Navigating a New Year

Here's a post from 2014 that still applies today- 
I've definitely made improvements, I'm proud of the progress,
 but there's always work to be done.
Here we come 2018!  

This year we welcomed in the New Year in the warm breeze of the Florida Keys. This was a much-needed vacation from work and the cold Kentucky temperatures, with time to rest and visit with family.

At the end of our dock, I looked out at an anchored sailboat. I saw it floating on the smooth water day after day. I thought the water seemed so calm and clear that it looked like the boat didn't even need an anchor to hold it in place.

Sometimes I start similar thinking about my daily life; when things are running smoothly and life seems calm, I think "I'm fine without anyone's help", "I'm good!", "I can do this on my own"....who needs an anchor....

But the inevitable day arrives when the breeze picks up, I'm blown off course, a surprise storm changes everything, or it just rains for days. Sometimes it takes a traumatic event to make me reach for the anchor line (and there have been times I was too disoriented, and someone else brought the anchor line to me).

Why can't I hold fast to the anchor line ALL the time? Can my grip on Christ, and His plan for my life, stay as strong when the waters are calm as when the waves are crashing?

As others spend time talking about what to CHANGE for the New Year, I've decided to focus on what to HOLD on to this year. It's taken the whole month of January to truly think and pray about what anchors me, and what I can do to strengthen myself and my family.

Here are a few of my plans:

• Enjoy THIS moment! My husband is much better at this- and I'm determined to improve this year. My mind is constantly going to the next task before me. When I'm driving home I'm developing a plan of action to tackle the tasks of the evening. As I feed my daughter, I'm already thinking about what I need to gather for her bath time. I'm task oriented by nature and get satisfaction from completing a job and crossing it off the 'to-do' list. However, I'm often too busy thinking and rushing the next task, that I forget to enjoy the one at hand. I need to stop and appreciate the everyday moments - snuggle longer, savor the flavor of food, dance, play peek-a-boo while folding laundry, and take in the smell of a freshly bathed baby. My daughter will be 1 year old in a short month from now, I want to hold on to each fleeting moment. 
• Purposely create more sanctuary in our daily life. This means making a safe haven, a place to live and rest, in the presence of God. I must evaluate what music, TV, social media, people, books, etc. are allowed in our daily life, and hold on to ONLY the positive ones. One easy step is taking the 30 days challenge to listen to only Christian music for 30 days! As I drive to work, when I listen to music at the office, as I drive home, as I clean around the house, during bath time....I need to fill my mind and mouth with positive and encouraging words. I already listen to Christian music frequently and mix in a little country and oldies. But when I'm channel surfing between stations, am I missing a message the Lord meant for me to hear today? And now my daughter is beginning to understand words and I need her to be surrounded by positive language. 
• Honor my priorities. In my professional life, I often tell clients that one's priorities are obvious if you look at where they spend: 1) time and 2) money. So, if you look at how I've spent my time and money, what would it point to? I consider both a true gift from God- two things I can't create on my own. I must be deliberate with my decisions on how to spend them. I'm sure I would feel ashamed if someone totaled the time I've spent on my phone and other electronics. So, I will be putting my phone down and leaving it out of reach while I'm interacting with my family and friends. And I will replace time spent playing on social media with reading devotionals, the Bible App, and other positive blogs. I recently read a blog that went viral about distracted parenting and that mom's story heightened my awareness to risks created by living in a world with electronics at our fingertips. Don't get me wrong, I love my smartphone and use it as my calendar, camera, address book, etc. But just because we CAN read and respond to an email within an instant, why do we feel that we MUST. I have turned off most of the notifications on my phone so I don't hear constant dings and vibrations that interrupt MY TIME and what is truly important and urgent in my life. Also - I will continue to live a frugal lifestyle, saving money, clipping coupons, and re-purposing items. But this year I'm going to study my giving habits and see what opportunities are available to support my Church and community. I plan to continually evaluate and honor my priorities this year.
  
  So, I must enjoy every moment, hold tight to the positives, and weed out the low priorities so the true priorities can flourish.
  
  Despite what 2014 brings, I know my anchor will hold!
• "There's a peace I've come to know
  Though my heart and flesh may fail
  There's an anchor for my soul
  I can say, 'it is well' "
  -Chris Tomlin (Song: I Will Rise)
  
  
  What are you doing to navigate through this New Year of 2014?