Three Suggestions For Your New Year

It's the New Year!  I am sure you have some goals already.  You have probably reflected on what you want to accomplish, made a couple "resolutions," and maybe even began something new in your life.

At the risk of being too late, i would like to make a few suggestions for your new year.  You can call them resolutions if you want, but I think they are worth actually accomplishing (not that you won't accomplish your resolutions...through February!).

1. Commit to less this year.

Yep, that's right!  I think this is the single most important suggestion I have for this year.  Why?  Can I be brutally honest?  It is because you and I already do way too much right now!  I know, it's just normal, but is normal good?  Is normal what we want?

Do you really think it will be a bad thing to be obsessed with fewer TV shows?  Do you think it will really hurt your kids chance at college if they are not in an extra-curricular activity all the time?  Do you really have to run around like a chicken with your head cut off to be considered a good parent or a good person?

Make a list:  What is most important in your life.  Don't commit to things that don't actually harvest growth in one of your top areas.  (Just so you know, my top areas are:  1. Jesus Christ 2. Family 3. Lowell Church of Christ 4. Writing 5. Close Friendships)  I am not going to commit to anything (hopefully!) that does not help me cultivate one of those areas of my life.

2. Commit to focus on someone else.

Let's face it, we spend way too much time on ourselves.  Wouldn't it be cool if we spent the year taking time to serve at a soup kitchen?  Taking your kids to talk with the elderly folks at the local home?  Wouldn't that be much better for your family than giving them another new phone, another hobby to focus on, etc.  Teens, I work with y'all, and let me be frank--it is time you spend less time on yourself!

3.  Commit to be intentional.

So much of our time is wasted because we are not paying attention to the time at all.  Would you really spend 5 hours on Facebook and Youtube if you knew this was the last week you would live?  I sure hope not.  Be intentional about how you spend your time and what you do.  I bet that if you think about how you spend your time, you will spend it better.

What other ideas would you give me?  What suggestions would you give me this year?

One Year. One Verse

The "One Word" concept is a good one.  I read about it about halfway through this year.  The idea was to take one word, a word that sums up who you want to be and how you want to live, and make that one word the key to your year.  Focusing on one word instead of a bunch of resolutions.  I like that.

Except this year I am wanting to challenge you to make a slightly different challenge.  This year, let's take one verse from God's word to make our theme.  Take a verse that challenges you, inspires you, teaches you, or maybe even confuses you.  Take one verse, and make it your focus this year.  Your reading of the Bible will be informed by this one verse, your prayer life focused around it, your days begin and end with a quick reminder of your one verse.

One Verse.  one Year.

I believe this can change lives.

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My verse this year:

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will."  Romans 12:2

This verse really sums up what I want to see change in my life.  I want to see my mind transformed in such a way that changes how I live my life.

I will study this verse inside out this year, and the context around it.  More than that, though, I will put my effort forward to make weekly and monthly goals that will help me move closer to God's intentions within this verse.

Knowing isn't enough.  My life must be changed.

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I challenge you to pick a verse.  Share it on your blog or on Facebook/Twitter.  If you want help looking for tools to help you study this one verse better, let me know.  What if we let our entire year be consumed by one simple statement from God's word?  Do you think it would change you?

Join me and find out!