Tag Archive | New Year

Clean and Clear For A New Year

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.