Happy New Year ... and some goals for January

Again this year, my wish and prayer for each of us is a happy, healthy, and spiritually prosperous year in 2018.  I often think about what the apostle John wrote to his friend Gaius in 3 John, verse 2: "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth."  Gaius obviously had such a strong, vibrant spiritual life that John prayed for his physical health to be as vigorous as  his spiritual state.  I wonder, what would our physical health look like if someone were to pray that prayer for us?  Something to think about in a new year!

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Meanwhile, even though I haven't set actual goals for the year yet, I have set a few goals for January:
 * Spend time reflecting on 2017 and considering my goals and a word for 2018
* Resume my informal study of Come Before Winter, by Charles Swindoll, for my quiet time
* Memorize at least 4 Bible verses and review some older ones.
* Add 4 to 8 pages to my "What Do I Know About My God?" Scripture notebook
* Continue study for Sunday School -- A Woman Who Reflects the Heart of Jesus
* Get to bed by 9 pm each night  
* Limit sugar and red meat.
* Drink enough water each day.
* Keep up with Flylady's homemaking zones of the week.
* Do something creative each day
* Post in my Christmas blog at least once or twice weekly
* Post in this blog most weekdays if possible
* Continue working on several UFO craft projects
* Plan for family birthday gifts and begin crafting any handmade ones
* Set up an Etsy shop and begin selling vintage items
* Write at least 4 encouraging notes to friends and family
* Send lengthy emails to several friends
* Call faraway friends to chat
* Learn more about cultured foods and begin making more of them
* Declutter and reorganize my closet
* Declutter and revamp computer room
* Help and encourage my local daughter as I'm able
* Clean church and set up for potluck meal
* Sort out and declutter my dad's house; work on estate
* Possibly plan a getaway with my hubby
* Make 2 photo calendars
* Plan meals with a greater emphasis on healthy eating

JANUARY'S HEALTHY HABITS:  Drink enough water/exercise/eat healthfully
WORD FOR 2018: Settled

And here is how December went:
* Work on Colossians Bible study in my quiet time † -- not done; I opted for a Christmas Scripture writing plan instead.
* Memorize at least 4 Bible verses and review some older ones -- only memorized 1 new verse, though I did review several older ones.
* Add 4 pages to my "What Do I Know About My God?" Scripture notebook  -- not done;  this is something I would typically do on weekends, but my Scripture writing plan included every day.
* Continue new study for Sunday School -- A Woman Who Reflects the Heart of Jesus -- done!
* Exercise or walk at least 20 times -- not done; I think I managed perhaps 10 times
* Get to bed by 9:30 pm each night -- not done consistently, but there were a few nights we got there by 9 pm, so that's my new goal.
* Limit sugar and red meat -- did quite well with red meat; not well at all with sugar.
* Drink enough water each day -- not done
* Drink kombucha each day -- not done; my kombucha became moldy (due to a small fly in it, I think) and I had to throw my scoby away.  I probably won't resume making kombucha until spring when the wood is out of the cellar.  These little flies came in with the wood.
* Keep up with cleaning and decluttering missions in homemaking zones of the week -- not done consistently, though I haven't done too badly with it.
* Post in this blog every day in December if possible -- not done; I managed 13 posts, though.  Not bad. 
* Post daily in my Christmas blog through December  -- done!
* Continue working on several UFO craft projects -- actually completed one of them!
* Continue planning for family birthday gifts and work on crafting any handmade ones  -- done!
* Declutter filing cabinets and bookshelves -- not done
* Write at least 4 encouraging notes to friends and family -- done!
* Help and encourage my local daughter as I'm able -- not done as often as I'd like to
* Clean church and set up for potluck meal -- done!
* Sort out and declutter my dad's house; work on estate -- not complete, obviously, but I'm saying done! because I did go there and work at it nearly every day.
* Plan meals with a greater emphasis on healthy eating  -- not done consistently
* Decorate for Christmas -- done!
 * Participate in an Instagram photo challenge for December -- done!
* Finish purchasing Christmas gifts; wrap; mail distant ones -- done! and the mailing was actually done early!
* Take three of our local grandchildren for our traditional Christmas outing -- done!
* Send out cards for a Christmas card swap I'm participating in -- done!
* Host a cookie swap for friends -- not in my original plan, but -- done!
* Make and carry out plans for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day -- done!
* Focus on Advent each day this month -- done!
* Continue upholding my husband as he continues on with our church's pastoral search -- done! (But unfortunately the search is not -- it continues on.)

 † I'll resume my informal study of Come Before Winter, by Charles Swindoll, sometime in the new year, depending on how my study of Colossians goes.

DECEMBER'S HEALTHY HABITS:  Drink enough water/exercise/eat healthfully/drink kombucha

WORD for 2017: Stewardship

I can hardly tell you how appropriate my word for 2017 turned out to be.  For a reminder of how I chose it, you can look back at this post: My 2017 word of the year.   Recall, too, the definition of "stewardship": "a person employed to manage another's property;  a person whose responsibility it is to take care of something." At the time I chose this word, in January, I had absolutely no idea that in a few short months I would literally have become a steward of an entire estate.  But that happened, and I take this stewardship very seriously.

In a few days I hope to post my new year goals and my word for 2018.  Stay tuned ....