A Year of Blessing
Every year at this time, many of us pause to reflect on the year past. We think about our trials and struggles, about our triumphs and victories. We fondly remember the good times and sadly the bad. Then, we slowly begin to move our minds toward the next year. We start thinking about all that we hope to accomplish, about where we want to be at the end of the year and what steps we need to take to get there. We begin to develop goals and make resolutions and we look forward to the new year with hope and high expectations.
Normally, my New Year's resolutions are things like losing weight, exercising more, reading my Bible everyday, and increasing my prayer life. These are good goals and I am usually really really diligent for the entire month of January and sometimes part of February. Then, like many I get distracted and my focus shifts and I forget about these noble resolutions. I have wondered why this happens time after time. Am I just too spiritually immature? Am I totally undisciplined? Am I lazy? Do I have adult ADHD? Am I just too busy? The answer is probably "yes". And yet, I wonder am I the only one who has difficulty keeping my resolutions?
This year after much prayer and thought, I have decided to make only one resolution! Surely I can keep focused on one goal. Surely I can remember this one thought! This year I want to be a blessing! For the next 365 (now 361) days, I want to be a blessing to every person I encounter. I want to smile, to be kind, to be encouraging, to be helpful to every single person I meet. In 2008, I don't want anyone to have an interaction with me and leave worse off than before the interaction.
I want to be a blessing to my husband, to support and encourage and care for him. I want to be a better helper in his ministry. I want him to KNOW everyday how much I love him and how thankful I am for him and that he is always in my prayers. I want to instill in him the assurance that we are together for the long haul and no matter where the Lord takes us, I am at his side. I want him to go to sleep content and happy and wake up content and happy. I want to be the kind of wife he wants to come home to, wants to visit with, wants to pray with. I want to bless his life.
I want to be a blessing to my sons. Though they are grown and gone, there are still frequent phone calls and occasional visits. I want to bless them by encouraging them to be godly Christian men, to provide for their families and parent their children. I want to let them know how proud I am of them and how there is nothing they could do that would keep me from loving them. I want them to know that I pray for them. I want to bless their lives.
I want to be a blessing to my daughter in laws. I want them to know that I love them and that I pray for them. I want them to know that I will always love them and will be here to support and encourage them whenever I can. I want them to know that I understand how difficult parenting is and I admire them for meeting this challenge with love and determination. I want to be available to them. I want to bless their lives.
I want to be a blessing to my parents and my in-laws. I want them to know that I appreciate the sacrifices they made to raise us. I want them to know that I am grateful for the values they instilled, the discipline they modeled and the love they gave. I want them to be confident that the lessons they taught did not go unheeded and to be proud as they see their children walk with God. I want them to know I pray for them, for their health and their happiness and for their daily walk with God. I want to be a blessing in their lives.
I want to be a blessing the Church. I want them to know that I will do my part to help the Body grow, that I will do my best to encourage and uplift. I want them to know that I love them and pray for them, that I will be here for them if they need me, even for yukky jobs. I want to be a blessing in their lives.
I want to be a blessing to my friends, not just those I know personally but also those who faithfully stop by this blog. I want them to know that should they need me to pray for them or with them, I am but an email or a phone call away. I want them to feel sure that when they come to my blog or call me on the phone, I will do my best to encourage and support them. I want them to know that I am committed to learning together so that we can all please our God and Father. I want to be a blessing in their lives.
And so today, as I make my one and only New Year's resolution, I ask for your prayers that I will be steadfast and focused, that I will be able to keep my commitment to make this a year of blessing.
Blessings,
Neva
Normally, my New Year's resolutions are things like losing weight, exercising more, reading my Bible everyday, and increasing my prayer life. These are good goals and I am usually really really diligent for the entire month of January and sometimes part of February. Then, like many I get distracted and my focus shifts and I forget about these noble resolutions. I have wondered why this happens time after time. Am I just too spiritually immature? Am I totally undisciplined? Am I lazy? Do I have adult ADHD? Am I just too busy? The answer is probably "yes". And yet, I wonder am I the only one who has difficulty keeping my resolutions?
This year after much prayer and thought, I have decided to make only one resolution! Surely I can keep focused on one goal. Surely I can remember this one thought! This year I want to be a blessing! For the next 365 (now 361) days, I want to be a blessing to every person I encounter. I want to smile, to be kind, to be encouraging, to be helpful to every single person I meet. In 2008, I don't want anyone to have an interaction with me and leave worse off than before the interaction.
I want to be a blessing to my husband, to support and encourage and care for him. I want to be a better helper in his ministry. I want him to KNOW everyday how much I love him and how thankful I am for him and that he is always in my prayers. I want to instill in him the assurance that we are together for the long haul and no matter where the Lord takes us, I am at his side. I want him to go to sleep content and happy and wake up content and happy. I want to be the kind of wife he wants to come home to, wants to visit with, wants to pray with. I want to bless his life.
