Friday, January 5

The New Year Post ~ 2018

New post because it's a new year. So it's time to reflect on the past year and plan for the future, right? Just fyi, the entire next year of your life depends on this one moment. No pressure.

JK, guys. If you remember my resolution post from last year (I don't.) you can be assured that this moment is just that. A moment. Not so different from most others. And in this moment I find myself doing more reflecting than planning. Thinking of things past and things to come. Wondering, worrying, and feeling hopeful all at the same time. But I'm taking it easy on the planning, because it hasn't been so fruitful in the past.



Last year I made myself a nice little overwhelming list of resolutions. With an extra serving of self-guilt on the side. Need a refresher? (I did!) You can read it all here. And I'm here in 2018 to tell you - I did none of them. NONE. Remember that cleaning list I printed? I did it for one day. Seriously. ONE DAY. It was exhausting. But that list is still hanging on my fridge like I'll wake up one morning and give it another try. Never mind that I haven't in a whole year. We did, however, manage to play outside a ton, but it had nothing to do with me remembering that resolution (because I totally didn't until I looked at it today) and everything to do with having three small boys and please get us out of this house. 

 
Now for 2018, I do hope to keep playing outside, and hope that I'll write in their Funny Boy Journals more. And I'm keeping an eye out for the perfect fixer-upper camper that husband will adore and be so glad I found. So maybe this is more of a lifetime-resolution list than a one-year-wonder. But for the most part, in 2018 I'm just planning to do the best I can. I'll shoot to be the best wife and mom I can be. And it may not check off any list (it hasn't yet), but so far we all survived and we're pretty happy to boot. And I think that just might be enough. So to help me with this one goal of being the best me, I'm picking a word for the year (that I probably won't remember. I am what I am.):
 
Kindness.

Kindness is one of the most important habits I want to teach my boys, and what better way than to live it out myself? I hope they grow to be kind to everyone - friends and strangers, the hurting and forgotten, even those who aren't kind themselves. And I want that for myself, too. So I'm hoping that in 2018 I'll take a more intentional approach in the way I treat people, and the way I teach my kids to do the same. So much so that it becomes our very nature, without thought or planning.

To help us get off on the right foot, we're starting our mornings with the Kindness Scripture Writing Plan by Sweet Blessings. (You can download it, and a lot more writing plans, here)

http://www.swtblessings.com/2016/09/october-scripture-writing-plan-2016.html


So I guess my goals for this year are pretty simple:
  1. Have a baby.
  2. Be kind.

The end. And at least one of those things I won't be able to forget!

As for the past year, so much of it is a blur of regular old days. But those are the very best kind of days. It's funny how those days felt so complicated at the time, but looking back they feel so simple. And good. And overall it seems like it was a really good year, despite the hard days mixed in. But we did have one notably low point in 2017 when our niece Ramona was diagnosed with a severe heart condition. And one of my biggest worries this coming year is what will be next for her. You can follow her story here

http://www.prayforramona.com/


But in the midst of that worry, we also have a whole lot of hope. And we are unabashedly praying for a miracle and healed heart. We'd love for you to join us.


And let's never forget that all that worrying... well, it won't change a darn thing. But God surely can, and He surely loves her no matter what. So we'll just hold on to hope - for Ramona and for ourselves - and jump on in to this new year.

Wishing you all a new year filled with lots of kindness, peace, and HOPE.


https://gracelaced.com/collections/prints/products/trust-the-creator-print

P.S. if you'd like a visual reminder to hold onto HOPE this year, check out the GraceLaced Shop! I have this print in my living room and it's my favorite.

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