Happy New Year! I know It's January 15th!

I did realize we’re fifteen days into January and that I’m late wishing you a Happy New Year!

-But honestly, am I really that late? Our weeks seem to go by so fast it only seemed like yesterday when we celebrated Christmas and the Holidays. Well, Happy New Year, everyone! :)

I hope this 2019 still feels crisp to you! I sincerely hope your goals for 2019 are on track and that the things you want to achieve are starting to work out. I sincerely hope they are.

I love the start of the New Year! It’s so fresh and perfect you wonder in your heart if this is the year that what you’re hoping for will come to pass. You never know! It might just be the year!

Our Christmas was magnificent. We didn’t pack gifts into our carry-ons when we went to California to see my son. We just packed the basics and when we got there, we found we’d been blessed with the gifts of family time, unrushed dinners, laughter, listening to our son’s new tunes, and spending time together. Seeing our son was awesome! Talking face-to-face and catching up? Come on! Like a rare modern extravagancy. These were our real gifts this Christmas.

What about you? Did you get what you were hoping for?

This year 2019 started out great for our family. I have lots of plans and things I want to do this year, -just like you, probably. Except this year, I get to slow down a bit and take things a little easier.

I always think health is such a fragile commodity! I believe now we need to pay attention to what our bodies are saying to us...

So if I send a Happy New Year’s blog fifteen days into the year, I think it still works. If some things don’t get done this week, I think we’ll survive and if for some days I'm not making as much progress as I would like, maybe there is a good reason why.

Sometimes just slowing down makes me feel more alive.

Today, I took a walk with my dogs in the snow and paid attention to the trees on our property. They almost look dead if you ask me. Only, I know better than to think they’re done just because they’re dormant. After all, they have a big job coming up in the Springtime. They were not created to bloom or produce fruit all year-round. And guess what? Neither did we!

No! I haven’t dropped out of time! It’s just that I’m learning the rhythm of slowing down a bit. Of doing just what I’m able to focus on well, instead of tackling a myriad of things just half way.

I’m learning the art of finding strength in rest. I still don’t have the recipe down for clearing my mind of all the clutter and anxiety that inevitably comes when I’m rushed or emotionally stressed.

But I do know this, that slowing down has been so worth it.

I read this just the other day and I felt so encouraged:

“It’s useless to rise early and go to bed late, and work your worried fingers to the bone. Don’t you know he enjoys giving rest to those he loves?” Psalm 127:2 (The Message)

This Psalm was written so long ago, yet it still holds true for our busy lives today. Even God wants us to get proper rest.

I’ve already decided I don’t want to start my New Year running on empty. I’m hoping my goals for 2019 will be fulfilled of course, but mostly that I will live a more focused and meaningful year. I would like 2019 to be a year of celebrating my goals instead of just scratching them off in relief. One of looking forwards to what's ahead instead of dreading the outcome of the unknown. Mostly, a year full of hope, no matter what comes my way.

How about you? How's your New Year going so far?