Hello lovelies! We are in the final days of 2018! So we know it’s almost time for the”new year, new me” mantras. Here is my take on those. First, nothing changes unless you do. Second, nothing different happens at 12 am on January 1st except the date on the calendar. Third, you don’t have to wait until January 1st to make changes, resolutions, or decrees. This can be done on any given day!

That mantra reminds me of an old song my mom used to sing in church when I was a little girl. It was basically saying that when you got saved you got new hands and feet. That.does.not.happen! However, getting saved and the coming of a new year are events that provoke change. Change is not automatic. We have to put in work to actually make the change happen. 
I found some statistics on resolutions. Only 8% of people actually keep their resolutions and 80% of resolutions fail by February. Sooo, do we want resolutions or do we want to have lifestyle changes?

Although I don’t entertain the thought of making resolutions, I do use this time of year to reflect. This reflection usually starts around my birthday, which happens to be in November. Birthdays, to me, are like our own personal new year. I must confess that this year, my reflection time did not start well. The week before my birthday,  I was what some may call “in my feelings!” I was reflecting, but focusing from the wrong lens-looking at what I didn’t have and longing for the things I am still waiting on God to release. I found myself discontent and frustrated. Although I didn’t like those feelings, I remained in that place for a few days. I had to give myself grace. Grace to feel. Grace to understand that it’s normal to have those moments, but God has given me the tools to get out! We have to learn to reflect based on God’s will for our lives. Our posture has to be one of gratitude. I was basing my life on what God has done for others and how I felt “behind” compared to my peers. So, I was looking from a lens of comparison.

While writing that week, I believe God’s answer for me came through me. I wrote, “Daily I have to make the decision to either stand on the promises of God or fall into my doubts and fears.”  All I could say was wow! I have to understand that as long as I follow Him, nothing He has for me will miss me.  I was even able to understand why I’m still waiting on some things, but this revelation only came when I was in a place of being receptive. 

After that moment, I was able to regroup and effectively reflect. When reflecting, I look at what went right as well as what went wrong. I assess things I need to work on, areas that I need to reset because of being too comfortable,  as well as goals and aspirations. I definitely include things that I need to be more intentional about in prayer. These are all things that we can start on any given day. We need to reflect so that we can continue to grow and improve. This a humbling activity. It shows that we have an awareness that there have been victories, and there have been times where we have missed the mark. It takes maturity to stand back and see our dysfunction and make strides to correct those things. It’s an opportunity for us to truly open up and be receptive to what God shows us about ourselves. It gives us an opportunity to create vision. Reflecting is like maintenance on a car. It can and should be done often to maintain the health of our mind, body, and soul. 

I challenge you to take time and reflect on your year. Take a break and just write out the ideas I mentioned and whatever God places on your hearts. Ask Him for guidance and direction in those areas. Make sure you’re focusing from the right lens! Right now I am reading Command your morning by Cindy Trimm and one part that stood out was when she stated that we can ask God to “let there be light” in our situations. This was the first command of God. By asking for illumination, we will be able to see with clarity and watch as God gives us a strategy regarding those areas. Let’s ask for God’s light! Proverbs 16:13 tells us to commit our plans to the Lord and He will make our plans succeed. The deal is we have to surrender our plans for His. God will not trade momentary happiness for exceeding joy. My plans may not meet my expectations, but I need some of that exceedingly and abundantly kinda provision!

So let’s reflect, surrender, and follow His plans so we can succeed and excel. Not just next year, but every single day. I pray that we will be intentional about making time to reflect. That we will ask God to “let there be light” and seek His fresh revelation and strategies. I pray that we continue to experience healthy growth and deeper clarity on God’s direction for our year and life. I have included a few scriptures below to get you started on your reflections and to have some word to stand on in your journey. Please feel free to add some of your favorites as well.  I am so thankful for you all! I appreciate your time and support this year and I pray that you continue to follow me on this journey! Wishing you happy holidays and a prosperous new year! 

Philippians 4:6-9, James 1:1-8, Jeremiah 29:11-14, Jeremiah 42:3, James 2:17, Proverbs 3:5-6, Romans 8:28, Matthew 6:33, 2 Corinthians 5:7, Ecclesiastes 3:1-8.