Goals for 2012!

Hello Everyone,

Happy New Year!

    As with every beginning of a new year, we tend to look over our shoulders at the past year while combining that look with one into the fresh, untouched future.

Anne Shirley said it so well, "Tomorrow is always fresh, with no mistakes in it."  Her comment resonates in my ears as I look forward to 2012, but with it comes a verse that our loving Heavenly Father gave us: Lamentations 3:22-23 "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (ESV)

New "mornings", or years in our case, are wonderful times to set goals.  As I reflected on the past year, with the books I've read, things I've done, places I've been, I realized a common thread that God had woven through each day.

That thread was the lesson of trust.  Trusting Him for provision, safety, finances, relationships, future plans and so much more. 

I don't know about the rest of you, but in our family dynamics, I am the eldest daughter and I tend to want to have "all my ducks in a row."  Everything planned out, with every possibility of disruption of those plans taken care of ahead of time.

Sometimes God needs to remind us that His plans are far better than our plans. A few verses come to mind....
Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."
Isaiah 55:9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

In fact, God knows us better that we know ourselves and He knows where we will be happiest even if we don't.

However, I don't want you to read into the above paragraph that I am saying we shouldn't make plans.
As our Pastor often says, "If you aim for nothing you will hit it every time."  Rather I want you to read between the lines and see that what I mean is that God wants us moving forward, striving towards goal, while being flexible in our plans because we TRUST Him.

So, as I look at the upcoming year of 2012, what goals do I want to strive towards? What can I do that will honor my Heavenly Prince?

Three books come to mind that taught me so much this year as well as reminded me of why I am living a set-apart life for Christ.  The books are as follows:  Sacred Singleness by Leslie Ludy, Set Apart Femininity by Leslie Ludy, and Before I Meet Prince Charming by Sarah Malley.

As a young lady of 21 years these books were so refreshing.  My convictions were strengthened, my faith was challenged, my relationship with my King has changed and my goals for 2012 are due in part to these books.

So, you may be asking, what are my goals? Well.....
1. That prayer would become a bigger part of my day ~ Psalm 1:2 "But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night."
2. That memorizing Scripture would happen every day.
3. That my relationship with God would be so beautiful that I would be able to find complete fulfillment in Him every day, every moment.
4. That just as a mirror reflects my image, so would I reflect Christ's image when people see me.

Yes, I realize that those goals are ones that should and will be on my list of goals every year, but I will expound upon each one in upcoming posts.

I hope that this post was encouraging to you today.  Perhaps you are also going through God's class of flexibility and trust.  I have come to realize that God love me more that I can imagine and wants the very best for me.  Wherever He places me, in whatever the situation, is the safest and best place for me.

I would love to hear what goals you have decided on for 2012!  As well as how God has been using you or working through you this past year!  It is always an encouragement to hear of other examples of God's work in the lives of others.

Again, Happy New Year and God Bless!

In His Steps,