Tag Archive | New Year

My Word For The Year 2024

Each year I wait patiently for God to give me a “Word For The Year”. I usually know what the word is by January 1st but this year that didn’t happen. Perhaps it was because I have been a little distracted during the year 2023.

2023 WAS A WHIRLWIND

2023 was one crazy hard year for me…I am chronicling it primarily for my benefit. I never want to forget what God carried us through nor do I want to ever fail to give Him the Glory for staying right by our side while going through it. Not all I went through is share worthy but I will just reiterate 2023 was one of the most difficult years of my life!!!

On January 1, 2023 our daughter and son-in-law left Texas and moved to Tennessee. Talk about hard…The longest I have ever been separated from Brandi were the times she would go on vacation and I knew she would return home and we would pick up where we left off. This experience was totally different; it was permanent!!! Although we knew she would come to visit and we would go there, it was an emotional rollercoaster for me. No more pop-in visits, no phone calls asking me to run errands, and it would no longer be a 15 minute drive to her house.

In February Brandi and Robi proposed the idea of us joining them in Tennessee. After a lot of discussion and planning, Robi chose a beautiful spot on the side of the mountain and Brandi designed a house for us.

In March we went on a family cruise. It was our 1st cruise and I was a nervous wreck on many levels…”What do I wear, how will I manage being away from mom that long, and most importantly; how the heck am I going to deal with not being able to see land?”!!! Well, let me just say, it was an AMAZING trip!!! All my anxieties left once I was surrounded by my kids, grandkids, and great grandkids. In addition, Richard and I were able to relax and enjoy some much needed alone time which is so important to us and our relationship.

Upon our return from the cruise we knew we had just under 9 months before we would move. Richard’s last day of work would be December 1, 2023 which was a Friday and we scheduled 2 full size Penske trucks and a team of movers for December 4th the following Monday. Then it was on to the daunting task of trying to determine what to take with us and what to get rid of. In addition to our household items, I had a shed full of projects I was actively working on or had completed to sell and oh my gosh was that hard!!! It wasn’t cleaning out the shed that was difficult but having to do it in temperatures that were in the triple digits. Now that almost killed me!!!

Meanwhile, while trying to downsize and pack, I was also caring for my mother, taking her to medical appointments, consolidating 2 households, and coordinating the sell of her home. Let me just say, none of which were easy!!! My heart was heavy for my Mom, she had lost her husband, her mobility, her independence, and now she was having to deal with the rollercoaster of emotions associated with settling her estate. Let me take this opportunity to advise (free of charge of course) those couples with blended families to run not walk to an attorney’s office and draw up a will. This is to protect the surviving spouse both financially and emotionally. Very long story short, it took over a year working with a lawyer and a lot of prayer to get Mom’s estate settled.

Now, selling our home was nowhere near as complicated!!! On a Sunday afternoon early August, Richard purchased a “For Sale By Owner” sign and stuck it in the front yard. On Monday morning he got a call and set up an appointment for a couple to come by and look at the house. When they arrived on Monday we were very transparent and let them know we would not be moving until December. By Thursday of that same week we had an executed contract, they agreed to allow us to remain in the house until December, and closed on August 25th. People…THAT WAS GOD!!!

Labor Day week we flew to Tennessee and witness first hand some of the construction on our house. We were able to see color choices, cabinetry, tile, granite, and flooring. We were blown away by all the work Brandi had done!!! She really could have her own show on HGTV…She is just that good at home design!

On October 13th we left West Columbia pulling Richard’s utility trailer loaded down with the fire pit, BBQ pit/smoker, and zero radius mower. We were taking a load of outdoor things to Tennessee as we knew those were the things that would not fit on the Penske trucks. We really enjoyed our visit in Tennessee but were anxious to return to Texas as we had sooo much to do to get ready for the move.

Once we returned home it was on like Donkey Kong…Packing was our focus! Thank goodness the temperatures were cooler and Mom was able to sit outside and talk with me while I worked. She even was able to pitch in and help wrap dishes and perform other tasks that were not too strenuous for her.

