New Year, New You?

So two weeks ago it was New Years Eve. Some look at New Years Eve as a time where anything old can be new again. The slate is wiped clean. Those resolutions made at the beginning of the year can be re-looked at and re-evaluated for the new year. It’s a second chance, or third, or fourth...heck even fifth chance (depending on where you are in your resolutions 😀) to make good on the work you wanted to put into yourself.

To be honest I’m not a believer of resolutions. I believe if you want to make a change it can be made now. So I was going into New Years thinking 2017 was pretty great and if it kept going that way, 2018 would be even better! Well there were other things brewing and clearly God had other plans.

I had plans for the first time in a few years and what I thought was going to be an awesome New Years, stumbled...just a bit. I still had a blast with some of my closest friends but it was different from what I expected.

I like to think God has a sense of humor. I believe He’s sitting there watching everything unfold (how I want it to unfold of course), and then He thinks; "well you may want that...but I don’t think so. How about this? Let’s see what you get out of this lesson." (Because everything is a lesson in our walk with God)

So the night wasn’t ruined, but hit a speed bump. The kind that makes you look at choices you’ve made, things you’ve done and think why did I spend this much time on (insert your scenario here)...and not on myself. Why did we spend that time not with God. Now no judgement here...it’s a safe zone. When I get too busy with work, home or life in general I let the important things slip. I let my time with God slip. We think missing one day doesn’t matter, but in fact it does. One day turns into two. Two turns into a week. Week turns into months...and I’m sure you know where I’m going with this...there goes 365 days of slipping.

"I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to the what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us." (Philippians 3: 12-14 NLT)

God made me realize that I was spending too much time thinking and doing things that were not for me to concern myself with. He had to remind me that yeah I think I can do it on my own...but He’s got me. He’s got me no matter what and that while I’m spending time with Him, it gives me opportunities to spend time with me, myself and I. It gives me time to look at myself and am I the best person I can be? Do I show love everywhere I go? Am I reflection of Christ’s love? Do I spend too much time thinking about my status (Facebook especially) and not taking time to look at the one relationship status that matters?

It's a wake up call. When I'm on Facebook or Instagram, I like looking for inspirational quotes, funny quotes, anything to inspire me. I follow a company called Single Swag. They are a monthly subscription box just for singles. No I haven't subscribed yet and probably won't just for the cost, shipping and the exchange rate. I digress from the point...lol. I had seen '5 Things to Quit Right Now'. I saved it to my phone thinking I may use it in a Grace To Be Loved Instagram post, but when the New Year's speedbump happened, I just happened to be going through my phone.

I saw this picture and immediately thought...

that's me.

Those 5 things are things I do all the time and really should quit. It's 5 things to make me a better me. To help me realize that I can take time for myself, take time for God and not be so hard on myself.

These past couple of weeks have been one of change for me. I already am beginning to feel like a different person. I realize my time and how much my time is precious. I need to be spending my time on things that are God pleasing and not Shawna pleasing. Psalm 51 says, "Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me-now let me rejoice. Don't keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt. Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me, Do not banish me from your presence, and don't take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you." (v8-12)

Now don't get me wrong and thinking I still don't do things for me. Believe me I do (Sims 4...lol...too much). But I make sure that opposed to vegging out and watching too much Netflix, I'm spending that time reading my bible. I'm journaling again. I'm getting through my massive pile of books that I haven't read yet (and it's a big pile!) I'm taking down time and me time. I'm letting things slide that used to seem important but really are not.

As we continue on this journey called life, I'd like to know...what is your 5 things to quit right now? Is there a way you can focus your energy on valuable things and not the spirit breakers? How has this new year been for you and have you seen things that needed to change? Leave a comment and let us know! We'd love to hear from you!