2014: Looking Forward

I love the start of a new year, it holds so much potential and possibility! New beginnings are one of my favorite things: the feeling of starting fresh, embarking on a new adventure or project, forgetting failures of the past and forging ahead with renewed resolution.

This is what I love about Sundays as well -- the first day of the week in which we celebrate the resurrection of Christ and a new beginning for all who are in Him. Although feelings are fickle, and the sense of newness fades all too quickly, we can yet trust in the new creation we have in Christ every single day, whether the beginning of the year or the end.

My goals for 2014 are founded in this mentality. As I enter a new phase of life with motherhood (in which sleeplessness and mental exhaustion may figure largely), I will need to rely all the more on the Lord's provisions for my daily needs: spiritual, mental, emotional and physical. This has always been the case, of course, but I want to remind myself daily of this truth.

And instead of resolutions this year, I'm giving myself goals to strive for each day, week and month. These goals will help keep me on track when the days feel too busy... or too slow. Consistency and discipline are key in this venture, but the underlying theme is simplicity. I want to focus on what is truly important, rather than the things of this world that all too quickly clutter the heart and mind. No, I'm not cutting myself off from technology (are you kidding?!?), but priorities are important so focusing on the best use of my time and the corresponding technologies are part and parcel of this process.

Instead of sharing these goals all at once, I'm going to spread them out over several posts because there's plenty to say about them and I want to elaborate. In the meantime, this will serve as my first post of 2014 (a few days late)!