Yes, I know this is being published after the first month of 2018 is almost over. Sometimes it takes more time to settle into rhythms and completely evaluate your goals and plans, and that’s okay.

The days leading up to a new year are by far my favorite days of the year. This past year, I wrote in a bullet journal every single day. I wrote down the Psalms and Proverbs that I read that day along with some provided commentary that I felt was important, anything funny or memorable that was said, and anything that I was grateful for or knew would be nice to remember. Sitting down at the end of 2017 and reading through all of the memories I made was one of the most cathartic ways I’ve ever ended a year.

My resolution for 2017 was this: Remove things and people from your life that don’t challenge you, change you, or encourage you to grow. This resolution spurred from all of the pain, guilt and regret that I had brought upon myself or let others do to me in the previous year, so for 2017 I was ready to be at peace.

2017

I firmly believe the whole saying that you become who you spend the most time with; I am at a point in my life where I feel like the people I have in it need to be my home team. I only want people who will encourage me, challenge me to learn and grow, and cheer me on through all the successes and failures. Leaving 2017 I truly felt like I had reached a point where everyone in my life is on my home team, that these were the people I would want to have at my wedding if the good Lord ever blesses me with a husband. I have never felt any better about the people who have chosen to be in my life and for that, I am especially grateful.

Looking to 2018, I had a very hard time coming up with a resolution that seemed fitting because I felt like what I had accomplished in 2017 just needed to carry over into the new year. I had established priorities and set certain intentions in place that just needed to be tended to, so instead of sticking to a resolution, I decided to choose a word instead. For 2018, my word is: cultivate. The definition of cultivate that I’m shooting for is to apply oneself to improving or developing, specifically in regards to my relationships, skills, and understanding. I want to invest in my friends and family this year. I want to keep honing in on my web skills and other creative outlets. I want to learn more about the world around me and how I can help and serve those who are living in it.

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I’ve set a few more tangible goals that I’m looking forward to working to accomplish and I am oh so excited about them all. 2018 holds a lot of big events and life happenings that I’m anticipating with all of the enthusiasm and hope. 2018 started on a Monday with a full moon, and I just have a feeling it’s going to be a great year!

I love the idea of a fresh, new year. But I wish we grasped that each day holds the same newness, according to Scripture. Possibility. Hope. The turning of a page. Lamentations 2:22-23: “His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” – Lisa R. Whittle

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