After having a challenging 2007, Jeff and I adopted the slogan, “2008 is gonna be great!”  I think we then moved on to “2009 is gonna be fine!” and it was a very fine year but since it also included the birth of our second child, I think we were a bit tired so by the end I think we said: “2010, here we go again!”

Of course we all have hopes for each new year. From the time I was very little I remember loving the feeling of a fresh sheet of paper. A freshly sharpened pencil. A new journal.  Clean.  No mistakes.  No messy eraser marks yet.  No torn out pages.  Gobs of potential.

That’s always how I’ve felt about the New Year as well. I love fresh starts.  They remind me that God’s mercies are new every morning.  The rhythms and seasons provide new opportunities for growth. They provide blessed second chances. Do-overs.  Mulligans.  I’m thankful for them. Aren’t you?

I usually enter the new year with a full head of steam.  I think this is the first year I’ve entered feeling not so confident.  Perhaps it’s just having a cold, or being 30, or maybe just a tad more realistic.  I do believe God’s going to do great things, but I’ll admit–I’m a little bit scared of what they are.

So this year my motto is “2011: Eyes fixed on heaven.”

Cheesy? Maybe. But it perfectly summarizes my heart’s desire for this year.  I so long for God to help me get my eyes off myself and my imperfections and my stuff, and onto His beauty, His glory, and ultimately, His home prepared for us where we will be with Him forever.  If I truly believe heavenly rewards are real, my life will be different.   If our hope is really set on eternity, the stuff of life will be in proper perspective.  Lofty goal?  Yes. But I’d rather grow an inch in that direction than a million miles any other.

So I think that both abstract desires and concrete goals both have their place. So while that is my abstract desire, which I will make the object of my prayer, I do have some concrete goals to accompany it.  I’ll include those tomorrow.  You see, one of my 2011 goals is to write every day, so I have to shorten my posts significantly if this is ever going to work!

By grace, with joy,

Kari


4 thoughts on “2011 Motto”

  1. I love it Kari not cheesy at all! And I am so with you, growing in that direction far out weighs any other. I also have a goal of writing every day! So thankful also for new beginnings!

  2. Kari,
    No, it isn’t cheesy!
    I am focused on “NOW” and looking forward so I guess that can be similar to looking towards heaven.
    Thank you for the post!

    Debbie

  3. Love it, Kari, and so appreciate your insight. Yes, indeed, an eternal focus is what we all need to keep us grounded and yet anticipating God’s plan for each of us.

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