Photo Courtesy:  Flickr photostream of New South Wales

Ten things I want to remind myself of in 2014:

1. There are some things about myself that I cannot change, so focusing on those is game of spinning my wheels in negativity.  Things about the way I look or how my hair wants to go its own way or the fact that my “sense of style” seems quirky and weird and odd to people who stepped out of a J. Crew catalogue are all part of what make me.  So it’s time I got over myself. Be secure in who you are, because the world has never seen another one just like you.  And come on, doesn’t the next generation need to learn what it’s like to be a truly genuine human, happy and thankful with the way God made you?  You owe it to the world.
2. You cannot please every single person, so take that into consideration when making important life decisions.  There will always be a critic, there will always be a doubter and there will almost always be someone trying to rob you of your joy.  Don’t let them, you hear me?  Do not let them.  They only want to suck you into the mire and the pit of negativity.  And with prayer and asking for wisdom, you will be able to choose the good road. 
3. Some days will be productive and full of high fives, but there will also be others where you’re barely hanging onto the roller coaster handle.  You’ll wonder where those good days went or why the world seems tinged in grey, but ride the wave.  Don’t look at sadness as something to fear.  Look at sadness as a kind of thoughtful melancholy in which you may come to newer realizations of the world and gain nuggets of wisdom amidst the emotion. 
4. Mercy requires work on my part.  The attitude that I am not perfect nor are the others around me is something that has come with time.  Less harsh in my dealings will help me have empathy.  Letting go of ill will in my heart, opens me up to produce and share good things in the world. 
5. Not being able to know the end does not justify never beginning.  Crippling myself in fear will not help me to find the courage and happiness that lies just beyond the fear.  Fear tactics in myself and spewed at others will not help them to achieve success.  Cultivating a positive environment where friends feel safe to be themselves is great goal for the year.
6. I hope even when life gets dark I can still see the wonder in the small things, the magic in the world around me and foster a sense of intrigue at the awesomeness of the world and the Great Creator of us all.  Because without wonder and beauty, the world seems all too dull and lifeless for my liking.
7. It is time to stop wasting the time I’ve been given.  30 minutes feeling bad about myself or justifying my bad attitudes at others helps no one but the devil.  It is time I used those moments in creating or service or focusing on good or taking care of my body or whatever else my hands find to do with all their might.  I must not let myself be sucked into a pit of judgment, of comparison and of questioning why my life has run the same course as others.  Because trusting God means remembering that He does see the future and knows what’s best for me.
8. It is time to love the “least of these.”  We fear and shy away from those different than us or those who have a darker past or who have sunk so far into the sickness of sin.  But aren’t we called to go to a people who so desperately need us?  Staying in a realm where we are respected and worshipped is not God’s plan for us.  His Son did not stay in the comfort of home, but allowed Himself to be spent for us.
9. I want to use language of abundance.  I want to choose to cut words like poor in regards to finance and no money from my vocabulary.  I don’t want to use words that signify hopelessness like I don’t know how I will make it or life is awful or things are just so terrible.  Here’s the truth- they aren’t.  We are abundantly blessed in this country, full and clothed and with warm beds and roofs over our heads.  I want to possess a continual attitude of gratitude no matter what is happening to me or around me.  This little light of mine must even in the darkness shine.
10. Last but not least, I want to have faith in the power of God.  I want to believe that He could do amazing things in my life.  I want to have faith that could move mountains and a sense of awe at the daily providence of my God.  He has been mindful of me.  He loves me.  He cares for me.  He has poured blessings on me and shown me a good way.  I want to be able to say that He is good in every circumstance, happy or challenging, in which I find myself.

And onto a great 2014,

lme