Bring It 2012!

In the past the new year been a contemplative time for me as I reflect on where our family has been during the previous year, where God has taken us, how I've done as a wife and mother.


 This year I've learned a lot about myself. One thing that I've learned is that I'm not a goal setter. I realized this when I had a small breakdown mid summer 2011 over the fact that I felt like I had lost myself. I had no hobbies and couldn't really gauge how I was doing at my jobs of wife, mother, teacher, home manager, friend, daughter, sister, church member, etc. So I finally decided to start setting some goals for myself. And by the end of 2011 I was in a much better place. I was able to quantify my progress in the areas of my life that were important to me and started finding new hobbies that helped round me out.

So this new year I am consciously deciding to set some goals. I want to continue to look back over 2011 and analyze, but from that grow. There are little things that I would like to do with my time this year. I always say I want to reduce my electronic media time. A few years ago I said I was watching too much tv and wanted to give that up. And I did. I hardly ever watch tv. I have almost entirely traded my tv time in for ......watching the computer screen ;)

See, that's just it. We've all tried these resolutions before. But being resolute will only get you so far. Our will, flesh, carnal nature...whatever you want to call it...is not an agent of change. Don't get me wrong, I don't believe tv or the internet or even a little cable is the forbidden fruit. But I do know that too much of something is never good. And all I was doing was trading one bad habit for another.

So I started thinking.....what causes growth and change? I meal REAL change. Life long change.

If I am honest with myself I would have to say that there is nothing good that has resulted in my life that has come from my own strength or motivation. I fail. A lot. The only good that is in me has resulted from my surrender of that part of my life over to Jesus and allowing Him to work things out in me. To slay the sin that was so prevalent and produce new growth in me.

Once I have surrendered to Him my heart is good soil for the changes He wants to make in me. That's when the beautiful starts showing up in my life. And why is it beautiful? Because it points straight to Him and not to me. If there is any victories that have been gained in my life it is soley because He has won it.


So that is my goal. Instead of wrestling over how much tv should I be watching or if I am spending enough time with my husband or kids, or should I eat 8 or just 6 cookies I am choosing surrender instead. Because if I chose to surrender my entire life to him...my time, talents, money, interests, goals, wants....everything...then He will transform me into a completely new person. A person able to test and see what His desire is for my life.

I've read Romans 12 often. But something really popped out in it as I was thinking about these resolutions I'm wanting to make.

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Rom 12:1-2

I think what Paul is saying here is that if we sacrifice our whole lives to him --complete surrender--then a transformation will begin that starts in our thinking of who He is and who we are in Him. And as that transformation develops and matures us we will be better able to discern exactly what He wants us to be doing with our lives. Even in the little things like how much time we're on Facebook.

So...here's hoping that you and yours have an awesome 2012! I'm looking forward to seeing how God's watermark is being left on the pages of our lives this year.

Happy New Years!!