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Happy New Years!!

Happy New Years everyone! 2019 is officially here! Some parts of last year felt like they went by so slowly while other parts feel like they were a blur. But overall, 2018 was a good year and I have a feeling 2019 will be a good year too. 2019 is a new season of life for me and others and I'm so excited to see what God has planned for myself, friends and family.

I know I've already posted my goals for 2019 but there are a few more I want to add. Since writing the Looking Forward to 2019 post, I had a few epiphanies that I think are important.

First of all, one of the authors I follow on Instagram wrote a post today about the difference between dreams and goals. Goals are achievable. They can be accomplished. Dreams can be too, but sometimes certain dreams are out of our control and when we fail to accomplish that dream, we fail. She said how she really wanted to sell a book in 2019. To pitch a book to her agent and get it out there. But that's not a goal. That's a dream because what the publishing industry decides to do with her book is out of her control. However, she can make a goal to work on that book. To revise it and write it and make it the best it can be. That's a goal that can be accomplished and that she won't fail at. I'm glad I read that post because it gave me a different perspective on my goals for 2019. I need to separate my dreams from my goals. My dream for this year is to get an agent or contract and have my book traditionally published. That isn't a goal because if I don't succeed it isn't necessarily my fault. But a few goals I can accomplish to make my dream more likely to succeed is to make my book the best it can be. To write it, revise it, edit it to the best of my abilities. To research agents and publishers so I'm educated and not going into this blind. To write the best query letter I can and to make my book worth publishing. Those are goals I can accomplish, goals that work toward my dream. I guess it's all about perspective and perspective can actually be very important.

Second of all, Sunday's sermon really made me think. The pastor's main idea was God is better than me and He desires my response more than my religion. He went into how God is so much greater than us and we need to humble ourselves before Him, knowing that He is greatest and He has control. God doesn't want us going through the motions. He doesn't desire for us to go to church, to worship, to fellowship, to read our Bibles just to check them off a list. God desires us to do those things out of response to our love for Him, the teachings in the Word and the guidance of the Spirit. I think everyone can always use some work on both of those things, especially the humbleness and I'm no exception. This year I want to be intentional in the way I respond to God's Word and I want to spend time listening for Him and the guidance of the Spirit. I feel like all this year I've been kind of numb... I've kind of been going through the motions. I haven't felt close to God or connected to him. I haven't felt the stirring of the Spirit and I've just been going to church, reading the Bible, praying because that's just what I'm supposed to do. But in the past few weeks, something really clicked and I'm starting to feel more connected to God, more in tune with Him and I think that's because I've been praying more, making Him more of a part of my every day life. I've also been reading through Luke. Really reading through Luke and not just skimming over the words blindly. Not to mention I have an awesome best friend and parents who give me a lot of Godly wisdom and insight. My spiritual goals for this year is to be humble, to learn how to wait patiently with the Lord and to be intentional with my reading and prayer time.

Anyways, here's to a great 2019! I hope you all have a great New Year's Day and a safe, fun, healthy year to come. :)

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