A new year is coming and with it brings all kinds of new possibilities. A new beginning, a new start, a new you! I am betting that each of you has made resolutions in the past only to see them quickly be left behind. How can we make this year different, how can we achieve our goals and dreams?

A resolution is really nothing more than a goal. It is saying that you “resolve” to make a change or do something. It is not really binding like a contract. If you don’t achieve what you set out to do then no one but yourself knows. I think that is why it is so easy to quit and throw down any resolutions that we make. Let’s change that right now.

Here is a simple contract that you can do for yourself. “I, ______________________, agree to do _____________________ for the month of __________________________. Notice that there is a short time frame of only one month. Most of us can do almost anything for 1 month. We can have a calendar and mark off the days when we accomplish our goals and it is a great visual for what you have accomplished and how much time is left. It is easy to get discouraged it your time frame is too long.

Secondly, be specific about what you want to do. Saying that you want to exercise is not specific. Saying that you want to walk 1 mile every day and do 15 situps and 30 lunges per day is being specific. Saying that you want to get healthy is not specific but saying that you want to drink 8 cups of water per day or cut out all caffeine is being specific.

Accountability. You need to tell someone your goal or better yet, find someone who shares the same goal as you. Talking every day about what you have done will help to get you in the mood to accomplish your goal. You might not care to let yourself down just this once but you might not be as eager to tell your best friend that you didn’t go through with the plan.

Day off. Everybody needs a day of rest, relaxation, and a day to do anything you want. Try not to sabotage yourself by eating an entire cake or smoking a whole pack of cigarettes but going out to dinner without counting every calorie would be nice for a change. Having that day off actually keeps you better motivated since you can see it marked on your calendar. “No reason to cheat on my diet today since Saturday is my off day.”

I try to break down my goals into different categories. I have Faith, Family, Health, Beauty, Work, etc. You can make your own categories yourself. You can have only 1 category or 15 categories.

2017 is now in the rearview mirror and there is not a lot that you can do to change that. BUT, it is now time to start fresh and start anew. We only do this one time a year when it comes to resolutions but the great thing is that we can start fresh and start anew at any given time with the Lord. He wipes away the slate when we repent. He forgives when we beg His forgiveness. He is always beckoning us to come to Him with open arms.

2 Corinthians 5:17  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 

I hope you have a Blessed Day!

Happy New Year!!!

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Whew, I am glad that I took these pictures before I left for Tennessee because a cold front has moved through now. It makes me shiver just looking at these pictures. I can already hear some of you saying that wearing a sleeveless top in the middle of he winter months is not smart but I’ll get to that later in the post. Also, after looking at these photos I can tell you that I will be adding arm exercises to my New Year’s resolutions. Dang, I need Michelle Obama to whip my arms into shape. Lol!

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This is the very last Friday left in 2017! What kind of plans do you have for the weekend? Joe and I are not party animals and I would be willing to make a bet that we don’t go anywhere for New Year’s Eve. UNLESS, since Ashleigh is in town she might “make” us have fun. Lol! I am sure we would only do it under protest. I don’t want to dress frumpy but I am guilty of acting frumpy sometimes.

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Wow! I can’t believe that the year is almost gone. It is time to start doing a little reflecting on the past year and a little planning for the upcoming year. I want to start a journal this year so that I can look back over it from year to year and see what happened throughout the year. You would think that I could do that with my blog but I am talking about doing a Gratitude Journal.

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Happy Hump Day from Day Mountain in Tennessee. I made the trek for the 2nd time in less than a week to Tennessee. This time I am at least staying longer than 1 hour before I turn around and head back to the house. Lol! Unfortunately, I don’t get to stay too much longer since I have to get back home to do end of year at the lumber company. This will be the first time that we have done the end of the year since we got a new computer system so this could be interesting.

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I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas with their families. We had a lot of fun here at the Stephens compound even though there was just a few of us. Because of some sickness with my sister-in-law’s family, we decided to celebrate with them next weekend. Woohoo! I get to do Christmas 2 weekends in a row! The real fun of Christmas is watching it through the eyes of a child.

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Merry Christmas everyone! Today I am spending time with my family and I hope you are doing the same. Please check back with me tomorrow and I will have a list of some of the best after Christmas sales for you. Until then, I am leaving you with the reason for the season.

And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. ² This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. ³ So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. ⁴ Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, ⁵ to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. ⁶ So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. ⁷ And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. ⁸ Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. ¹⁰ Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. ¹¹ For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹² And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” ¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: ¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” ¹⁵ So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶ And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. ¹⁷ Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. ¹⁸ And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. ¹⁹ But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.  

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Today (Saturday) has not turned out exactly like I had imagined that it would. Instead of finishing my Christmas shopping, wrapping presents, stocking up on groceries for Christmas Eve dinner and spending the day with my daughter, I have not gotten out of my pajamas or the bed for over an hour at a time. A weather front has moved through bringing horrible ran and a horrible sinus infection. So, medicine and some painkillers have taken what little thought process that I have and left me fuzzy headed and dizzy. The post I had intended to write will come another Sunday and instead, I am sharing with you a post from last year. I hope you enjoy today and that your day is filled with praise for Jesus and love for your family.

Mary Did You Know:

I have been giving a little thought to this. Jesus, the Savior, and Lord of the Universe was born in a stable. I began thinking about this from a mother’s point of view. We all want the best for our children. Would you have wanted your child to have been born in a stable? Would you have wanted your child to be ridiculed and crucified? Mary, did you know?

Mary might not have known all that was to come when she gave birth to Jesus but God knew. God knew that He was sending His one and only son to earth and He knew what the outcome was going to be. He Knew! I wore my By The Book bracelet the other day that had John 3:16 charms attached. I have recited this verse so many times that I have somehow let the meaning and the power of the verse leave me. But it starts out with, “For God so loved the world” He loved us so much! Here comes the hard part, “that he gave his only begotten son.” Who do you love so much that you would sacrifice your child for? I can not even begin to comprehend that amount of love. I can not even begin to comprehend the sacrifice that was made. Now for the wonderful part, “that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life!” Believe, trust, and have everlasting life.

I have always wondered about Abraham, when he took his only son, Isaac, to give as a sacrifice to the Lord. He trusted that the Lord was going to provide. He trusted when the Lord told him to sacrifice Isaac. He trusted! This has been a powerful illustration of complete trust. I don’t know if I would have passed. I don’t know if I could have taken my child knowing “he” was to be the sacrifice. I just don’t know.

But I do know that Jesus was God’s sacrifice. He was born and He was crucified so that we might have everlasting life. I know that the Lord loved us enough to sacrifice His son. I know that today I celebrate His birth. Merry Christmas Eve everyone!

Have a Blessed Sunday!

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Who is running around frantically still in search of Christmas gifts? Let me see a show of hands. Can you see my hand straight up in the air??? I am ALMOST finished but I still have a couple small gifts to get but I don’t want to get out in all the mess. The thing I hate the very worst of all is the parking.

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Di I mention that my daughter was coming in from Alaska? Yipee!!! Did I mention that she flys on Alaska Airlines? They are pretty much your only choice when you fly in or out of Juneau. The only downside is that they don’t fly everywhere so she has to fly to an airport that is close. When I say close I am talking either 5 or 6 hours away from me. She flew into Nashville and my mom and son went to pick her up.

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