A Year Full of Fresh Starts

I've been thinking a lot lately about starting to blog a bit again, but always figure it will just drop off quickly so I never start it. But with today being the start of a new year, I figured, why not give it a try? I'm not making any promises to blog every day or even every week, because I know I won't. But I thought I would start a new place to write when I feel the urge. I was writing a little entry in my journal, and I was finishing up I thought to myself "this would make a decent blog post!", so I believe I'll start by sharing what I journaled earlier tonight :)

New Years Day, the day for fresh starts, resolutions, promises to make changes... I've always found New Years Resolutions kind of silly. It's like setting yourself up for failure. In fact, a couple of years ago, out of frustration of my singleness I made the resolution that I would NOT have a boyfriend that year. Why did I put that on there? Because resolutions are meant to be broken! That resolution lasted all of 29 days (don't ask me how the relationship ended though!) And while this year I'm not going to make a list, I do think that today is a good day to reflect, and it really doesn't hurt to make some goals and plans for change. But this year, I don't want my resolutions to be selfish. Yes, I have the goal to lose weight and get in shape. But it's not so I look good. It's because I want to please God. I have used and abused the temple He has given me, and it's time for a change. I want to worship Him by taking care of this gift from Him.

While this is a huge goal and change of lifestyle I'm striving for, this year I want to focus more on my character. I want to trade my negative, pessimistic, often mopey attitudes in for positive, optimistic and joyful attitudes. I am so incredibly blessed, and that's where I want my focus to be. I want ditch my immense amounts of insecurity and instead learn to live in the confidence and security that I will find by getting lost in the love of my Savior.

So much of my insecurity lies in my singleness. So this year I want to stop looking at every man I meet as a potential husband, and instead look to fall so love with Jesus that when that right man does come along (this year or later), he sneaks in and surprises me. I want to learn to be less judgmental and more loving. I want to care for others more than I care for myself. I want to begin to truly live the life of a servant. I want my life to look like Jesus.

 And, because I know there will be more days than not that I fail miserably at some, if not all, of these things... I want to wake up every morning, praising God for a new day, and grateful for the chance to start each day fresh.