2014: New Year, New Goals, New Resolve

Last year I publicly declared that New Years Days was my new favorite holiday. I still agree with myself. Good job self! To borrow words from my year ago self - "It's the second fifth (so I was a little slower this year) day of a new year. A year full of motivation, hope, and inspiration. Oh how I'm in desperate need of all those things and so excited about them. " Last year when I wrote that, it was after an unintentional 3 month blog break because of the loss of my dad. I gave a somewhat sad update on the happenings up until that moment to catch you up, shared my reasons for restored hope, and share my goals for 2013. This year, surprise surprise, I took another unintentional break (just two-ish months this time). I'll update you, but it won't be sad this time!

Can we all just agree that November and December are insanely busy and a really hard time to make time for things you love doing like blogging? I now know November and December will always be hard for me to blog in. It's just a busy season. In November I had two huge catering orders, two of my biggest, not to mention the things I had to bake and cook for holiday celebrations. I intentionally remembered the year mark of my dad no longer being on earth. I celebrated Thanksgiving three times. December was also just as full, baking, Christmas shopping, Christmas celebrations, visiting friends and family. All good updates!

Having a church family to celebrate this round of holidays with was more beautiful than I ever could have imagined. From the very first time we met in June, many of us strangers, especially me, our goal was to become a family, a group of people who are becoming disciples together, genuinely loving one another, who long to live on mission, genuinely loving our neighbors, so we can make disciples who make disciples. Most of these people, I've know for just 7 months, and I already can't imagine my life without them. Last year I was terrified of three weeks off of work and wanted to get out of my town as quick as possible so I didn't have to be alone. This year I wanted to be in my town because I knew I wouldn't be alone. I wanted to share holidays with them. I still had sad moments where I missed my dad a lot, but it was survivable because I wasn't alone. I had my Arise Church family. I had my loving, amazing friends. On my worst day of the year, the day I remember every moment of the day instead of random unexpected moments, that my dad isn't here, I wanted to be with them. And they wanted to be with me. It was beautiful. Oh, and I had a wreck and am currently without a vehicle.

 So to borrow words from my self again:  "And now it's January. I have officially changed my favorite holiday to New Years. I reaffirm that New Years is my favorite holiday. It's so full of hope, motivation, inspiration, and renewal. It truly is a breath of fresh air. Of course I know I'll still have sad break down moments [and downs mixed in with the ups like being vehicle-less], but January and a new year feel like the sun coming out after a big scary tornado warning or hurricane landfall."

I did look back at last year's resolutions. Some of them were accomplished, some of them changed, some of them didn't happen. BUT, that isn't going to stop me from making a new set of goals for this year. Some synonyms of resolution are resolve, intent, intention, aim, and plan. My intent in resolving to make resolutions for 2014 is to be intentional and aim for my planned goals this year (like what I did there?). So without further blabbering ado (I wanted to say this but realized I didn't know what it meant exactly, ado - hubbub, bustle, flurry, fuss), my goals for 2014.

1. Take accountability deeper. 
2. Pay attention to food intake. 
3. Work out more. 
4. Read more - blogs and books. 
5. Connect more: A. In person, initiate hang outs with friends, text, call, respond more, and put away my phone when I'm with people. B. In the world wide web. Comment on blogs I read regularly. Be active in blog forums. Make blog friend connections. 
6. Write more - blogging and journal. 
7. Spend time with Jesus and don't stop. 
8. Pray for my friends, family, and future (job, husband, calling, dreams, etc). 
9. Wear makeup more regularly. 
10. Buy less. 
11. Tithe more. 
12. Live UP so I can be thankful for the living IN that increases more and more and be more motivated and prepared to live OUT. 
13. I prefer even numbers, but if 13 is good enough for Taylor Swift, it's good enough for me! Believe that I have enough of God's grace and the ability to call on the Holy Spirit to make this (being trained to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live a more self-controlled, upright, and godly life) happen: 

What are your goals? Share them with me! I'm a goal person, I love hearing about other people's goals.