Happy New Year!



I can't believe it is 2012 already. Are you making your New Year's Resolutions?

I have been busy setting my goals for 2012. I've been thinking about them all week and getting them down on paper. I'm going to tackle each one of them in baby steps so I don't get overwhelmed with what I'm challenging myself to do.

I read a post at Jeremiah-2911 regarding a signature word for the year as opposed to setting numerous resolutions that will not be kept. I really liked that idea so I am going to pick a word and that will be my signature word for the year. My word will be:

I will set my course and stick with it. I will stay focused on the Word and let it guide me instead of trying to do it all my own. I need to put more trust in God to handle the situations that come my way instead of turning them over to Him and then trying to help Him solve the problem. I need to let go and let God so I can focus on what I need to be doing. This will apply to my spiritual, personal and professional life.

I do very well when I have a game plan, a list of what I need to accomplish. As long as I stay focused on that I am successful at what I set out to do. But this past year has been a time of losing my focus and trying to take control when I should relinquish that control to God. Things happened that made me question my belief in myself. I allowed others to still my joy and question my faith. It was a long struggle to begin believing in myself again and restoring my confidence that "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." - Philippians 4:13.  

Does that mean I cannot do the things I enjoy like surfing the Internet for cool products, visiting with friends and family on Facebook, working on crafts, shopping, reading and writing blogs? No, it just means that whatever I am undertaking, I need to be undertaking one thing at a time instead of multi-tasking 24/7.

I am very bad to be reading a blog and then clicking a link to see something they are promoting and that link will have an ad that will lead me to another site. Next thing you know, I have 9 windows open and forgot what I was even doing in the first place.

I will be doing my daily work and something pops in my head and I stop to take care of it. I'm going to keep a notebook beside me at all times and when there is something that piques my interest or I am reminded of something I need to do, I will make a note of it and go back to research it, look at it, or do it later in my free time.

 I'm going to read my bible using the Women's Daily Devotional Bible a friend gave me as a gift. It not only has scripture reading for each day, but provides a synopsis of the overview for that day as well as a prayer and additional verses for further study.

If we keep our FOCUS on God, we will accomplish great things. It is when we lose that focus and try to do things ourselves that we get all all of kilter.

My bible verse for the new year is going to be Deuteronomy 4:29:

But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. - NKJV

I hope you join me this New Year with setting yourself a signature word for the year. I would love to hear what yours will be.

UPDATE ON THIS POST: I wrote this post yesterday so it could post this morning. I got up and started my day as I said I would by FOCUSING on my daily devotional bible reading of the day. I read through the various chapters it selected. In the summary where the writer brings out the point of the day, it ended with this....

"It is not by accident, I believe, that the Bible opens with the thunderous acclaim: "In the beginning God...". I tell you with all the conviction of which I'm capable: If God is not our primary focus, then everything else will soon get out of focus."

I love it when studying His word lets us know we are on the right track. Apparently, God picked my signature word for me this year.