New Year ~ New Plans
Happy New Year!
Did you stare incredulously at 2022 when you turned the calendar page or watched the ball drop at midnight? My conversations with friends who have lived through several decades asked the same question, “Where has time gone?”
The answer: same place it always has, starting at midnight and ending on the same, day after day. It’s not the answer we were looking for, but neither is the question. The real questions are:
What will I do with my time? How will I choose to live in a year already ushered in by uncertainty? How can I make my days matter?
How will we answer?
“So teach us to number our days, that we may get a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12 ESV
I have loved scrolling through my social media news looking at pictures of friends whose children have grown to teens. Others I knew as kids, are now married with children. Many of my former college students have children in college or are grandparents. Hair color may now be gray and photos with aging parents tell us those twenty-four hour days have passed into years and decades-right on schedule.
So let’s get back to our questions:
What will I do with my time in 2022?
How will I choose to live in a year already ushered in by uncertainty?
How can I make my days purposeful?
We often choose resolutions—lose weight, exercise, de-clutter, find a hobby, eat healthy foods, carve out more time with friends, read the Bible in a year… We work hard to keep those goals but sometimes we lose enthusiasm or our good intentions are interrupted. By February or generously at mid-year, we haven’t met our goals.
As I reflected on the questions of purpose for 2022, social media and emails offered a few ideas to share today:
Ask fifty-two friends to send you a Bible verse and place in on your calendar with their name at the beginning of each week. Pray that verse for that friend during the week..
As you wear new clothing you unwrapped Christmas morning, use a gift card, or are still in the middle of exchanging/returning gifts, think about gifts you want to give Jesus this year. Is it committed prayer for family, friends, and your church written in a journal; seeking out a lonely individual and inviting her for coffee or lunch; volunteering or serving in some way? One of my Facebook friends and her family have written their gifts on note cards for the past fifteen years.
Read to enrich, expand your interests and enlarge knowledge. April White, posted a few creative approaches on her page..Look for new reads: browse book store shelves for a series, a book with a beautiful cover, a best seller, biography, something out of your usual genre, mystery, inspiration, non-fiction to learn something new,a book about another culture. And of course, one already on your shelf that you intended to get to a few months (years ago)
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Find a word or phrase to live by. Dayspring offers a word of the year test to guide you.
This year, may be the year to find a life verse or a verse for the year.. Click here for some direction.. It’s one way to reflect, be present, and move forward.
Reading through the Bible in a year, chronologically or in the traditional sixty-six books arrangement, is a plan many adopt year after year. Click here for a plan for you. My friend Lori Hatcher wrote an encouraging post to draw you nearer to God by adopting a reading plans.
Finally, build a jar of gratitude. At the end of each day, write something you are thankful for on a slip of paper. Wait until December to empty the jar and see all the amazement you experienced in 2022.
Does one of these appeal to you? Perhaps you have an idea to share with us? Join the conversation. We’d love to hear from you.
Looking forward to a meaningful year with you.
Happy 2022!
The Conversation
Thanks for the Happy New Year list of ways to make the year a bit more challenging and fulfilling than it might have been. You managed to assassinate a few of my familiar excuses in the process, but i do appreciate the number of options and the creative way you approached the usual challenges of settling on some kind of plan for moving ahead in 2022. I don’t think God intends that any of us reach some kind of comfortable plateau where we just drift along until life finally wears us out and we find our exit to Heaven. Whatever the road ahead might be, may God find us actively moving toward fulfilling His purpose in us. God bless you for sharing your insights. I look forward to a steady stream of them in the year ahead.
Ron, I agree, a comfortable plateau might be comfortable for a while, but eventually not satisfying, Yes, we need to find from the options, those that work for us. I was generally discouraged by reading through the Bible from a plan of three chapters Monday- Saturday and five on Sunday. Though I wasn’t competing with anyone, the thought of not finishing disturbed me and it became stressful. Last year, reading chronologically and this year, in another way, suits me. It’s an individual choice- hence giving my readers some creative ideas that offer personal satisfaction and growth. Happy New Year! Marilyn
I used several of the Bible.com APP last year and really liked it. My alarm goes off in the morning and I start the app – I liked the devotions by Nicky Gumble followed by the readings of the chapters. The Bible Project is also great with short videos explaining the chapters you are going to read. (or I should say listen to with both of those).
Jackie
Thank you for sharing, Jackie.
Great ideas! Reading more is something I always shoot for. I love the idea of thinking of how to give to Christ as we enjoy the gifts we received.
I love all your ideas, Marilyn. They are wonderful ways to put our focus on something positive for this year instead of remembering the despair we may have experienced last year. Happy New Year!
Thanks for the great suggestions, Marilyn. I love the idea of praying a Bible verse for friends each week. Happy new year to you and yours!
Leigh, Four people have invited me to give them a verse to pray. When I respond I ask them for one and mark it on my calendar. That week we are specifically praying for each other. They are FB “friends” so that makes it more special-not people I see on a regular basis. Marilyn
Amen! What great questions we should ask ourselves. Am saving these to refer back to at least quarterly. If we can’t measure it, we can’t improve upon it. God’s blessings and a very happy and blessed 2022 my friend. Such an inspiring message this week. Thank you!
JD, thank you and a Happy New Year to you. I agree–measuring is a good idea. As for one of the suggestions, I write the title of a book I’ve read on my calendar and number it. By December 31, I know how many I’ve read that year. Marilyn
These are wonderful suggestions, Marilyn. Thank you for sharing. This upcoming year is a gift to us and you’ve given us wonderful ideas as to how we can bless others through the gifts we are given. Wishing you many blessings in 2022.
Marilyn, your post is one of the best I’ve read with a new year focus. Your questions and list of ideas are inspirational and practical. I plan to read a chronological Bible this year in a new translation. A friend suggested the idea and I’m excited about it.
Wonderful suggestions, Marilyn. May God grant you a year full of blessings and joy.
Thank you Debbie, and to you too!
Thanks for some great suggestions of how to not only start the year out right, but spend my days on purpose.
Great thoughts on how to start off 2022!
Thank you for sharing these thoughtful ideas. ❤️
You’re welcome. Glad to have you join the conversation! Marilyn
Thank you for the super-practical ideas to start the new year right, Marilyn. The one that sticks with me is choosing gifts to give to Jesus throughout the year.