December 1st was finally here…Richard’s last day at work!!! I was so excited for him…He would experience a kind of freedom he had not known since before we were married. Sounds good but remember, the Penske trucks and movers would arrive on Monday. So now, Richard was working harder than ever and he was also experiencing the stress of the actual move…Loading the trucks, would it all fit, the drive, the stress of knowing Mom and I would be driving up separately. The greatest stress however was not knowing if the house would be completed by the time we arrived in Tennessee. So, without knowing for sure he scheduled the movers to unload us on December the 8th.

December 4th, mom and I set out together our brand new all wheel drive Honda Passport headed to Tennessee. We wanted to leave before Richard and Robi (who graciously flew down to drive one of the Penske trucks back for us) so we could stay ahead of them. Then if we ran into any issues they would be headed our way and not have to double back for us. We were so excited…We were headed out for the trip of a lifetime. Mom couldn’t wait to see the mountains!!! We made it to Baytown traveling on I-10 when a huge piece of sheet metal flew under the car. Yep, you guessed it…We were literally dragging metal down the road. I pulled over at a sand pit, went up to one of those huge dump trucks, and asked the driver to help me figure out what to do. He was so kind and advised me to put the car in reverse and he guided me until the metal dislodged. I thanked him and we were off again…That is until I reached 35mph and the worst grinding noise was heard coming out from under the car. Well, my God is sooo good…I looked up and at the next exit would you believe there was a Honda dealership!!! It took them about 1.5hrs to make the needed repair and then we were back on the road again. I told Mom, I had to believe it was God’s hand of protection that prevented us from being involved in a catastrophic event further down the road.

Just outside of Chattanooga TN the guys met up with us and we all caravanned the remaining stretch of the trip. We arrived the evening of the December 5th and woke to snow the morning of December 6th. It was absolutely stunning to see everything covered in white and the peace I had craved the entire year of 2023 fell over me. That’s when I knew I was home and the struggles I had endured in 2023 were so worth the reward.

December 8th we received the certificate of occupancy from the inspector that morning and the movers arrived soon after to move us up the mountain. Whew…what a day!!! Boxes and furniture were flying off the trucks faster than I could tell them where to put them. By the end of the day the beds were set up, couches in place, and we were surrounded by wall to wall boxes.

How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time! How do you unpack a house? One box at a time! So, for 12hrs a day 7 days straight, I unpacked, hung pictures, hung curtains, arranged furniture and move each box at least 4-5 times. Richard helped as he could but had his own list of things that had to be done such as returning the moving trucks, buying groceries, going to the post office, and running errands for me as I needed things. It was a mad rush to get things settle as our grandsons and their families were coming for Christmas on the 16th.

Christmas with our family was amazing. It definitely goes down as a Christmas I will never forget!!! Mom was in heaven! She was surrounded by little ones…She loves babies!!!

Though the house is finished on the inside the exterior work was far from done. It was really important to have a retaining wall errected to prevent a landslide and wiping us off the mountain all together. So, it has been a constant beeping of the Excavator and Bobcat backing up, vehicles moving up and down the mountain, hammering, and having a driveway that’s been inaccessible but so worth it for our safety and peace of mind.

Now, all that to explain what I meant by the comment, “I’ve been a little distracted”. This week I have finally been able to find some time to be alone and focus on the journey over the past year and process some of the emotions that have bombarded my nervous system. I have had time to read my Bible, journal, and pray. I have had time to express my gratitude to God for all He has done for me and my family. Wait…There it is!!! My word for 2024

Gratitude: When you feel thankful for the good things in your life. This could be stuff people often take for granted, like having a place to live, food, clean water, friends, and family. Gratitude is taking a moment to reflect on how lucky you are when something good happens, whether it’s small or big.

