Friends, I hope you had a wonderful Christmas! If you’re like me, even though it was so much fun now you’re exhausted! I feel like I’m in recuperation mode from all the festivities and yet, here comes New Year’s!
I’m one of those people who loves New Year’s. Not the day, necessarily. The day is usually boring. But the whole idea of a second chance. A time to start over. One more chance to “get it right.” Maybe this is from my struggle with perfectionism because I’m fully aware that I’ll never “get it right”, but I sure do like the challenge.
The other day I was thinking about how gracious God is to have given us opportunities through the organization of time to “start over.” No matter how bad the hour, day, week, month, year, decade, or generation, there’s always another one coming to “start over.”
“weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5).
Since Christmas has ended I’ve moved into planning for the new year, and I wanted to share some of my favorite things to prepare.
1. Powersheets by Lara Casey
I’ve used Powersheets for several years, and I like them a lot! They are goal planning sheets that help you think about your life as a whole and what type of legacy you want to leave. Then they help you break down those goals into action steps you can do today to “make it happen” which is the mantra for Powersheets.
Powersheets come in a spiral bound book that is divided into months with plenty of planning pages in the front to help you think about what truly matters to you. It is a meaty planning system, but if you use it, it’s awesome!
The only struggle is you have to devote time to use them if you want to use them well and for them to work for you. So I schedule on my calendar “work on my powersheets” each month. A bonus to help with this, though, is there is a large online Facebook community to help you and Lara Casey offers a lot of support through her blog and webcasts.
2. The Simplified Planner by Emily Ley
This is the planner I used last year. I liked it so much because there is an entire sheet for each day with a column for hourly planning and a column for a to-do list. At the bottom is a place for “Menu” and “Notes.”
I haven’t purchased a planner this year, yet, but I will most likely end up purchasing this one again. I was trying to use an Amazon gift card to purchase a planner, but all the ones I’ve looked at don’t have an entire page per day. And I write a lot!
The Simplified Planner also comes in different formats if you don’t need the daily planner.
3. Beth Moore’s Siesta Scripture Memory Team
Every other year Beth Moore hosts a scripture memory challenge on her blog. You memorize two verses a month – one every two weeks – which I feel is very doable. She gives the idea of purchasing spiral bound index cards to record your verses, and she even has some SSMT ones for sale.
I’m doing it this year!! Scripture memory is not easy for me, but I know it is so very important!!
4. Plan to Eat
Plan to Eat is the online system I use for menu planning. I’ve used it for several years, and love it! You can save recipes from the web in your personal recipe book, and you can even follow your “friends” recipes. It also organizes a shopping list for you based on what you plan for the week.
5. Prayer for Girls Monthly Prayer Calendar
I love the Prayer for Girls community! Each month Teri Lynne creates a prayer calendar for you to use to pray for your girls (and for yourself!). Starting in January it’s going to change a little bit. The theme is Connection, and the prayer calendar will be of prayers that you can pray with your girl – not just for her. The calendar also comes with discussion questions.
I can’t wait to use this with EG!
6. My Rodan and Fields stuff!
Full disclosure, I am a Rodan and Fields consultant. So of course I love all the products, but there are a few I love this time of year!
The Microdermabrasion Paste is perfect for the cold, dry weather, and the big container lasts a long time! I’ll start using the Sunless Tanner soon, and it’s truly the best I’ve used – no orange marks or streaks! And then I’m about to start using the Reverse regimen for sun damage since summer sun is on its way!
Plus, Rodan and Fields has been a financial blessing this past year, and I’m excited to start 2017 and keep the momentum going! If you’d like to learn more about how to earn some income from home, I’d love to talk to you!
7. A Good Bible Study
I am presently in Bible Study Fellowship (BSF), and so I am not doing another Bible Study, but I have my eye on a few for the summer.
Last summer I started Seamless by Angie Smith, but didn’t finish it. However, I highly, highly recommend it! I plan to finish it this summer. It gives you a good understanding of the Bible as a whole story.
If you are interested in Bible Study Fellowship, it’s an international organization with groups all over the world. Most likely there’s one in your area. This year we’re studying the book of John.
8. A Book List
Okay, so I LOVE to read, but I’m having a hard time finding the time! This year I hope to read at least one book a month with the big goal of reading two.
I came across this Christian Reading Challenge on Tim Challies’ blog, and I thought it was a neat idea. Basically you read a different genres of books throughout the year so that you read a well-rounded variety.
So there you go! My favorite things! Maybe I’ll share some of my goals for the year on the blog, too. I’ve never done that before, but it might give me some accountability! Above all, Happy New Year’s, friends!! May this year, above all else, be ALL ABOUT JESUS! Have a fun weekend!
I would LOVE to hear your favorite things to start a new year! Please share in the comments!
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