New Year, New Habits.... Time For a Change (Part 1)

They say time flies when you are having fun. Well, I don't know about the fun part but the time flies sure seems accurate. I can't not believe that I am entering into a new year already. It seems like only yesterday when I was thinking ahead to all the things I was going to do in 2012. My goals to use time more wisely, be a more godly example, lose weight... all those things I wanted to better myself by doing, all those opportunities wisked by in a blur, and now the year is over and how have I done? I have failed, I may have accomplished a few things that I set out to do, but in the great scheme of things, in the areas that really counted, I have failed....again. I have been reflecting on these failures for the past several weeks.  The taking down of Christmas decorations, the throwing away of the trash, the sweeping up of glitter, and tinsel, the fresh clean of the house marks the begining of the new year for me and I decided that resolutions were pointless, they never get fulfilled...just a wish to make me feel better... a hope for what I want to be and a disappointment for everything I am not, but then one day a few weeks ago I read this line on a blog and it said " a goal without a plan is just a dream" and it sparked something in me.
   That is the problem, I make goals, but I don't make a plan for how to achieve them. I say I want to better this or be this or do that, but I don't set a plan of action. When we go on vacation, I am the planner. I make maps, I chart the route, I even make daily itineraries and look up eating options. I research for weeks the best places to see, the best places to stay and the best things to do. I make a travel book and include everything. I even plan activities for the girls in the car, etc.... so how come I don't plan my life like that? How come I am content to just wing it and hope that my goals are met?
      So began my plans, this year will be different because this year will have a plan. I think even God smiled and shook His head that I finally figured something out, He knows I require a little extra work and help, so I think it was Him that lead me to this new blog I have been following... A Holy Experience blog by Ann Voskamp. How I had not heard of her, I don't know. I am up on my women of Faith, I read Beth Moore, I study Kay Arthur, I should be in the know, but somehow I missed out, maybe it is because God's timing is perfect and He led me to this blog just when I needed it most. I have been spiritually renewed in the past few weeks reading her blog, she has made me think of my life and what I say and do and some things just speak to us sometimes in ways we don't understand and this blog has been that little voice that I needed to hear at just the right time. In the midst of my failures, it has given me hope...for a new year, a new beginning, or as Ann states... moving forward.
      I have been thinking about different people in the Bible who chose to follow Christ and how they didn't say things like " I think I am going to work on my witness" or " I am going to try to read more of those scriptures"  they just did it! They didn't think about it and get back to it later, or "work on doing better" they just did it, they immediately dropped what they were doing and went, they were committed. Daniel made prayer his habit, everyday, even under fear of death. Paul made witnessing his habit, everyday, even under fear of inprisonment, beating, and death.
    So... what are my habits? What do I do daily that I am committed to, that I make time for, that I would be willing to endure hardship to maintain?
Habit replaces habit, nail drives out nail. Another thing I have learned on Mrs. Voskamp's blog. We are creatures of habit, if we do anything for a length of time and make it a priority, then it will become a habit. If we take it away and replace it with something else, then the new thing will become our habit. Whatever we are committed to do, we make time for, whatever is not a priority we will make excuses for, this made me really take a step back, because I constantly use the phrase " I don't have time" or "I didn't have time" but yet there are a ton of useless things I do everyday that take time and I never say things like " I didn't have time to watch (insert favorite show)" or "I didn't have time to surf ( insert favorite website/social media site)" Habits.... it is all about plans, goals, and most of all habits!
Instead of resolutions this year, I am focusing on what habits I am changing, and then I am making the plan of how to change them... because this year for me is all about change! If 2012 taught me anything it is that our time on this Earth is short, our time with our families, our children, our loved ones, could end any minute, we could be meeting our Creator or we could be be meeting eternal torment in the blink of an eye ( and if that doesn't make us think twice about our choices and our habits, nothing will) ...what do we want to do with the time that we have? What do I want my habits here on Earth to say about me? These are the things I am thinking of as I start this new year... my year of renewal.. my year of change! 
(to be continued......)