I have so much to be thankful for…I could not even begin to list them all. Every morning I open my eyes my first thoughts are those of gratitude. I have also learned if I remain in a state of gratitude it is impossible to turn my thoughts to the negativity that constantly tries to worm into my life.

Give it a try…Stay in a state of gratitude for a few minutes, then a few hours, and finally all day…Every Day!

Happy 2024 Everyone!!!

Love,

Lee

Clean and Clear For A New Year

Dec29

I LOVE New Years…It is a celebration of getting rid of the old and bringing in the new. Old habits and emotions are discarded and replaced with new and innovative ideas and practices. A time to Clean our Slates and Clear the Clutter.

So isn’t it fitting that the Christmas takes place just before the arrival of a New Year? Snap…I had not thought of this before today…It is actually the celebration of the birth of Christ that prepares us for a fresh start and new beginnings.
For me, any transformation should begin with an analysis of the areas which most need attention. This can be applied to our Spiritual, Emotional, Physical, and Professional lives. A cleansing of all the piled up crap from the year before that has weighted me down internally while clearing the clutter from my external surroundings.

Spiritually, it is a time to reflect on the things I’ve done which make my Heavenly Father sad. I not only want to acknowledge them but reflect on what drove me to those choices. Once I am able to understand the origin of my infractions, I am better able to ask God for his Mercy and Forgiveness and trust He has covered them with His Grace. Only then will I be better able to receive the assignments He has for me and others are able to see Jesus in me.

Physically, now that is a bigger struggle for me. I often overindulge, stay up later than I should, and blatantly refuse to exercise. Now for whatever reason, this one is quite the challenge for me. This is the area centered around the new year I don’t particularly enjoy. It seems just as soon as Christmas is over…Here come all the weight loss commercials. Rather than pursue the source of the weight gain (typically emotional) I seek a quick fix, a pill, or a membership at the gym. Then by February or March (actually before the end of January for me) I am back to my old ways and have spent a fortune with minimal results. This has been a life long battle for me. My goal is to change the focus from food to the identification of the attached emotion and then deal with it.

Emotionally, now that is an ongoing challenge!!! Clearing the emotional baggage that piles up is a momentous task! Today’s emotions are often linked to emotions from early years and even childhood. So it is critical all feelings are cleared rather than packed down creating imbalance and havoc in life. ( Read more here “Moving On”).

Professionally, nothing pleases me more than to start a blank spreadsheet with the new year’s date on it or a new binder. Both are blank slates and pregnant with opportunities for improvement over the prior year. A New Year allows for creativity, review of processes, and improved productivity. It also provides an opportunity for review of the previous year’s accomplishments and can be utilized for setting goals for the upcoming New Year.

While the New Year brings on a New Hope for a fresh start it also brings with it quite a bit of work as well…

So, I Guess It’s Time for Me to Get Myself Clean and Clear For a New Year…

Can’t Wait To Witness God’s Handiwork in 2015!!!

There is a Plan

Jan1

2011 is Here and people everywhere are making New Year’s Resolutions while others have no clue or plan for their future. For those of you who have no goals or plans for your future there is great news you are not free-floating out there in oblivion… there is a plan for your life. And even if you don’t know what that plan is at the moment God does!

God’s plan may not be the same as your plan but as you assess various situations and set priority as to how you spend your time energy and money you definitely want to get in touch with what God wants for you.

It’s comforting to know that He is involved in your life and cares about what you do and how you spend your time. He isn’t trying to hide His plan from you, but you will need to a exert some effort to discover it. Spend some time with God asking for His direction and guidance in making goals for your future.

Having a Goal to work toward is very important. The purpose of having goals includes:

Providing a focus
Defining a beginning and end point
Providing a vision for things to come

When you have vision it affects your attitude. Your attitude is optimistic rather than pessimistic. Chuck Swindoll

During my research I found an article on eHow which does an excellent job of explaining the how to’s of setting life goals. “How to Set Life Goals”.

