Tuesday, January 01, 2019

January 1, 2019

"You have said, "Seek my face.  My heart says to you, "Your face, Lord, do I seek." --Psalm 27:8 ESV


Happy New Year!

The day dawned a new year with a promising future ahead.  It is like opening a blank book with 365 clear pages for us to write our own story. 

What will it be?  Epic?  A tragedy? (Hopefully not!) A comedy or romance?  It will be fun to watch the book write itself and revisit this first page on December 31, 2019.

As I have said before, my Advent was superb, my Christmas a blessed time like no other before and here I am headed toward Epiphany with a fresh sense of renewal and purpose looking forward to all the new year has in store for me. 

My thought for the new year?  To let the year be what it is meant to be, look at the new day and know it is a gift and be thankful for it.

I have a few plans for the year.  I mentioned before that I have been doing morning devotionals using a book called "Jesus Calling".  There is an entry for each day of the year and I am beginning at the beginning today.  I like the way it feels to start my day with a devotional reading.  It just sets the day off on the right foot.  This is a lovely little book if you would like to check it out -- I have it on my Kindle.

I am still reading "Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker " and not enjoying it one bit more than I was two days ago.  I am determined to finish it though.  I have a stack of reads piling up on my bedside table though that I am anxious to get to.  I have never been very successful at trying to read more than one book at a time but as slow as this one is going I might have to try.

 I believe that my first book started in 2019 is going to be "Anne of Green Gables".  It is a title I should have read years ago and didn't so I am playing catch-up.  Also, there is a new title out in the Made in Savannah series that I am just itching to start.

The new year is going to find me cooking more.  In our house, everybody seems to want a couple of dishes -- "I don't know" and "I don't care" -- and I can't find recipes for those particular dishes so I am planning to make the decision of what we will be having.  I mean, since I am the one having to cook it, I should be able to decide what I want to spend my time doing --right?  I think so.

I will be continuing to make cards in the upcoming year.  I am on a couple of cardmaking groups on FB and there has been mention of people being concerned about recipients tossing the cards and how that hurts their feelings.  I think differently about it.  In the first place, nobody has room to store everything that comes into their homes and some things have to be thrown or recycled just out of practicality.  I make these cards because I feel the need to be artistic -- seems I inherited my father's drive and inclination toward art but not the talent.  That is a conundrum.  So, making cards is a creative outlet for me.  It is fun for me.  It is thought provoking to design and choose papers and stamps and such and I get a kick out of it.  If the people I send them to like them, that is the cherry on the top, isn't it?  If they decide to dispose of them, well, it is their card once it is in their hands.  My fun has been had.  So, I will continue with the hobby until I tire of it.

Last week was such fun.  I had the privilege of viewing "The Return of Mary Poppins" with my daughter and granddaughter.  I think the Hubs and I should go to the movie more. I miss it.  It used to be our main activity when we were dating and after we married we just became homebodies.  Admittedly, with all the offerings now on TV with streaming and such, there is little need to venture to a theater but once in a while it would be nice.

I don't believe in resolutions.  I see resolutions as something to be broken.  I do believe in seeing better ways to do things and making the effort to embrace new approaches but the idea of feeling like I have "failed" if I slip just doesn't appeal to me -- so there are no resolutions.  However, Advent has taught me a lot -- how to relax, how to be quiet, how to prioritize, how to be happy with "enough", how to weigh needs and wants and how gratitude is the most wonderful feeling.  For some reason, this holiday season has been a real learning curve for me and I am so thankful for whatever it is that has molded my thinking for the last couple of months.  It has been eye opening. 

So, here is to a new, happy, prosperous year to all of you!  I am looking forward to reading about all of your new years as well.




2 comments:

Frugally challenged said...

I'm with you on throwing out cards. A card is a temporary thing, no more intended to be a permanent possession than is a beautiful arrangement of flowers.

I'm not with you on sticking with books I don't like. I'll try for a while but if they're not my thing they're not my thing.

Boyett-Brinkley said...

I have some lovely cards that SOMEBODY has made me that will remain with me as well as some of other sentimental value but then there are some that I don't keep. It isn't that they aren't important as some of the others. I agree with you about sticking with the books. I have abandoned several that I just couldn't get through and I didn't feel bad about it -- I just really wanted to like this one. I will be done tomorrow though.

Update

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