Saturday, January 3, 2015

2015...A New Year...A New Life




Think back to the past year of your life. 2014. The good. The bad. The ugly. Those moments you can't wait to post on Facebook and those moments your thankful for His forgiveness. The beauty of the Christian life is that we have a heavenly Father who celebrates our successes with us and brushes our knees off when we fall.

It is so important to set goals yearly, monthly, and daily. The problem is...many times I don't do this. I get busy with day to day things and forget to be intentional about this life He has entrusted me with. I focus on the temporal and forget the eternal.  

As New Year's Day approached, I began to ponder over the happenings in my life of 2014.  

I recently listened to a podcast where Dr. Bob Barnes, of "Parenting Today", shared of his family traditions: 

1) Have a Special Dinner on New Year's Eve  
Allow your family to talk about the past year. The highs and lows. Successes and struggles. Rejoice and relish.

2) Celebrate Successes and Pray for Struggles. 
My family actually did this activity on New Year's Day- and remember YOU can start this anytime! We brought out the "Blessings Jar of 2014" and began to read the slips of paper we had periodically put into it - reminding us of those "successes" and blessings we forgot about. It's great for kids to hear us praise the Lord for those amazing memories and experiences.

Don't be afraid to share, as a mom, your weaknesses with the kids. Then, they better know how to pray for you. Humility is learned. We definitely aren't born with it! Children learn humility from us, as we share our struggles and those things we need prayer for. They will do the same.

3) Challenge each to set ONE goal for the next year. Something they can be intentional about. Something attainable. So many times we make this lofty list, in good intention, and aren't successful with any of them. Why not just focus on one thing?

Ask questions. Allow the kids to share their hearts and what THEY think should be their goal for 2015.  Then write it down for them to see.

We whipped out the white board,  took a photo of our family goals with our phone, and made a plan to print them out as a reminder of those goals we each set. Until its' printed, I have referenced those goals each morning to the kids.  Something we can hold each other accountable to daily.

A few days after we did this family activity,  I personally came up with ONE spiritual goal (DAILY morning quiet time with Jesus = having a heart to serve others more), ONE health goal (exercise 3-5xs / week),  and ONE financial goal (budget better = spend less at Starbucks!). I wrote mine down on a note card and placed it inside my Bible to remind me to pray for those things daily.

Nothing too lofty or unattainable! But three simple things to challenge me.

What are your goals for 2015? Were there some things you missed in 2014 that you would like to conquer this year? Set goals. Be intentional. Allow your kids to do the same. And watch Jesus work in your life. In the life of your family. Start traditions now that your kids can carry on into their adulthood. 

2015...A New Year...A New Life!

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