Haha, I know it’s a little late.  But better late then never, as people say.  I’ve been busy with the Bible reading over Christmas break project.  Not only was I spending 5 to 6 hours a day reading, I was behind, and in charge of updating the website which I was in charge of (Fun!  If you want to check it out, go here).  Thankfully I had some help for that.  So I got done with that on the third.  After that I’ve been catching up on some much-needed sleep from going crazy and staying up all night on New Years. (Super fun!)

So here I am finally getting around to updating my blog.  I’ve been thinking about the post that I did last year for New Years.  And I realized I had gotten it all wrong.  In said post I said that a major thing to keeping your New Years resolutions was accountability.  I tried it out with some of mine, and realized that this was not true.  It is a minor part of it, but not a major part of it.  After a few months I realized what was missing from my resolutions.  Commitment, determination and realizing the importance of the goal, and making it a priority.

I think most of the goals that are made and fail are due to lack of the three points above.  People say, “Oh, it would be nice to do this,”  “Maybe I should do that,” but do they sit down and say to themselves, “This is important for these reasons.  I need to get it done this year.  I will get it done this year!”?  I’m willing to say that most people who fail don’t.

I’ll use myself as an example.  Last year, one of my goals was to read the Bible more than just a chapter a day.  That one didn’t even start out well.  I was tired, and for the first day I sought out a short Psalms and read it.  I told myself I was burnt out after reading the Bible in two weeks, so I did it for a few more days.  Then I wasn’t sure what book to dive into, so I read a few more short Psalms.  This went on and on and soon over a month had gone by.  Quite a disappointment.  But then I realized what was missing from my goals and started over.  I’m happy to say that by the end of the month I was reading 2 chapters a day plus 2 more chapters that I was reviewing and working on memorizing.  That’s 4 a day!  Once I put it as a priority I did it, but when it was something that “would be nice to do” I let it slide and go forgotten.

For the fun of it, lets dig up Joe again.  I introduced Joe when I made last years New Year post.  I had ment to bring him into other posts, but it still hasn’t happened.  I’ll do so now though.

Lets find Joe where we left off.  He too soon realized that his goal wasn’t working.  He broke it and watched it float away in a firy wreck.  He spent the year forgetting about it, until December 31 rolled around again.  He found himself at a company New Year’s party being asked that question we are all asked at that time: “Got any New Year’s resolutions this year?”  He stared at the speaker.  He hadn’t even thought of resolutions yet.   Joe fumbles around in his head… “Um, yeah, I think I’m going to try to… lose some weight this year.”  After all, everyone has a resolution, Joe can’t go against the grain!

Later, Joe regrets his words.  But then he gets to thinking.  Since he hadn’t made his resolution of not eating chocolate cake last year, he has put on a few pounds… he does need to lose a few of those pounds… The more he thinks the more he realizes that he must.  He grabs a Sharpie and writes down on a piece of paper the words he would live by that year. “I will eat no chocolate cake until I lose some weight.”  He then posts this note on his fridge.  He takes his to-do list and writes “Lose some weight” right at the top.  He makes it a priority  in his life.

When offered some chocolate cake a few days later, he refuses, knowing that he mustn’t eat it.  In the end, he succeeds this year and completes his goal.  Great job Joe!!!

Ok, so maybe it was a silly example, but it shows a point… and for some strange reason I like to write about Joe, so I wanted to bring him back up.

I want to close this using some words from Oswald Chambers: : “Leave the Irreparable Past in His hands, and step out into the Irresistible Future with Him.”  Go with God this New Year.  Everything; past, present, and future is in His caring hands.  There is no one else I would rather trust with my life than Him.