A fresh start! A brand new year ahead!
Twelve months lie ahead, full of days that will each be written on with…

♥milestones

♥everyday events

♥the humdrum

♥the exciting

♥love

♥laughter

♥tears

♥joy

♥difficulties

♥blessings.

And underneath it all will be the Everlasting Arms.

This was supposed to be a New Year’s Day post. It has ended up being a January 2nd post instead, which I’m sure you understand. If you’re anything like me right now, the fog (and chocolate) of the holidays is still clearing, and the New Year is just now starting to come into focus.

As I write this, a dear friend of mine has just lost her mother. Another friend whom I have known for years, a young mother of three, is in the hospital battling cancer. Facing another year is a good time to be reminded of the fragility of life, and how we need to keep our priorities straight, treasure people above things, and make time to breathe in the midst of the daily chaos.For the past several years, I have chosen a personal theme for the year. I post it on our kitchen bulletin board at the start of the year, and it gives me a “bottom line” to come back to throughout the year. It has often amazed me how the theme God gives me correlates very closely with my year as it goes on.

Have you ever chosen an annual theme? If so, I would love to hear what themes you have chosen.  If you haven’t, maybe it’s something you would like to try this year. I know it’s January 2nd already. For you perfectionists out there, trust me, it’s not too late. There are still 364 days to go in this year. 😉

Here are the themes I have had for the past several years. I share these to give you some ideas and maybe a springboard for choosing one of your own.

2013- “Consider Your Ways” (Haggai 1:5) This has become a phrase that I say to my children on a somewhat regular basis, when a behavior modification/attitude check is needed.
2014- “Prepare the Way of the Lord” (Mark 1:3)
2015- “Bearing Precious Seed” (Psalm 126:6) That year was a particularly tough one in our parenting. This theme and the correlating song “Bringing in the Sheaves” became somewhat of a lifeline for me during that season of motherhood.
2016- “True Worshippers” (John 4:23)
2017- “Strength for Today, Bright Hope for Tomorrow” (Joel 3:16)
2018- “Cause Me to Know the Way” (Psalm 143:8) This has been the prayer of my heart countless times over the past year.

The theme I have just chosen and am planning to post on the board this morning, for the year ahead, is:

Simply Trusting, Every Day
Proverbs 3:5-6

In many ways I can already sense that God is calling me out of my comfort zone in the coming year. We can trust Him every step of the way in 2019, and beyond.

Happy New Year & God’s richest blessings to you in 2019.♥