Regrets & Resolutions

This week At The Well is hosted by my dear friend, LauraLee. Here are the thought questions she put to us:
The New Year is a time for us to let go of the past and look forward to newness. Everyone thinks about that differently. Answer any of these questions, all the below, or just give your thoughts about the New Year.

1. What is your favorite "resolution" in the Bible?

2. Do you do a New Year's resolution? Why or why not? Does your family make a resolution together?

3. Usually a resolution comes as a result of regretting something you didn't do the year before...how do you let go of the regret and move forward?

4. (optional...only if you wish to share) Have you ever made a resolution in the past that you didn't keep and wish you had?

Okay, to be perfectly honest with you, I cannot remember the last time I made a New Year's Resolution. It took me about two year's failed resolutions to realize they didn't work for me. Thankfully, I found what does. Goals.

I like to dream big. If you don't dream big, you end up with small, and in my case, barely enough to squeak by. One of my favorite quotes is:
When you reach for the stars, you may not quite get one, but you won't come up with a handful of mud either. ~Leo Burnett
So I dream big and reach for the stars. Yes, it means I don't quite reach my goals (as Joanne can attest to. LoL) but it keeps me moving forward and that forward motion is so important.

For this year I have writing goals, Bible reading goals (Cover to Cover, chronologically in 2009), and now, new this morning, I have Scripture memory goals, which I want to share with you. My friend Kristen posted about this and it was exactly what I've needed and wanted, and I'm soooo excited! Beth Moore, at the LPM blog, has encouraged and challenged us to join her in memorizing 24 verses (of our choice) this year. There's a huge accountability team there (when I just checked and there's 2936!) and I joined in. (For those of you wanting to memorize John 15, go visit Vonnie, that's what she's doing this year!) Scripture memory is something I used to do as I walked in the mornings, but when that ended, so did my memorization time and I've missed it greatly. I'm starting with Philippians 3:13-14. I've got my 3x5 card on my keyboard and I'm working on it.

The week between Christmas and New Year's is a time of looking back, evaluating and then looking forward for me. In that order. It's an important time for me, and yes, regrets do play a part in there, but I do not dwell on them. I use them as a tool to push me forward so that they don't weigh me down. How? By giving it to God and forgetting what lies behind and pressing forward. (Which happens to be the first verses to memorize this year! LoL, imagine that.)

Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead; I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. ~Philippians 3:13-14


Don't forget to join us at LauraLee's for links to more At The Well thoughts.

7 comments:

  1. Love it, Peej. I'm going to try to join Vonnie with her Scripture memory team for accountability. Beth Moore's is awesome too. Goals are a great thing, and I have a few of my own...though I have to break them down into tons of little goals with the way I'm wired. As usual, so thankful we can help each other by praying for one another and keeping each other focused. You're one of my many blessings from 2008, and already for 2009!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Memorizing Scripture is a wonderful way to start the new year. Love your beginning verse, May your year be blessed!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Peej,

    I like the word "goal" also...and the thought of reaching for the stars. I've always dreamed and stretched high. Sometimes those dreams take years to be fulfilled, but if I never reached, they wouldn't ever happen.

    Thanks for the "plug".

    *smile*

    Vonnie

    ReplyDelete
  4. Goal works for me so much better than resolution, too. And I find that if I set shorter term goals, such as monthly or quarterly, I do so much better. Then I can incorporate new ones along with the ones I am accomplishing. Scripture memory is an awesome goal for the year! Loved your post on this topic!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Great goals we all should have, more of the Word in us!

    Like that quote by Leo too.

    Rebecca

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi there! 2. I do not make New Year's resolutions because if I know of something that needs work, I want to be able to handle it right then and not "wait" for the New Year to do it. Blessings to you all!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I'm a goal girl too (and thanks for the plug, girlie! LOL). These sound wonderful--and I'll be here with encouragement - and damp pasta as needed! LOL

    ReplyDelete

Thanks so much for stopping by! I love hearing from you.

Blog Widget by LinkWithin

  © Blogger template Simple n' Sweet by Ourblogtemplates.com 2009. Design expanded and personalized by PattyWysong.com 2011.

Back to TOP