A New Year Dawning...

What am I planning? Nothing really. We don't do alot of the usual hype for New Year's. First, it's mainly a party atmosphere and that's just not our thing. We don't do church -- it's mostly games and food and chatter, with a quick prayer for the coming year tossed in for good measure.

I have pretty much always had young children in the house. LOL...seriously, looking back, I've literally always had a young one, or two, or three...for the past 20+ years. We don't stay up late just to see if something magical will happen at midnight. We might make it until at least one time zone passes into the next day, but usually not our own zone.

Tonight we are going to play a couple of games, make some popcorn and head to bed fairly early. Our church is meeting, being Wednesday anyway, and I believe they are having some food and a such. We aren't going. Yes, because it's New Year's and we just don't, but also because I got into something over the past several weeks and have a nice allergic reaction still brewing :o( I' taking a steroid pack this week and so far, just a day into it, I'm more relieved than I've been in the past many weeks. I don't like the idea of the steroids, they make me nervous, but I was at my wits end and had to do something.

My prayers for the coming year are simple:
I pray for the peace and salvation of my family, all of them, including the spiritual growth of my children.
I pray for the safety and health of my husband, being away from us.
I pray for his strength and depth in Christ this year; that he will find a definite path for our family and strongly pursue it with all heart conviction.
I pray for that FIRE to be re-ignited in his soul; for leaading and directing and guiding his family as The Lord would have him do. To take charge and push us forward with a definite plan in focus.
I pray for my own many, many, short-comings, that I will not just continue to SEE them, but DO something about them.
I pray that I will grow great in The Lord this year, not worrying about those around me who are on a different path, but remaining focused on my own path. I'm not here to keep up with the Jones' -- just The Lord.

I have prayers for our country, for our military and for the many souls who are not only searching for their way, but finding paths that are not True.

I need to stop using a lack of like-minded, real life fellowship as an excuse for not doing what I truly feel led to do by God's Word. I don't have headcovering, modest sisters near-by. Sure, I can stalk the Holdeman Mennonite group south of Tupelo weekly at Sam's Club, but that's just not the same. (What looking into their group I've done, which hasn't been truly in-depth really, we simply don't fit into their beliefs at all).

Back to the main part there...while I may long for some like-minded and even look-minded (dress/covering) families near enough to fellowship wiht, I simply don't have that. Dewey isn't of a mind to move just yet, so I am where I am and I still need to follow what I believe The Lord has called me to do. Makes no difference in the long run if I have neighbors walking the same path, I still must continue walking.

It would just be nicer, and maybe easier for my flesh, if I had some in real life. I miss that contact.

Simplistic prayers for a coming year, I suppose, in light of all that is brewing in our country and in our world at large. It isn't that I'm selfish or anything really, I just need to focus on family and home before I try to focus farther out. If I can't keep a focus here at home, what good am I to everyone else?

Some projects for the coming year, Lord Willing and Directing:

• start building that house
• get my homekeeping skills back on track -- canning, gardening, animals, parenting most of all.
• a root cellar/storm shelter in place, house or not
• proper and adequate fencing for the perimeter of the property
• wood cut and ready for use...buy some now and get busy working on next winters' supply
• cookstove skills
  
• rid ourselves of the freezers -- keep one small upright for the bulk meat waiting to be canned
• garden garden garden!
• once-a-month shopping, working toward the lofty goal of 6-month and even a year between trips

There are smaller lists wrapped up in there as well...I need to really pray for a routine here. Sounds silly to some, but I am a great list-maker and planner. I start off with a high spirit and grand intentions, even grand motivation. But I taper off, I lose focus and I end up with several projects going at once and nothing of any real purpose being accomplished. At the end of the day, I transfer from one list to another and resolve to start again.

Ugh. Can't do that anymore. I'm shaming The Lord by calling myself His Child and acting this way.

I am going to read the remaining Lazarus Unbound articles and such I haven't touched on yet, and re-read the ones I already have gone through. I am struck with new and re-newing heart thoughts every time I read. I need articles and sermons like Michael Bunker shares to keep myself moving and in check. I need to do so much more study in my Walk.

I pray the New Year rings through well with all and that we awaken ourselves to the paths we are supposed to be on and we reject all the softly padded paths we tend to follow/be led on.