I can’t believe it is almost 2017! And what a year it has been! Ups and downs, trials and joys. We have had big changes this year, because this was the year I quit homeschooling (but, I really didn’t). I have another another son working towards graduation from high school. My baby turned four and the season of babies and littles in drawing to a close. Our home is more of a place for young adults as they learn to spread their wings and fly. This was the year that the Lord deepened our walk with Him through His providence and grace. But through it all God is faithful and I have learned so much more about His ways and our daily sanctification is for His glory! And now we are looking towards a new year…
I don’t know about you but I love fresh beginnings. I love the Scripture that says:
“It is of the Lord‘s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. Lamentations 3: 22-24
And so as I look to 2017 I have lots of new fresh goals that I want to implement and I thought I would share a few with you…
1. I want to be more heavenly minded. I want to put First Things First. I desire to focus on the one thing needful and be sitting at Jesus’ feet daily in an even deeper way. “What doth it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his soul? ” Mark 8:36 Throughout my day to be reflecting on my Creator even through Lessons from the Honeybee and Queen Anne’s Lace.
2. I want to enjoy my children more. These days are going by quickly and I want to remember that I have a calling higher than Steve Jobs. Motherhood is a rich blessing that our society doesn’t value but our Lord does. 🙂
3. I want to remember the lessons the Lord has taught me through my chronic sickness and be full of gratitude that He has returned so much health to me! I want to remember the lessons from the sickbed.
4. I want to take my health a step further! I hope to get in a good pattern of moving more through exercising, walking and a variety of healthful activities. I am going to seek to kick up my weight-loss through adding in another fabulous supplement that my favorite health company has to offer. And I am going to be seeking to make better choices of what I put in my body. I have been gifted with such great benefits through these plant based supplements but have need to be more watchful of complementing that with a healthier lifestyle. I am so excited! If you want to learn more details of what I am going to be doing you are welcome to join my Facebook page Heritage Healthy Habits.
5. I want to start a fresh new schedule that will keep me a bit more structured. Now that several of the children are in school, I want to be intentional with enjoying my 4 year old, household duties and my home business. (read: Why I was NOT going to have a home business.)
These are a few of my goals for 2017. All of these things I cannot do in my own strength but rely on the Lord for His grace, help and strength looking to Him for each day. I need to simply lean upon my Beloved as I shared at the beginning of a previous year.
Do you have New Years Resolutions? Check out Jonathan Edward’s resolutions!
Happy New Year (almost) to you! 🙂 I will leave you with an entry…
From the January 1, 1704 diary of Matthew Henry….
“This New Years Day I have in much Weakness, and compassed about with many Infirmities, upon my Knees made a fresh Surrender of myself, my whole self, all I am, all I have, all I can do, to God the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, my Creator, Owner, Ruler and Benefactor; all my Affections to be ruled by the Divine Grace, and all my Affairs overruled by the Divine Providence, so as I may not come short of glorifying God in this World, and being glorified with him in a better World.
Confirming and ratifying all former Resignations of myself to God, and lamenting all the Disagreeableness of my Heart and Life therewith, and depending upon the Merit of the Redeemer to make this and all my other Services acceptable, and the Grace of the Sanctifier to enable me to make these good engagements, I again bind my Soul with a Bond to the Lord, and commit myself entirely to him; particularly, as to the Events of this Year which I am now entering upon, not knowing the Things that may abide me in it. If this Year should be a Year of continued Health and Comfort, I commit myself to the Grace of God to be preserved from carnal Security, and to be enabled in a Day of Prosperity to serve God with joy.
If my Opportunities as a Minister, should be this Year continued, I commit my Studies, and Ministerial Labors at home and abroad, to the Blessing of God; having afresh consecrated them all to his Service and Honor, earnestly desiring Mercy of the Lord to be Faithful and successful.
If I should be this Year at any time tried with Doubts concerning my duty, I commit myself to the Divine Conduct, with an unbiased Desire, praying to know what God will have me to do, with a fixed Resolution by his Grace to follow his Direction in the Integrity of my heart.
If I should this Year be afflicted in my Body, Family, Name or Estate, I commit my All to the Divine Dispose; the Will of the Lord be done; only begging that the Grace of God may go along with the Providence of God in all my Afflictions, to enable me both to bear them well and to use them well.
If this Year I should be disturbed or molested in the Exercise of my Ministry, if I should be silenced, or otherways suffer for well-doing, I commit the keeping of my Soul to God as to a faithful Creator; depending upon him to guide me in my Call to suffer, and to make that clear, and to preserve me from perplexing Snares; depending upon him to support and comfort me under my Sufferings, and to bring Glory to himself out of them, and then welcome his whole Will.”