Bringing in the New Year-Resolutions or Commitments?

It may seem odd that I am writing about ringing in the New Year on January 15th, but then maybe it’s taken me 15 days to really think about 2018 and what I want for this year.

Today it is very cold outside and predicted to get even colder in the next few days. I know for some in other parts of the country, this cold I’m experiencing is something you would consider balmy.

I took a goal setting, organizing class yesterday and found out a lot about myself . . . this creative, what I’ve always thought to be a somewhat organized person has a whole lot yet to learn.  Or shall I say, accomplish, in the art of organization and goal setting.

I am that person who has multiple lists going on at the same time and loves to check off boxes, or better yet, line them off the page in a dark inked pen, announcing to me and anyone else who might see it, “I’ve finished this one!”  Some of these lists are lost in various places, stuck in a side pocket of a purse, forever stuck away in a drawer, or worse yet, filed carefully so as not to lose.  And if it ever appeared while cleaning out said file or drawer, would have no meaning to me whatsoever.

So this morning I vowed to be organized today.  I arose early, got my coffee and worked on this week’s lesson for my Bible Study.  For some reason, whether it is related to being organized or not, I decided to sit down in my breakfast room to have my breakfast.  What a novel idea!  This was quite unique to me as normally I would eat while sitting at my dressing table putting on my makeup (I know that sounds like opposite multi-tasking) or sitting in my chair watching the morning news.  I learned a few things as I ate, looking out on the backyard through the huge bay window.

1.  Despite the thick, insulated glass of my bay window, it’s pretty chilly here on a day like today.  Next time wear socks along with your slippers.
2. My eyesight is not good enough to read the thermometer perched on the post on the patio only five feet away.  I don’t think it ever has been.  Why do I even have that thermometer out there if I have to go outside to read it? Perhaps I should consider a digital one rather than the old-fashioned red mercury with the tiny lines that are indistinguishable even to the best of eyes. That thermometer has hung there for years.  Maybe it’s time for a change.
3. My yard really needs a good raking, even though my grass probably appreciates the cover on cold wintery days like this.  Always look for the positive.
4. My two cats, Bandit and Cali, are curious as to why I’ve invaded what they believe to be “their space” as this is where their cat tree and food bowl is. I usually just pass through from the kitchen to the living room or enter to feed them.  Stop and say hello to your neighbors more often; explore new areas, even if they are old.  You may find a diamond in the rough if you just pass by.
5. God will join you for breakfast, no matter where you choose to eat it.  And if you are still, turn off the noise, hearing only the soft ticking of the clock on the wall, He will reveal to you so many wonders other than the messy, leaf-laden yard.  He wants so much to show you these things, fill you anew with His love and if we really listen, answer some of our nagging questions.

Perhaps that is one of the most important appointments I need to schedule as I go about organizing my days from now on.