that is my desire.  At the end of 2015, I want to look back and say, 'Wow, God did great things this year because I was willing to let go and to let Him work through me.'