Taking Stock

Another year has ended. A new one has just begun. You have probably taken stock of what worked or did not work for you in 2018. What are you prepared to do about it? It is always helpful to be very candid with yourself when answering these questions. Were you able to accomplish all the goals you set for the year? Are you happy with where you are at? For some, maybe, things were just where you left off the year before (2017). No change, just the status quo. If that is how you want it, then that is just fine. If not, what kept you back from moving forward? You may want to reflect on those obstacles or stumbling blocks/barriers and what you can do to overcome them.

Lessons Learned!

It is also important to review the lessons learned throughout the year. For me, 2018 was a year of “majors”. We are given one life to live, just the one chance. It is our responsibility to ensure that we are living our best life to God’s glory. There are certain situations that can cause you a lot of grief and pain. You might have been hanging on for fear of displeasing others. However, the time comes when you realize that your joy in life, and a healthy state of mind, takes precedence over pleasing others. Sometimes you just need to walk away from those situations. That is perhaps the most liberating thing you can do for yourself. Go where you are loved and accepted, and your gifts and talents are welcomed and nurtured. Stumbling blocks can inhibit you from developing or fulfilling your potential in life. If you do not have the courage to take a stand, you might be in a “stagnant” state for the rest of your life. For me, this is the most important lesson that I learned in 2018.

Another important lesson that I learnt relates to trust. You find out that, sometimes, things are not as they seem. People may not be who they say they are, or who you think they are. You need to be able to trust people. When trust is broken, it sometimes causes irreversible damage. Some broken things cannot be fixed or may take time to fix. People do things to wound you, and you ask yourself what just happened? It is only God and time that heals all wounds. Yet still, it is important not to lose faith in humanity. Our God is a God of restoration. He is the Balm of Gilead, a balm that will sooth and heal any wounded soul.

The Icing On The Cake

My greatest accomplishment in 2018 was joining groups of like-minded people who are on the same journey as I am; growing in our faith as we fulfill our passion for writing. These individuals are willing to encourage you, share ideas, build you up, and pray for you. Yes, I have finally been able to connect with Christian bloggers, and what a revelation this has been! Believers who are willing to share their knowledge to bless and empower others. New ideas, innovative ways of doing things at last, new learning curves – like me trying to create designs for blog posts – heaven help us, lol. It is all good. Many, many thanks and blessings to my fellow bloggers all over. It has been a treat, thank you!  Looking forward to 2019.

Going Forward – 2019

What goals have you set for 2019?  A fellow blogger did a piece that really resonated with me; picking a word(s) to live by in 2019.

1. My greatest priority for 2019 is putting God first in everything. Going deeper in my relationship with the Lord, prayer, worship etc. Growing deeper roots in the faith. One of things I did was to buy a day timer for 2019 where I can log in my bible readings. I have always done this, but it simply consisted of writing down the scriptures I read in a note book. This year, I have started but this time, I actually reflect on the passages and jot down notes or any insights I may glean from the bible passages. I have disciplined myself to do my devotions daily but sometimes I feel like I am just going through the motions. Get it done, hurry off to work, and what have you. There has got to be more, so this year, I am digging and going deeper. Holy Spirit, how I need you!
2. Keep moving, don’t get bogged down – easy to say but it is that simple. Don’t let things get you down keep moving to the next level. Whatever happened in 2018, leave it there, don’t carry extra baggage into 2018. I had a situation happen on New Year’s day of all things. The outcome could have been totally different were it not for the wisdom from God. I was blindsided by an accusation from a friend. I was able to diffuse the situation without getting sucked into it or taking ownership of their stuff. After I explained myself, it became clear that the other party had misunderstood me. You see, I had already committed to myself at year end, that I was not going to do drama or carrying baggage. This was a good lesson for me; sometimes we let our emotions carry us away! In Isaiah 43:18, we are told that He is doing a new thing. We are to forget the former things. We can’t keeping doing the same old things. We need to learn new ways and grow into maturity especially we the believers.
3. Love and Humility – I heard a sermon last Sunday evening at church in which the speaker provided an interpretation of Matthew 11:12. It was not like anything I have ever heard said about this verse. The way he explained it, and I hope I am not misquoting him; “the only way we can take the kingdom violently is through “love and humility”. I will let you pause and think about that for a second. This statement had a profound impact on me. Think about all the problems and troubles we could eliminate in Christendom if we would individually commit to put on the mantle of “love and humility”. It is not an easy feat but God will give us the strength. In our own strength we can do nothing.

With that, I wish you a very heartfelt and happy new year. May you accomplish whatever you have set yourself to do this year. May the Lord help you as you go forth. All the best!

Yaa F. Attobrah