Everyone has a success mechanism and a failure mechanism. The failure mechanism goes off by itself. The success mechanism only goes off with a goal. Every time we write down and talk about a goal we push the button to start the success mechanism.
Charles ”Tremendous” Jones

Set your goals wisely and align them with God’s word. Then if the plan changes be flexible and know God is large and in charge!

“For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord plans to prosper you and not to harm you plans to give you a hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

There is a Plan…

Love Lee ♥

New Beginnings

Dec31

As we look to start a new year, many people build lofty resolutions only to fail. Remember that you can acheive anything you truly want but don’t wait until conditions are “perfect” as perfection rarely comes. “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” ~Theodore Roosevelt~

Perfection

“Better to do something imperfectly than to do nothing flawlessly.”~Robert Schuller~

Aim at perfection in everything, though in most things it is unattainable. However, they who aim at it, and persevere, will come much nearer to it than those whose laziness and despondency make them give it up as unattainable. ~Lord Chesterfield~

We are often ineffective and immoblized due to fear and there are two fears which exist in the world.

Fear of Success: That which will happen if you succeed; the changes success will create; not only for you personally but for those you love and are close too. Will your success change your life style, draw attention to you, or create a change you are not able or willing to deal with.
Fear of Failure: That which will happen if you fail; the changes failure will cause such as embarrasement, depression, and possibly loss of self esteem or motivation.

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 1 John 4:18

“If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” ~Jesus~

Hmmm…puts a whole new spin on perfection doesn’t it

Do What You Can, With What You Have, Where You Are

What a profoud statment! I can not tell you how many times I’ve heard, “I don’t have —” or “My—is too small or not good enough. To that I say HOG WASH!!! God has placed you right where you are…given you what He has seen fit to give you…so get off your pitty pot and embrace what you have with a heart felt since of grattitude and appreciation. You will never have more until you learn to appreciate and care for what He has already given you.

So, while you sit and contemplate what your New Years Resolution will be this year perhaps you should resolve to be grateful for

Who you are in Christ
The talents He Has blessed you with
The possessions He has entrusted to you
Those whose lives He has surrounded you with

Resolve today to give Him the Glory and Honor He is due rather than complain about what should, could, or would have been…

With Jesus Every day is a NEW BEGINNING so resolve to begin anew and…

Choose to Live, Love, Laugh TODAY!!!

Love Lee ♥

The Smith’s Christmas Newsletter 2010

Dec22

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

From Richard and Lee Ann…2010

Each Year we start the Annual Newsletter with “Wow, we can’t believe another year has gone by” and 2010 is not without exception. It has gone by so quickly which enforces the old saying “Time flies when you’re having fun.”

It has been a tradition of ours to mail out a newsletter annually with our Christmas cards. I am so excited to be able to share electronically this year.

While we have had lots of fun we have also worked very hard over this past year. At the beginning of the year Richard worked as a technical writer and educator providing training at a refinery in Saudi Arabia. In October, he made the decision to go back into production so he is now working for BASF and is happier than I have seen him in years! I continue to work for Angleton Danbury Medical Center as the Director of the Revenue Management Department and find my job very fulfilling and am continually challenged by the ever-changing Medicare rules and regulations as well as the changes in commercial contracts.

Our jobs afford us the ability to play. We love to take frequent trips on our Harley motorcycle. This year we have taken several rides which were well over 500 miles each. It is amazing the unobstructed view I have from the back of the bike. When I hear “ride” I pack my fanny pack with the essentials like iPod, Cell Phone, Camera, Lipstick, and chewing gum and we are off…in pursuit of making a memory.

We also like to retreat in our motor home to local parks for uninterrupted R&R. We spent Valentines Day at Brackenridge RV Park in Edna, TX. Then, the entire month of August at Quintana Beach County Park in Freeport, TX my favorite…

Our family has celebrated several events together this year. The most important being the baptism of our granddaughter, Cheyenne. Her baptism was even more special because Richard had the privilege of baptizing her.