Sacred Mundane: The Blog

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

I copied these questions from (in)Courage, posted by Simple Mom.  I thought they’d be fun for some New Year Reflection. Copy them and do some reflection yourself. If one stands out to you, please share it with me!

20 Questions for a New Year’s Eve Reflection

1. What was the single best thing that happened this past year? Reading The Hole in our Gospel.

2. What was the single most challenging thing that happened? Reading The Hole in our Gospel. 🙂

3. What was an unexpected joy this past year? Taking a plunge in the area of giving.

4. What was an unexpected obstacle? Battling some discouragement and feelings of failure.

5. Pick three words to describe 2010.  Eye-opening, Challenging, Humbling

6. Pick three words your spouse would use to describe your 2010 (don’t ask them; guess based on how you think your spouse sees you). Challenging, stretching, faith-building

7. Pick three words your spouse would use to describe their 2010 (again, without asking). Growing, exciting, challenging

8. What were the best books you read this year? The Hole in our Gospel, The Help, An American Childhood.

9. With whom were your most valuable relationships? Jeff, my parents.

10. What was your biggest personal change from January to December of this past year? Probably having a complete turn-around of my “American Dream”. A new goal, new vision, new desires in the area of finances and giving and “stuff”.

11. In what way(s) did you grow emotionally? I don’t know… I feel more emotional than ever.  🙂

12. In what way(s) did you grow spiritually? Definitely challenged by how I define myself, what my motivations are, why I do what I do.  Ugh. Challenging and humbling but I know it’s good.  A big area of growth was in prayer–starting the morning prayer meeting at church has been awesome.

13. In what way(s) did you grow physically? Not much different.

14. In what way(s) did you grow in your relationships with others? Relationships less based on insecurity. Hopefully more able to be others-centered.

15. What was the most enjoyable part of your work (both professionally and at home)? I loved teaching James!!  And at home, have loved teaching Dutch his Bible verses.

16. What was the most challenging part of your work (both professionally and at home)? Certain aspects of Women’s Ministry challenge me a lot… Certain aspects of parenting challenge me a lot… Marriage is good. It’s my safe haven.

17. What was your single biggest time waster in your life this past year? Probably time spent dwelling on mistakes and failure.  Or time spent dwelling on how I’m not good enough to do whatever it is I’m doing.  That’s a waste. Oh, and time spent looking online at boots. I do not need new boots even though I always think that I do.

18. What was the best way you used your time this past year? Reading through the Bible, teaching and training my kids, reading, writing, praying.

19. What was biggest thing you learned this past year? Without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that he rewards those who seek him. (Heb. 11:6)

20. Create a phrase or statement that describes 2010 for you. Crumbling me. Trusting Him.  Rewards are real.  He is good.