Time to look ahead: My goal for the coming year

Today's entry should be short. I don't like to make concrete plans because God usually has something completely different planned for me than I expect. I think my goals and my wishes from yesterday kind-of coincide, anyway.

My true goal, though, is deeper and not so circumstantial.

Last year I felt God saying two words to me. "Embrace life." So I did. I lived more. I spent more. I lived more on the edge rather than according to a plan. Maybe a little too much in all areas. But as much as I'd like to see a little more money saved or invested in a few areas, I can't deny the blessings that came out of embracing all that life had to offer. 

Letting money sit securely in a savings account would not have given us the cool RV story that we have. No way could our savings multiply like the size of the camper did. Planning a simple vacation over spring break rather than trying to see as many people as possible in ten days would not have given me the opportunity to see my grandfather one more time in his earthly life. Staying home when I felt drained would not have given me the opportunity to meet Stormie Omartian, someone who's had a profound effect on my life. Deciding to forego a writing conference because I already had one too many things on my calendar would not have connected me with a friend starting a publishing company with her husband.

This year I hear God saying two new words to me. "Give more." I don't mean just giving to God what is already His. I mean giving to others. Out of fear and anxiety, I can clutch my belongings and my bank account a little too much.  My pastor called it "white-knuckling" in a recent sermon. I received an abundance of blessings over the last year and ended up hoarding them. This year my goal is to give more out of gratitude to God for what He's given me.

Happy New Year!