One More Try to a New Start

 

The new year is a great chance to rest. One of the things I loved about teaching was that there was a beginning and an end to the year. In May, we were able to reflect on the year and what was successful and what should be changed. Then we could apply that to the next year with our new group of students. Realtors probably feel that way when they find the perfect home for a family. There are other jobs that have projects that come to an end new projects starting. 

January 1st is not a magic day to press restart but most of us do in one way or another. Our church is doing a twenty-one day fast. Not necessarily a food fast but any habit that we want to step away from in our daily lives. If I am completely transparent and maybe a bit gross, I will share that one of mine is games on my phone which must include not taking my phone to the bathroom. Yep, I shared that just now. I feel like there is something else I need to add to this fast of mine. I have gotten lazy with my morning Bible study. Watching videos of favorite speakers should not be a substitute for actually opening my Bible and taking notes, highlighting, and letting His word soak into me. The truth is that I have even stopped adding to my prayer journals so a refocus is definitely called for. 

I know I have challenged myself time and time again to remove the games from my phone but hopefully one of these times it will stick. Bathroom phone games are a new thing but even when I was young my parents had a magazine rack in the only bathroom in the house. So I learned at an early age to multitask on the throne. How much less time would I spend in there if I just went potty? Okay, enough potty mouth talk.

So let’s all take this new year or any Monday to refresh our lives. Along with that it is important to not beat ourselves up if we fail. Make an oops a misstep not an end to our desire for change. Who says we can’t make a Thursday or our birthday a new start day. Ron and I never counted with our kiddos. We decided if we wanted them to mind we wanted them to mind now not in the count of five or ten or three hundred twenty three. So maybe we should just start when a different path comes to mind. Sharing the fast with others is encouraging and helps us be accountable to others if only for a few weeks. In the end it is up to me to change me and you to change you. Praying for you while you pray for me. One of these times we will have a permanent redirect just like we hope for. 

In Him,

Joyful

1=2=23