It's a new year, a new chapter, a clean slate...

I am sitting here this morning reflecting on the past year and looking forward to
this new year.

Last year was a full year of lots of ups and downs.  I became a Lay Speaker and started preaching a little here and there and by year's end had delivered a sermon in 18 worship services!  Crazy considering I didn't even want to preach at first and then when I decided I did, I thought maybe once a quarter would be good.

My son enlisted in the military, went to infantry school and contracted ROTC all in just a few months.  It happened so fast and I am so proud of him.  He has found his niche and is doing great things.  He also asked a sweet young lady to marry him this Christmas and she said YES!  His life is moving forward, to me it seems as if in FAST FORWARD mode but I'm super proud of him and life choices.

My daughter and I have had a fun year.  This summer we were busy with travels.  We went to St. Louis with her church choir.  We spent a week camping during her Summer Dance Intensive.  We traveled half way across the country just the two of us to see DS for his family weekend while he was at school and that was FUN!  Who knew we could travel that far all by ourselves.  My daughter is growing up so fast into an amazing young woman.  She has a heart of gold.  She is dedicated to what she loves and she makes me proud every day.

My sweet husband has been wonderful to me.  He supports my every (well most) whim.  He drove the camper an hour away and set it up for us and then drove back home to work and then came out to be with us later.  He let me drive on that long trip even against his better judgement and made all the hotel arrangements for us so it was an easy trip.  He goes to all these different churches with me to hear me speak and listens to me practice before hand too!  When I called and told him my daddy was being taken by ambulance to the hospital, he hung up and packed his bags leaving his family he was visiting and heading straight to be with my family.

And then there is that... my daddy died this year.  I can't even begin to express what that has been like or how I feel.  It's been a hard almost 3 months.  I've found strength I never knew I had and sorrow deeper than I have ever known.  I miss him every day and I think of him always.  He is in me and in my kids.  He's everywhere I look!  I worry about my mom and think of her all the time and what she must be feeling, how she is hurting, how I want to be there for her.

As I reflect on all of this I can't help but think about what this next year has in store for us, to think about my hopes and dreams for the coming year.  All over the internet there are articles about what we should and shouldn't do in the new year and so on.

I've been thinking about community and friends, diet and health, more and less of just anything.  My mind reels with it all, but I think I'll keep it simple.  I want to be intentional in everything.  In my friendships, in community, in work, in play.  I want to be aware, living.

My devotion this morning said, "Do not cling to old ways as you step into a new year."  The whole devotion was based on Romans 12:2 

       "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be 
        transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able
        to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing will." 

I don't want to conform any more.  I want to be renewed.  So that is my goal for this year ~ To not conform, but to be renewed and in that to be intentional.

What are you goals?