New Year, New Start

I believe in a God Who offers us to the chance to begin again at any time in whatever circumstances we find ourselves. We can repent and turn around from our current path and go in a new direction. So, while I don't think there is anything magical or necessarily special about changing the calendar from 2010 to 2011, for me it is another point along the journey of my life at which I can pause and think about where I've been, where I am, and where I'm going.
So, I thought I would share with you some of the things I'm hoping that will take place in my heart and life in the new year.

• I want to take better care of myself physically. I need to lose weight and be a better steward of the body with which God has blessed me. One thing that is going to help me in this endeavor is that I have signed up to walk in a half marathon in Cincinnati in May. My sister Stacey walked in the half-marathon, called the Flying Pig, last year and invited me to join her this year. I have never walked 13.1 miles all at once. I have a training schedule that will help me achieve this goal. I'd ask for your prayers as I begin preparing for this event. I'm anxious about it but I know that I will feel a great sense of accomplishment if I finish the walk.
• I want to be a better steward of my money. I have been focusing on paying down debt over the past few years. 2011 is going to be key for my debt reduction plan. I will be able to pay off some of my debts and then hope to be completely debt free in another year. Of course, there's a lot of life to live in the next year. My car will turn 10 years old in 2011. It's held up so far but I worry about having to put a lot of money into it to keep it running. I also know that there will be other unexpected expenses. I pray that I will make wise use of the resources with which God has blessed me.
• I want to continue to develop my passion for writing. I will continue writing on this blog. I also want to take the next two creative writing courses as a follow-up to the class I took this fall. I also have an idea for a longer piece that I've started to work on. I don't know exactly where it's headed but I'm really enjoying it. Writing really feeds my soul.
• I want to reach out to more families living in need through my work with Habitat for Humanity. We are getting ready to launch some new programs. I am also going to attend some training regarding these programs. I also want to work harder at recruiting new families with whom to partner. I know that there are many families living in poverty housing who may not even realize that Habitat can help them achieve their dreams of home ownership.
• I want to become more involved in my church. I want to get to know more people and offer my gifts as a way of advancing the mission and ministry of the church. I am really looking forward to seeing where God leads as I move forward in ministry and faith.

There are a lot of other things in my life on which I should probably focus, but this is where I plan to start. I know there will be times when I fail. I am notorious for procrastinating and not following through on things. I don't know if this year will be any different. However, the one thing that I can always count on is that God will be with me no matter what. Even if I don't end up accomplishing any of these goals, God will continue to love me and call me and fill my life with grace.
I hope that you have a wonderful new year full of blessings. Thanks for being a part of my journey!