A new year begins

Here we are again at a new year again.  As always, I find myself completely in awe of the fact that another year has passed.  Time truly does seem to go faster the older I get.

2014 will be a milestone year of sorts for me.  I turn....wait for it....30 years old this year (insert the duh, duh, duh music here).  The age of 30 has haunted me since about age 25 when I realized how close I was creeping to it.  30 has always seemed so old.  When I was a kid, I remember thinking 30 was middle age....haha.

As I look at this new year, I can't help but be brutally honest with myself about how I spent my last year.  I can't honestly say that I lived very well last year.  I can't say I lived with purpose or intention.  I can't say I made the best decisions.  I can't say that I lived freely and enjoyed the beauty of my salvation.  I can't say I lived with eyes open for new experiences or new relationships.  I can't say I lived eternity minded.  I can't say I lived in freedom and excitement about the future.

If I'm honest with myself, I spent 2013 with a broken heart over my relationship that ended.  I spent it chasing dreams that God had long since said "no" or "not yet" to.  I spent it fighting for things I knew in my heart was either not what I needed or not what God desired for me.  I spent is mourning the loss of plans, dreams, desires and in essence, my Plan A.  I spent it just existing....just spinning my wheels and going through the motions.

I never have any success with New Years resolutions.  I start great, fall off track, get discouraged and then eventually just forget about them.  They overwhelm me. There's so much I want....so many changes I want to make....but they seem unattainable.  Then a new year comes, I make many of the same resolutions again and sabotage myself yet again.  It's a terribly vicious cycle.

Today I read a post over on (in)courage (which is a fantastic site and I completely recommend you check it out...see the link on my sidebar) that totally changed my perspective on New Years resolutions.  It suggested that we select one word to be our focus for this new year of 2014.  I am very enthused and refreshed by this idea because focusing on just one word seems possible and attainable.  I think I can do this without getting too overwhelmed and falling off course.

My hope for 2014 is that I can start living again with freedom and expectancy....excitedly awaiting the next great thing God will do in my heart and in my life.  I want to be constantly in awe of Him and take better notice of His everyday graces.  I want my eyes to be open to rewriting my story.  Moving away from and putting aside my Plan A and rewriting a Plan B while trying to discern what God wants for my life.


So my one word for 2014.....REWRITING (thus the blog title).


I figured blogging would be a great way to share what God is doing in my heart.  If you happen to visit, my prayer for you is that God will use my experiences to encourage you.  Be sure to let me know you stopped by!  Happy New Year to you!  Bring on 2014!