Photo: Canva
I sat down to think through what I wanted to trust God for this year. I didn’t get very far. The next day I got sick. Now I’m starting over again.
If this year continues the way it has started, it has the makings of a not very good year. Shooting in NOLA, horrendous fires in CA…These were the extreme examples of many smaller events that took place all over the nation. It isn’t starting out well at all.
Personally, we had a lovely week in Seattle with one of our daughters and her family between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. It was fun catching up with them in person. Two of her daughters are now in college. It was fun to hear what they are planning and learning. Her youngest is half-way through high school. It won’t be long before their nest will be empty. To prepare for that, they just got a new puppy! Now they have two chocolate labs. Their new puppy is in the toddler stage, biting everything. But he was cute. They are training him pretty well and soon he will go to boot camp for a week to get more rigid training. But I digress.
We arrived home in time for 2025
We got home on New Year’s Eve. I was home about 24 hours and had just started thinking through my plans for the New Year, when I got sick. It put me out of commission for about 4 days. Once it was over, I felt fine, I still sounded awful, but felt great. So weird. There is a lot of sickness floating around and with good reason. The weather is warm for a few days, then cold for a few days, then back to warmish. It is just the kind of weather that breeds lots of illness.
As I was catching up again from being sick, we had a snowstorm. Fortunately, this one is a mild one compared to last year’s ice storm that hung on for almost a week. It was a mess. Everything was shut down for almost a week. We didn’t get mail for a good 5 days! This one is pretty mild. We got mostly snow. This was a 2 day event at most. After tonight, it will warm up he rest of the week to the mid-50’s and we will have rain! As I said, the weather is crazy!
I’m trying to get myself in order for the New Year
I have a lot of half-finished lists for the New Year. Hopefully, in the next week, I will get my lists and plans finished off. As if they mean anything. I can make my plans, but I realize that my plans for myself are very tentative. God has the final word.
At one point in my life, I didn’t even make plans for this reason. But now, it helps me to head in a certain direction, knowing God will interrupt my plans if I’m going in the wrong direction.
For now, I have plans
- to make another throw quilt this year for a granddaughter who will graduate from college. It will be a challenge.
- to read the Bible through chronologically. (on Bible Gateway)
- to improve prayer life in ways I’m trying to quantify. The more I figure out where I need to go here, the more helpful it will be.
Yesterday, at church, we were challenged to think through at least one area of need that we need prayer for. I feel very needy, but I can’t put my finger on what the problem is. That isn’t very helpful is it? I’m still thinking about it. I’m sure it will come.
I have also been thinking I may need to help Ron with his spiritual growth or incorporate him into some of mine because he has less and less ability to take initiative to move toward goals. I’m thinking more about that. For example, I may need to have him participate in my Bible reading and prayer time because it is getting more and more difficult for him to do his own time. It may be helpful to him as well.
I hope to get my year goals figured out this month.
So for now, I’m still working on my goals. I’m counting on God to make His way clear to me. Will it happen on my deadline? No. It isn’t the first time, nor is it the last time. He really doesn’t care about the dates, or even whether it is January 1 or not. He just wants us to make changes in our lives. Will it be January 1, 7, 21? Will it come in February or June? The date is not the big deal. The big deal is that it comes and that we make the changes when God calls us to.
“Remember not the former things,
nor consider the things of old.
Behold, I am doing a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.
The wild beasts will honor me,
the jackals and the ostriches,
for I give water in the wilderness,
rivers in the desert,
to give drink to my chosen people,
the people whom I formed for myself
that they might declare my praise.”Isaiah 43:18-21 ESV
