Looking Forward

2019 was a challenging year. It was a year of reaching some goals. Here are a few:

Published my first book.
Reached the first of many weight loss goals.
Finally found a new church fellowship.
Made a long distance road trip by myself.
Posting more consistently on my blog.

I did not reach my goal of writing 1-2 additional new books this year. One of the challenges I’ve dealt with has been the ups and downs of depression and anxiety, even though I am on medication. Because of this, I have been less than motivated to write, craft, or do a lot of things that I enjoy.

One of the bad things about the depression and anxiety is that if I am not deliberate about making time for God it just makes matters worse. I must become more purposeful about my time with Jesus.

Jim and I also had some health challenges this year, but praise God, we both ended the year in good health!

I started writing this a couple weeks ago. As I review what I’ve written I have to smile as I read the verse below. I was asking God for my word for the year on New Year’s Eve and He led me to this verse in a devotional on biblehub.com. Since then I have come across this verse 4 times already (including right now).

The words He gave me were not actually in this verse, though I think maybe He’s giving me a “theme” for the year as well of “I Am doing a new thing.” Also the “I will” statements jumped off the page. The words were in the devotional: victory, courage, and joy. I also got stand from the Dayspring quiz (here’s a link for the quiz if you want to try it).

Dayspring Word Quiz

I’m trying to learn from my missed goals and failures, no regrets, no looking back, to move into the new year with wisdom and tools to succeed in 2020.

God makes it plain in these verses that none of our goals can be made or accomplished with any real value in our own wisdom and power. We need to take them to the Lord and see where His plans and purpose leads us. We can do all kinds of “good” things, but if God is not in it we work in vain.

As I discovered from this last year, goals alone we not help us succeed. I spent all day New Year’s Eve seeking the Lord and putting together a DIY planner/journal with vision board for 2020. The objective with planner is that I will be able to:

Set mini goals within my larger goals.
track and schedule goals and new habits on a monthly, weekly, and daily basis.
Set priorities.
Keep my focus.
Plan meals, track my weight and health goals…

Here are several of the goals we set:

Be more purposeful about and spend more time with Jesus.
Build up my retreat and speaking ministries.
Write something everyday.
Publish 2 new books.
Continue my weight loss/health goals.
Be a more active long-distant Grammy.
Keep choosing joy with a gratitude attitude.

I’m feeling pretty good and inspired right now. It’s going to be a good year no matter what comes along, because God is in it!

What goals, words, or other preparations for the new year have you made? Leave me a comment and let me know. Visit me on Facebook at Hope and Joy Ministries.

Blessings of Hope & Joy,

Julia

© 2020 All rights reserved. Please feel free to share the link to this website on your social media accounts. All other copying of this material is protected whether in print, electronic, or otherwise stored or distributed elsewhere.