New Year's Day

How will you spend this first day of not just a new year, but a new decade?

We will have some friends over and eat our traditional New Year's Day dinner-- pork for health, black-eyed peas for luck, and greens for wealth. We'll throw in some rice and gravy and cornbread for taste! Last night in talking with friends I discovered that there are many variations on this meal according to what region you live in. Ours is definitely the southern version!

I will also spend some time meditating on my verse for the year. Some of you remember me writing about this in the past. One of you asked me to share mine for this year so I will. It's the verse I wrote about a few days ago-- Isaiah 9:6. When I was reading the part about Jesus being the Prince of Peace, the note in my Bible pointed out that the peace He gives is total peace: wholeness, prosperity, tranquility. God whispered to me: "You need that peace." So I made a note in my journal and claimed that as my verse for 2010. The interesting thing is, that was on the 13th of December... five days before Curt lost his job. God was preparing me, prompting me, to seek peace before I knew I needed it. That is just His way. So I am seeking the Prince of Peace in every circumstance, at every turn this year. That will be my challenge from the spills at the dinner table to career decisions to trusting Him to take care of us during Curt's unemployment.

I will go over the goals I have been jotting down in the past few weeks and make a poster which I plan to hang on the back of my closet door so I will see it often. I am going to make a place to record the date that I complete each goal as a fun (yes, fun!) challenge to myself. In 2009 I read a book called Write It Down, Make It Happen that inspired me to write down my goals and find ways to be accountable to seeing them through instead of burying them in a drawer as I have done in the past. This post has great info on goal setting so check it out for some inspiration and a series of questions to ask yourself. Do you set resolutions or goals? What's the best way to set goals that work? Here's a great post that goes into more detail on that.

Finally, I read in my e-newsletter by Julie Druck called "A Heart For Home" that the new year is also a great time to review the past year-- the lessons you learned, the people who've made an impact in your life, significant achievements, moments, memories, etc. She called this taking an inventory of your year and I think it sounds like another great way to spend New Year's Day.

Whatever you spend today doing, I hope you take some time to mark this change in a way that feels significant to you. If you don't have a journal, start one! (I did this year and I have to say I am loving it-- it has made my quiet times so much richer and interactive!) If you haven't set goals, start a list! If you want to claim a verse for the year, open your Bible and pray for God to direct you to the perfect one for you! If you want to commit to growing closer to God, choose a Bible study you can begin doing every morning... no more excuses!

I love fresh starts and clean blank slates. Today is one. Enjoy it!