if i had to describe last year in one word, i think it would be culmination. a lot of things i've given my blood, sweat and tears for came to fruition. it seems every aspect of my life was so richly blessed. it was kind of a breather year, a chance to regroup, to pause, to reflect and enjoy life. it was a year full of tender mercies. i am so grateful and so thankful.
and now it's 2012. i love when things are new and shiny and fresh and clean. i love making resolutions, recommitting myself to values i believe in, dreaming and envisioning exactly what i want my life to look like and finding out ways to make that happen. last year i only made one goal: DO NOT SHOP AT WALMART.
ta duh! i was a success.
this year, i'm feeling like i can handle a little more. it's time to push a little farther out of my comfort zone. i feel the yearning to be better, to be more, to close some of the gaps between the person i am and the person i want to be. and so, i have been making lists, planning, changing, deleting all my game apps off my phone.
i am ready. i am ready to say: thy will be done. the words to this talk by robert d. hales moved me and inspired me to make this shift, this change.
To wait upon the Lord means planting the seed of faith and nourishing it “with great diligence, and … patience.”
It means praying as the Savior did—to God, our Heavenly Father—saying: “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done.” It is a prayer we offer with our whole souls in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Waiting upon the Lord means pondering in our hearts and “receiv[ing] the Holy Ghost” so that we can know “all things what [we] should do.”
As we follow the promptings of the Spirit, we discover that “tribulation worketh patience” and we learn to “continue in patience until [we] are perfected.”
Waiting upon the Lord means to “stand fast” and “press forward” in faith, “having a perfect brightness of hope.”
It means “relying alone upon the merits of Christ” and “with [His] grace assisting [us, saying]: Thy will be done, O Lord, and not ours.”
As we wait upon the Lord, we are “immovable in keeping the commandments,” knowing that we will “one day rest from all [our] afflictions.”
i don't know what this year will look like, but i envision myself more often on my knees, more often with my scriptures open, more often seeking the answers from my heavenly father. i am ready for him to make more out of me than i have been able to myself.
what are your resolutions this year? do you set the bar low or high? do you pick a theme like i do? inspire me!
great thoughts from that talk. i remember the first time i heard the phrase "waiting upon the Lord" and realized that's hard. really, really hard. however, once i came to believe and trust "thy will be done", that was the most freeing thing ever.
ReplyDeletelast year i tried the theme approach to resolutions and it turned out great for me. i'm doing it again this year too.
Great insights. And, it's something I definitely struggle with.
ReplyDeleteMy major resolution this year is to become healthier in every aspect of my life. Last year was kind of a bust for me. I became more depressed, overweight, and spiritually alone than I have ever been. This year will be all about coming back to a better, healthier me. That's why I started my Getting Healthy blog. It helps me organize my thoughts and feelings. Right now, I'm focusing mainly on the weight part of it because with school, I feel like I can't do much else. But, I'm putting a few other things in there too so I can progress in the other areas during the next 3.5 months as well.
Good luck to you! Good luck to us! :)
PS--I guess I can't say "than I have ever been" because that's not true. But, I became more of those things than I have been in a very long time and if I continue down that path, then the "than I have ever been" will become true and I definitely don't want that.
ReplyDeleteYou're inspiring.
ReplyDeleteMy goal will be less stress. I want to be organised the best I can so I won't be mad at myself anymore because I'm not doing things enough on time and Consequently undergo everything (and make my family undergo too)
Excuse my English hope it makes sense.
i'm feeling a little superficial that my main goals are to have a baby and lose weight. but those are important too, right?
ReplyDeleteit made me so happy to hear that this past year has been really great for you. you deserve it so, so much. i love you and hope 2012 holds even more great things in store.
and you got a new drive way!!! that's an exciting thing - right?
ReplyDeletewhat? I want a new drive way!
ReplyDeleteThis post is amazing. I am letting the whole month of January be a time to stew and recover from and evaluate last year. February marks the beginning of my resolutions and goals.