Another year over. A new one's just begun!

Well, it's official. In 24 minutes I'll be 27. I usually try to be a little reflective on my birthday, you know, try and see what I actually did with my year last year and see what I can do better. I'm not sure I'm going to do that this year. Of course, I'm sure I'll spend a little time on it. A girl's got to have plans for a year. Actually, I guess if you get right down to it, I am spending a little time on it now. Oh, well. You win some; you lose some :)

So here I go. I'm a little disappointed in my year last year. Mainly because I didn't have the tenacity to stick with some things. How do you fix that? I was talking to Dena on the way home from church camp last Wednesday (which was awesome, by the way!) and I realized that when I was in high school and I set my mind to something or someone told me I couldn't do something, I went right ahead and did it. No one was going to tell me what I could or couldn't do. Now? I listen to the voices. Where did that fight go? I told Dena that I didn't have it any more. She said, Yes, you do. It's just not burning as bright. So now I've got to go find it. Who thought learning to live would be such hard work?

So I've got some ideas on how I want to live my life this year and what I want to achieve, but I've decided to go about it in a little different way. Yes, I want to get out of debt. Yes, I want to stop worrying about getting my bills paid and start giving money away because that's what God's calling me to do. Yes, by the time I'm 28 I want to be able to ride my bicycle 20 miles a day without a problem. I mean, how fun would that be?

So if you would have asked me a year ago how I was going to go about these things, I honestly can't say what I would have told you. Looking back I think I started at the top and just tried to wipe it out in one great big unimaginable swoop. It didn't work. Another thing...I tried to do it by myself. As I said before, it didn't work.

So here's my plan for the year of 27...are you ready for this? I'm going to get up, Lord willing, every day and take one step after another and start living one day at a time rather than waiting for the year to be over to see if I've reached my goals or finally got to where I'm wanting to be. Nope. Breathe in. Breathe out. That's how you make a year a good year. One day at a time. I read somewhere that in order to have a good year, you have to have a good month. In order to have a good month, you have to have a good week. In order to have a good week, you have to have a good day. In order to have a good day, you have to have a good hour. And in order to have a good hour, you have to have a good 15 minutes.

"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." -- Philippians 3:12-14

"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge -- that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen." -- Ephesians 3:16-21

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hears and your minds in Christ Jesus." -- Philippians 4:4-7

"There, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." -- Hebrews 12:1-3

"And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." -- Philippians 4:19

Breathe in. Breathe out. Here's to a good 15 minutes!