Friday, December 31, 2010

Another New Year Already? They Sure Seem to Get Here Fast

It barely seems possible but another year has passed and we are at the threshold of a new year. I remember old people telling me when I was a kid that years go by faster when you start getting older.  Though I'm far from being old, it seems to be true.

I didn’t set out to learn as much as I did this past year, but I was able to learn many things and hopefully will be able to apply that knowledge and make the upcoming year even better. There is an old saying that says you are never get too old to learn something new. I found out many things about me and several things about others this year. Some include;

* There are more people in the world that keep you as a “friend” that only want you around to use you if there is a need for you in their life. If everything is going smoothly in their lives, you won’t hear from them. When the going gets tough or something’s broke, they’ll buddy up to you again. Actually, I knew this before but it was even more present in this past year. Especially at work.

* No matter how much you pray, beg, plead, etc. The decisions of others are totally out of your control and you cannot force people to walk the “straight and narrow”. The world has lots of things to entice others and living for Christ has a small upside for people who love the things of the world and are enthralled by the things of the world.

* I am even more apathetic than I thought I was.

* I don’t get upset or downcast by the actions of others as much as I used to. If you have low expectations of others, it doesn’t upset you near as much when they fail to meet your expectations.

* Being loved is overrated.

* Being a “butthead” has limited positive benefits.

* Being alone is underrated.

OK, not everything I learned was a downer. There were several things I learned that are useful. Many of which were relationship oriented. If the Lord allows, I hopefully will have the opportunity to use them in the future.

If I look over the goals I had for the past year, I was able to make progress on some items also.

* I paid off my former spouse’s vehicle and freed up many dollars per month.

* I “pursued” getting to know a young lady even more this past year in an attempt to be more of a part of her life. During this time I found out that I was much more interested in her than she was interested in me. But at least I was able to hone my skills ;-)

* I made much progress in getting my finances in order.

When setting my goals for the upcoming year, I removed the items that are out of my control. For example, though I would love to have a relationship with my two Children, much of it is totally out of my control. No matter how much time and energy I devote to being part of their lives again, it’s pretty much up to them to make it happen. I can make myself available to them but that’s the extent of my control of the situation.

So far some of the goals I have are;

* Pay off my truck again this year
* Spend more time with in-depth Bible study. (less superficial study)
* Continue to overcome shortcomings/”addictions” of the past
* Increase charitable giving
* Work to build stronger relationships
* Learn to trust others more (not everyone is out to take from you, leave you, or stab you in the back)

Goals are important in your life. Each person needs a vision of what they want in the future. In Proverbs 29:18, God says that without a vision His people perish. I recommend that each person set aside time to map out your goals for the year. Not resolutions, they often disappear by the end of January and you’ve forgotten them in a very short time. But real, long term goals for your life. If you have a vision of where you want to be, you stand a better chance of getting there. Having them written down somewhere so you come across them on a regular basis improves the chances that you can accomplish the goals and improve your life.

Lastly, remember that some goals take longer to attain than others. Don't give up on any worthwhile goal that you set unless God tells you to move on.



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Proverbs 29:18 (The Message)
If people can't see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; But when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed.

Philippians 4:6 (English Standard Version)
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

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