I want to be a blessing to my sons. Though they are grown and gone, there are still frequent phone calls and occasional visits. I want to bless them by encouraging them to be godly Christian men, to provide for their families and parent their children. I want to let them know how proud I am of them and how there is nothing they could do that would keep me from loving them. I want them to know that I pray for them. I want to bless their lives.
I want to be a blessing to my daughter in laws. I want them to know that I love them and that I pray for them. I want them to know that I will always love them and will be here to support and encourage them whenever I can. I want them to know that I understand how difficult parenting is and I admire them for meeting this challenge with love and determination. I want to be available to them. I want to bless their lives.
I want to be a blessing to my parents and my in-laws. I want them to know that I appreciate the sacrifices they made to raise us. I want them to know that I am grateful for the values they instilled, the discipline they modeled and the love they gave. I want them to be confident that the lessons they taught did not go unheeded and to be proud as they see their children walk with God. I want them to know I pray for them, for their health and their happiness and for their daily walk with God. I want to be a blessing in their lives.
I want to be a blessing the Church. I want them to know that I will do my part to help the Body grow, that I will do my best to encourage and uplift. I want them to know that I love them and pray for them, that I will be here for them if they need me, even for yukky jobs. I want to be a blessing in their lives.
I want to be a blessing to my friends, not just those I know personally but also those who faithfully stop by this blog. I want them to know that should they need me to pray for them or with them, I am but an email or a phone call away. I want them to feel sure that when they come to my blog or call me on the phone, I will do my best to encourage and support them. I want them to know that I am committed to learning together so that we can all please our God and Father. I want to be a blessing in their lives.
And so today, as I make my one and only New Year's resolution, I ask for your prayers that I will be steadfast and focused, that I will be able to keep my commitment to make this a year of blessing.
Blessings,
Neva
posted by Neva | 10:43 AM
20 Comments:
You are most definitely a blessing to me.
Pat
A worthy resolution Neva and one we all me especially should strive to attain.
I quit making resolutions several years ago when each I made fell by the wayside of lifes interuptions or sometimes just the hard work of changing self got in the way.
So I no longer make resolutions at the beginning of a New Year but your post is one I will try to emulate all year. Thanks for the good post
madalyn
madalyn
HAPPY NEW YEAR! (a few days later...lol)
Good post and great questions. I love your motivation and outlook for this year. Those are notable goals Neva!
What a beautiful thing to wish for the new year. I guess that when you also go on praying for that, you'll have a miraculous year 2008 in front of you. Just don't forget your resolution - I put mine on a postcard for not forgetting it!
Gaaaaaa, sorry, that's me (Helen@muisto) and google won't log me in at the moment and I accidently hit the "q" and the enter short after the other ;-)
That is a very wonderful idea for a New Year resolution! I will pray for you and I know you will bless all who know you.
Rachel
Beautiful thoughts!
Love ya
Kel
That should be an easy resolution for you to keep, you are always a blessing, esp. for my family.
Thanks for being such a great friend.
Love Ya,
Happy New Year
Stacie
HAPPY NEW YEAR! WE MISS YOU GUYS!
LOOKING FORWARD TO 2008!
BRENDA,SPEARMAN,TX
"A year of blessing"
Has a nice ring, I think that would be a great resolution for all of us.
Good job, Neva
Jarrod
I will pray for you and would like to ask you to pray that I also will be a blessing to all I come into contact with.
Jean
this is one resolution, I know you will keep, cause you R a blessing!
sis
flybyhugging
Neva,
I want you to know that you are such an inspiration and blessing to me. You have challenged my faith and relationship with God with your blog. You have encouraged my faith in so many ways even though we have never met in person. I want you to know that you have been such a wonder blessing as you have visited my blog and have added your thoughts and wisdom to the discussions that are going on. You have helped we I was down and have made me laugh when I was sad. I want to thank you for being such a great blessing in my life. I pray and hope that 2008 is a wonderful year for you. God bless you beyond you can fathom.
In Him,
Kinney Mabry
May God always shine his lvoe on you and may he give you the strenght and determination to complete your goal and remain a blessing to all you know.
Carlos
Neva,
Know that goes in reverse. We are praying and look forward to news.
Blessings,
J & K
That is a wonderful idea, we should all be blessings.
Shari
You are most definitely a blessing to me. Your emails have helped sustain me at times when I was feeling rather low and useless. Your prayers have been appreciated, and I pray that you may be all that you wish this new year.
I will pray that you will be able to continue blessing those in your life as you have blessed all of those who visit your website over the past year.
In Christ
Dean
Neva,
I pray and hope that all is going well. I pray and hope you have a blessed week in the Lord Jesus Christ. In that he will give you what you need. I am longing for a new post from you sister and wanted also let you know about mine. Again, have a great week.
In Him,
Kinney Mabry
And that is just what you are--a blessing!
Carol
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