May you be blessed in the new year!<\/p>\n
\u00a0Resolved or Decided?<\/h1>\nToday is the day that many are making their resolutions for the new year; they are setting goals. A resolution is a \u201cformal expression of opinion or intention\u201d and a goal is \u201cthe result or achievement toward which effort is directed.\u201d (Definitions are from dictionary.com.) How long will that intention or effort last? How long did it endure last year?<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\u00a0\u00a0I decided that there will not be any resolutions this year. Instead, I am going to make decisions.<\/div>\n\u00a0For me, it\u2019s not about the lofty goals for the next year; it is about the daily decisions that must be made to make those intentions or achievements a reality. I have learned this year that the most important action I can take is not to look way ahead to where I think I want to be but to simply take the next step in following the path the Lord has put front of me.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nPlanning a path is futile if a step is never taken to move along the path.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"Path\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/myheart4home.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/Path-200x300.jpg?resize=275%2C413&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nI know the priorities that God has placed on my heart for this next year,<\/div>\nand I know that the changes required will not be easy in human terms but that<\/div>\n\u201cI can do all things through Him who strengthens me.\u201d (Philippians 4:13, NASB).<\/div>\nKnowing that, I am able to make the following decision:<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\u201cBrethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do:<\/div>\nforgetting what lies behind and reaching forward<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n[I commit myself to a day and a life of reaching forward]<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nto what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n[relationship, vision, health]<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nfor the prize<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n[eternal reward]<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\nof the upward call<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n[ministry to my family, church, and community]<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nof God in Christ Jesus.\u201d\u2014Philippians 3:13-14, NASB<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nThis past year continued to be one of change for us and it was not an easy path to walk. Those changes have truly taught me that when you can\u2019t see what is ahead, you just stay on the current path until God<\/strong> changes your direction. Since I don\u2019t know what this new year will hold, I have decided to put one foot in front of the other as I move along the path of learning how to share with others what the Lord has blessed me with—<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0I decided that there will not be any resolutions this year. Instead, I am going to make decisions.<\/div>\n
\u00a0For me, it\u2019s not about the lofty goals for the next year; it is about the daily decisions that must be made to make those intentions or achievements a reality. I have learned this year that the most important action I can take is not to look way ahead to where I think I want to be but to simply take the next step in following the path the Lord has put front of me.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Planning a path is futile if a step is never taken to move along the path.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
I know the priorities that God has placed on my heart for this next year,<\/div>\n
and I know that the changes required will not be easy in human terms but that<\/div>\n
\u201cI can do all things through Him who strengthens me.\u201d (Philippians 4:13, NASB).<\/div>\n
Knowing that, I am able to make the following decision:<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u201cBrethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do:<\/div>\n
forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
[I commit myself to a day and a life of reaching forward]<\/em><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
[relationship, vision, health]<\/em><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
for the prize<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
[eternal reward]<\/em><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
of the upward call<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
[ministry to my family, church, and community]<\/em><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
of God in Christ Jesus.\u201d\u2014Philippians 3:13-14, NASB<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
This past year continued to be one of change for us and it was not an easy path to walk. Those changes have truly taught me that when you can\u2019t see what is ahead, you just stay on the current path until God<\/strong> changes your direction. Since I don\u2019t know what this new year will hold, I have decided to put one foot in front of the other as I move along the path of learning how to share with others what the Lord has blessed me with—<\/div>\n
![\"Signature\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/myheart4home.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Signature1-e1416283765459.jpg?resize=119%2C53&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"