My Hopes and Word(s) for 2019

At the beginning of this month, I began to think about what my goals for this year would be. I'm not typically a "resolutioner" but I wrote down a few of my hopes for this year in my prayer journal... I always love seeing and hearing about other people's goals, so I will go ahead and post what some of my hopes are for those of you who are curious. :)

For awhile now, God has laid it on my heart to learn sign language. I have no idea why, though I do think the language is beautiful. I've been contemplating taking a class for more than a year and I'm finally going to follow through with it. I have no idea how God will use this but I am going to walk in obedience and rest in knowing that I will eventually see God's plan unfold.

Another goal of mine is to spend more time writing. I'm still praying about the ways in which God wants me to use this gift, whether it be through blogging, writing a devotional, or just submitting articles to various places, I don't know. We will see where He leads me. I don't want to obsess over it, but I do want to cultivate the dreams He's put in my heart.

And now for the health and fitness goals (because isn't that required?)... For the past month and a half, I have been consistently doing Pilates (which I love!). I even joined an online Pilates membership community (The Balanced Life) and I love it. I feel stronger, more firm (woot!), and I'm even beginning to see some abs that long ago disappeared. :) In conjunction with Pilates, I've been using the MyFitnessPal app to track what I am eating and I've lost a few pounds. I decided that this would be the year that I put food back in it's rightful place, no more food idolatry. I don't want to be controlled by food. I was amazed that even after the first week of tracking my food and making better choices, my cravings practically disappeared. Crazy the way sugar controls your mind and body. I'm full after smaller portions now and I'm not depriving myself. I still eat ice cream but I measure it out so that I'm not eating 3 or more helpings like I normally would. :) It's all about finding what works for you, and so far this is working for me. Woohoo!

Technology- ugh. I want to put this in its rightful place too. I know I am on my phone too much, and I don't really have an excuse. I don't want social media to be an idol in my life. I want to be more present with my family. I want to go places and do things without feeling like I have to take a picture of it and post it. I want to be happy for people and not compare myself to others on social media. But mostly, I want to fix my gaze on Him and not waste my time scrolling. I want to choose to watch the sunset instead of watching Instagram stories. I want to sit by my creek and listen to the water flowing without posting a picture of how serene it is. #Struggles by Craig Groeschel has been a really great book on this topic (if you are interested). Also, you should know that I don't think technology is bad, I just feel like it can be a big distraction in my life and sometimes keeps me from doing things that I feel called to do.

My last and biggest hope for this year, is that I will continue to grow in my walk with the Lord through prayer and reading His Word. I love books, which is no surprise to any of you I'm sure (hence my job as a librarian). But I want to grow in my love for ONE book this year. I want to study God's Word for myself, without always using or following a topical Bible study or devotional. I want to teach other women to do the same. It takes a lot of discipline, and I don't have a lot of that (ha!). I am praying through that though, allowing myself to receive His grace, and coming back to it each day in a humble attempt to grow closer to Him.

I also have goals for the ministries I'm involved in already but I'll get to those in another post. :)

As all of these things began to stir around in my heart, I found a book (that I highly recommend) called What Happens Women Women Walk in Faith by Lysa TerKeurst. As I was reading, she mentioned that failure will happen when dreams and goals are involved but that we need to have a responsive heart towards God. In Psalm 51:12 David says, "Restore to me the joy of your salvation and uphold me with a willing spirit." The words willing spirit jumped off the page at me.

I (of course) googled the definition of willing and it said, "given or done readily, prompt to act or respond, prepared to do something." And as those words settled into my heart, I knew I had found my word(s) for 2019. Willing spirit. As I looked up other verses about being willing and God's will, I found John 4:34, "Jesus said to them, 'My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.'" I want to live by that. I want to follow God's plan for my life and accomplish the work He has prepared for me to do.

So that is my heart cry for this year. Being willing means making an effort. Being obedient to what God has called me to and praying for direction if I get lost along the way. I pray that God will grant me a willing spirit so that I can be prepared and ready to do what He calls me to. I pray that I will recognize that His plans are greater than mine. I pray that He will give me discernment so that I can clearly see which goals and dreams to let go of and which to cultivate.

What are your hopes for 2019? Do you have one word?