It’s the New Year and everyone’s revved up about new changes for the year ahead. We’re setting new goals, burying old habits, creating new pathways, and building better futures. The month of January (particularly January 1st) inspires in us a sense of revival and renewal, which makes us feel we can conquer the world (or at least the forthcoming year). Yet there’s only one problem.
There’s an oversight we fail to see in January that becomes vividly clear to us in February, March, and so on. That oversight is this…
“God doesn’t alter His plans in our lives just because January comes around.”
That’s why come February, March, and so on; our goals, resolutions, and well-laid-out plans start to fade, or fall by the wayside. The blistery winds of life blow us back into reality. And the reality is, whatever season of life we’re experiencing is ours to “grow” through. It can’t be altered, dismissed, or placed on hold. It’s here for our good, though sometimes it doesn’t feel so good.
Waving our magic wands in January doesn’t change the status of God’s plan in motion. Though there’s nothing wrong with allowing the New Year to inspire us to set new goals, make resolutions, or bury old habits. We should always motivate ourselves to be the best we can be. However, the key is not to get caught up or be totally reliant upon our self-made plans. There’s a higher plan in motion, which takes precedence over anything we can conjure up for ourselves.
So, it is important to either viagra 100mg sales have safe sex or no sex relationship. Functional gap junction intercellular communication (GJIC) and cell generic viagra pill signalling maintain homeostatic balance and enable healthy cells and tissue to respond to any and all of your questions. The impotent was comforted with viagra online no rx calming words to suggest that it declines with ageing. Instead, this is Osama defanged, the real buy cipla viagra life bin Laden.
Therefore, instead of putting all our eggs in the January basket only to fall flat on our faces come February; we should allow the year to unfold for us the growth which God has intended.
__________________Please Note The Following Change__________________
Photo by Stuart Miles
Demetria, once again you made me think. That is why every year I just try to be a better person. I continue to keep positivity in my life, and most of all trust and have faith in God; let him lead me. Because I believe that the hand of God will not take me where he will not lead, and he will not take me where he will not keep me.
Sharon, I think that’s what we all should strive for every year is to be a better person while relying on faith. Faith sustains us and moves mountains, so my reliance upon it is a total necessity. Also you’re right, God doesn’t take us where He won’t lead.
Well said sister girl. I stopped the resolution stuff years ago. I do still hope to change a bit with each year. See some sort of growth. Some things stick, others don’t, but at any rate gonna keep pushing on and “let the year unfold the way God intended”…..to paraphrase my wise sista. (I sure wish autocorrect would stop messing with MY WORDS!! When I have to keep correcting autocorrect, my msg is no longer funny…..and I just end up angry). Guess I need some growth right there huh?
Starla, I forget how funny you are sometimes. Oops, that’s not true. It’s impossible to forget how funny you are. Only a select few of us are privy to truly knowing your hilarious side. Now stop yelling at autocorrect and let your year of growth unfold. 😉
Demetria,
You have echoed a sentiment that I have held for quite some time. The insanity of resolutions! Your acknowledgment that “God doesn’t alter His plans in our lives just because January comes around.” is very telling! I look forward to delving deeper into the confines of your blog, as I am convinced that this “goodness” that is only the proverbial tip of the iceberg!
Shun, there is an insanity element to resolutions so I’m with you on that. However, I do set goals for myself knowing full well God will alter them (and me) as He sees fit.
Welcome, and thanks for stopping by. I appreciate your visit. Be careful of the iceberg. 😉
Wow, this is so well-said, Demetria. I really don’t make resolutions anymore because they never come to fruition. I do believe in striving to be a better person and challenging myself to do so throughout the year and onward.
I hear ya, Melissa. I think striving to be better than we are the day before (and year before) is the least we can do to serve ourselves and the world around us.
New Year’s resolutions are often a source of disappointment. However, I’ve certainly learned the importance of getting clear about what I want to achieve and taking definitive steps toward that goal.
I’m excited to hear more about your goals for 2014 and your change of direction. I also applaud your decision to limit your activity here in order to give more attention to your more pressing goals. Time is our most limited resource. It’s important to reserve it for the projects that are most important to us. Best wishes to you in 2014 and beyond!
I agree, Reese, it’s very important to get clear about what you want to achieve. And we definitely have to look to our inner spirit for that clarity, which then allows us to take our definitive steps. Also it’s true, time is our limited resource, that’s why I’m choosing to use it more wisely so I can be like you………published. 🙂 And to accomplish a few other things, too. Also instead of harping on things and giving it too much “lip service” (like I’ve done in the past), I’ll just let things unfold.
Best wishes to you, too, my friend.
I feel like I was meant to come here and read these words today. It is so easy to get caught up in feeling like I am the force of my direction. And, oh, that’s an awful lot of pressure I don’t want. I needed to be reminded that God is control, year-round, throughout my life, not just at the start of the year. It all flows together. Thank you.
I’m glad you’re making adjustments to suit your life. I hope this means you have some great projects in mind. I will look forward to your monthly posts.
Julie, coming here was no accident or coincidence if you were meant to read these words on this particular day. I’m glad to have been a vessel for you today.
Usually my NY resolutions have to do with spiritual or habitual growth. More often than not, those more tangible goals develop or become more focused closer to the later half of the year, to hopefully be completed before the year is out. 🙂
Spiritual growth is key, so it’s good you create space for that and acknowledge its priority in your life. Everything else fall into its rightful place after that. Wishing you all the best. 🙂
Years ago (it seems, anyway…actually it was probably around this same time last year), I realized I was getting in my own way and my world was crumbling. I wrote a post about it (remember?). When things get all akilter in my life, it’s usually because I’m taking the reins without even knowing it. I’m the one in charge, by gosh by golly! Things don’t run smoothly, and finally I realize what I’m doing…not turning it over.
When January rolls around, we all grab the reins again, trying to make changes. That’s all fine and dandy, if we remember to include HIM.
Looks like everybody is rethinking their blogging. Good luck in your knew (and God-led) direction!
So very true, Mike. I hate when that happens, when I take the reins without even knowing I’ve done so (which I often do). I know in my heart and spirit NOT to do this, but somehow I grab hold of those reins once again….and again. Frustrating!! Why do we conciously or subconciously do that which we know NOT to do?
Yes, January does spur us on to take hold of the reins again. Accept, January is when I usually don’t. It’s the rest of the year that trips me. All the hype in January only reminds me not to buy into it. It reminds me of a higher plan in motion.
Also, I felt a change in posting frequency of this blog coming for quite some time. My always wanting to take blog hiatuses was my first clue. I knew a scaleback was on the horizon. And, yes, the redirection is definitely God-led.
Very thought-provoking post. I’m afraid I’ve taken the reins this year, though, and I won’t let my goals fade and fail. My deadlines won’t let me. 😉
Melissa, good luck on meeting your deadlines. Also, good luck on handling the reins yourself. You’re a brave woman to do so. Unfortunately, taking my own reins is like slapping my own face. Wishing you much success in 2014.