{a new year & a life plan}

Dear Life,

Today I celebrate a new year…we have made it through the first year of my dad’s death. Today’s a new chance to move through the hard days with the knowledge that I got through a year…so I can get through the next. I hope I can find a little more joy this year and seek to not take you for granted for one second. Sometimes you are too much for me. I love my LIFE and I love how it has gone so far but I wonder how well I’m doing with you. Most days I want to seek a more meaningful LIFE, but I don’t know where to start to improve it. Should I start with trying to focus on my health or increasing my prayer life? Is it more important to focus on being there for my husband and/or my kids? Or wait…what about my neighbors, my friends, my extended family and the ministries I’m involved in…where do they find a place in my LIFE? My “word” for 2013 has been {FOCUS} because try as I may I cannot seem to stick to one task for more than a few minutes at a time. I don’t even watch TV without another device in my hands. Ahhh. Sometimes I just want to unplug, reset and figure out how to {FOCUS} on you…but how do I do that? Do you understand? You are my LIFE after all…so hopefully you have seen a lot and you know me pretty well. I need a new plan. I’m starting to think about my “word” for 2014 and I want to continue to {FOCUS} but I need to do more {or maybe I need to do less}. I stumbled upon THIS blog post {by Ann Voskamp} last year. If you want to read all about it please be sure to scroll down to the numbered explanation. It is a great way for me to look at you dear LIFE as I know that you are precious and with God’s help I can figure more of you out. I love the way Ann teaches us to find rhythms in our days, to memorize God’s word, to count gifts. I loved her book One Thousand Gifts {and while it’s not for everyone, it was life changing for me}. This post of hers is brilliant and I just love it. I don’t have all the answers yet…but hang in there with me while I try to figure it out this LIFE here on earth…would you? Happy New Year!

Sincerely {and happily},

*laura*