Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

The start of a new year is always frustrating to me in the sense that failure seems to loom. It’s those dreaded New Year’s resolutions. Ugh. Mine are similar each year but can never be fully accomplished in this life. And since my resolutions usually end up being a big list of things to do, it gets wearisome very quickly. And I give up. And feel failure.

But I read a blog by Ann Voskamp this week that I really liked in terms of New Year’s resolutions. It was simple, fresh, hopeful and practical. Her blog gave me a fresh perspective in looking at my goals. Instead of my resolutions being a list of things I want to conquer, this year I want to look bigger and see what God wants to do in and through me, specifically with the area of fear.

For too long, fear has been my close friend, especially fear of failure. For too long, I have been judging my success or failure by my ability to complete my to do list. For too long, I have stayed the safe route. For too long I have hung back when I should move forward.

So this year, I have a somewhat vague goal. Maybe it’s just a starting point for next year. Instead of having a checklist of goals, I want to be aware of where fear creeps in and paralyzes in various areas of my life: my relationship with God, with Joa, with others. My job, my choices, how I spend my time. Then I want to bring that fear to God and ask Him what He is going to do and what He wants me to do about it. I am sure after I am more aware of fear in those areas, I will want to make a checklist. But, in all my many checklist making days, I have learned that sometimes that just isn’t the answer. That God doesn’t work by checklists. A checklist to me means I can accomplish it, if I can just complete the checklist. It leaves God out of the picture. I need God for lasting growth and change. I need Him to step in. So I am cautiously happy about my New Year’s resolution.

Here is the link to Ann Voskamp’s blog: www.aholyexperience.com/2011/12/5-steps-to-making-new-years-resolutions-happen/