New Year, New You?

I know it may seem boring to go against the grain about New Year resolutions. Maybe not. I don't really know, myself, but here we are! 

I see how it could be totally helpful to visualize your year in goal setting long-term. I just find my mind is on the daily grind, every hour, every minute. I think about my days. Not my weeks, months, quarters, or any amount of a year for that matter. 

I'm not saying this is good, or right, or even pretty. Oh how nice. She's just living her life day to day. I often imagine people may find it hard to slow down to this pace of minutes and hours. But I'm not able to skip to weekly or monthly plans without LOTS of buffering in my mind. My mindset is usually: How can I get through one day without a huge overwhelming feeling popping up? Whether it's anxiety, fear, rage (my last post touched on it) I just really find myself struggling at times. If I have to think of the next 7 days (one week!), how many feelings (as well as thought processes) do you think I'd need to hurdle? Lots.

Support is a little tough for me to define. I know I have some, but it is minimal, and I feel I need permission to ask someone for help. I am the world's best (worst?) people pleaser. I think desiring someone's happiness is wonderful. And then I forget it's not my job to bring said happiness to them, but rather be the best friend I can and leave God to be the joy they need. I admit: I wasn't a good friend in '23.

Isn't God all we really need anyways? I mean, if you're even reading my blog, which is fantastic (that's really cool you have that sort of time...my thoughts are a labyrinth), do you sense that I leave you with any answers to your life? Oddly, I hope not. 

I want to leave you with Christ Jesus! That's why I don't want to tie everything up in a package with a bow. 

Don't get me wrong. I love a good Q&A time when I can hear someone's answers to my life questions. Did God create the world in 6 real days, or was it a metaphor? Do you think there are conspiracies out there? How do we know if growing our own food is really better for us? Do you believe traditional values can be for today? I'd love to know people's thoughts, beliefs, and even feelings if they want to share on these questions. 

That leads to one person answering from their perspective in a way that makes sense to them. And that's one hundred percent okay! But why Jesus? Because He's the one who is truth. Objective truth from His word is the only way to know any truth. 

I heard someone say All truth is God's Truth. You know what? I believe it. I just don't think people believe that truth is really true or real. They believe in the made-up truth. That is what deception is. 

And that's what I fell into when I was in a cultish group from 2018 until 2020. The pandemic really forced me to question narratives, including my own. And you know what? I was wrong! 

But in my deception, I didn't think I was wrong at ALL. 

In our goal setting for 2024, I think it's time to cut out the deception. Are you really wanting to lose weight? If so, cool. Are you truly hoping to save more money on groceries? If so, awesome. If NOT, then cut it out. Sometimes it's just not our turn to have that goal someone else is talking about. Sometimes it's a door opening for them. And we CAN join but it's silly to think we must! Deception is tricky because it often has us believing it's the only way. Usually we think, because that person is doing it, it's gotta be real/true. 

Jesus is the only way. So, friend: are you wanting the truth for your life this year? Yes, for goal setting. But also just for you? That Jesus died for you is a gift. No matter how much death may scare you, He has overcome it. He has conquered sin (leading to death) and it's your turn to go to Him for all things. It may be someone else's turn to get fit and frugal. It's time for you to go to Him. There's not one thing He can't do for you.