REFLECTIONS

Reflect: think deeply or carefully about.

Well now who would have thought a little Facebook post would help add to my newest blog. I was already reflecting on the last year. Then a family member sent me this and it brought back some lovely memories and feelings. This picture reminds me of a happy time in my life. This was actually taken even before my little brother was born. I am not sure of the exact day, but it was before August 1975 I think. Long time ago. It arrived on the day I was reflecting on the year 2022. It triggered happy thoughts of a beloved and Aunt and Uncle who made me feel love. I can remember things like in a picture of them and my cousins who were quite older than myself. I remember feeling safe and having fun with all of them. My precious Aunt Honey is gone on to be with the Lord but the feelings of love and joy she brought me as a child and later as an adult will remain. I just wanted to include her today as I am focusing this week on the things that make me happy. Thank you to Amber who shared this with me.

As I took the time to reflect on the last year, I used my journals, calendar etc. to help me to reflect accurately. Listen to me hear reflect, see what worked and what did not work to get you closer to becoming the person you want to be. Do not stay there forever in the past just see what you can learn from it. For far too many years I stayed rooted in the past. You see after the above picture was taken, probably about five years after, my parents divorced and my life would change drastically. I will not give details but lets just say many of those changes turned me into a very bitter, hard cold person. The reason is because I continued looking back and blaming other. I refused to forgive I lacked compassion.

Now this woman, is confident, strong in my faith and though I am not perfect I am getting better every day in every way. It is a constant struggle. I will continue to carry on with the grace and forgiveness of my Heavenly Father.

These are things I have learned this year. I still have to work on being compassionate in some ways, I pray to have a heart more like Christ. I am doing my best to honor my Mother, I still take care of her well, but to be honest I am not always doing it sweetly. I still have a problem with my patience. I do trust the Lord and I know he will honor me for obeying his word and honoring her. He will also give me ways to be more patient, not so agitated. This is where I will need to practice the pause more and more.

My liver has been an issue for me this year. I am able to look back over my eating and drinking habits the last year and evaluate. I know what works for me and what does not. I want to be in excellent health so I now will be eating more lean protein and vegetables. I will not eat processed or high carb foods. I will limit the alcohol to an occasional glass of wine ( not several to cope with the stress of being a care giver. I will take the supplements that help the liver to reboot.

The journal reading also shows me I am too busy with extra things. They are not bad things they are helpful to others and I enjoy them. On reflecting on the year and the season I am in I know I must make adjustments and give up a few of those things. I am not giving them up completely just scaling back. I will not feel guilty or apologize for I know my mental health is as important as my physical health they go hand in hand.

My exercise regimen has stayed strong right up until November which is exactly where I got off track in 2021. I am starting the New Year by exercising at home with just body weight and bands. I will start back at the gym on Monday to add weights to my routine. When the holidays roll around in 2023 I will plan ahead to scale back so I do not feel like I am letting myself down. This past year I just stopped almost altogether. I will also stay the course with my clean eating and just say no.

I am still working on paying off debt. I was able to pay two bills off this past year. My goal for the coming year is to keep my pledges I made to the NTD Women. I realized I had forgotten to give my 2022 pledge, I was not able to make it at the end of the year. I have asked the Lord to forgive me and will make both last year and this year pledges this year. So many opportunities come to you when you tell yourself you will not spend any extra money but put it all to debt. I am also going to pay off 2 more credit cards. I almost caved first day out of the box. The Nicole Wilkins Challenge is about to start and I did not want to miss out. I can not completely do her challenges because of how I need to eat. I prayed about it and God helped me to not sign up. I have privately trained with one of her trainers in the past, but that will not help me reach my debt free goal at this time. Terri Savelle Foy also opened up her class, I so want to participate but the morning I was going to sign up, the website would not work for me. Boom another four hundred dollars towards debt. If it is God’s will I will take the class later.

The most important thing I realized during my reflections, I have let my time with the Lord be pushed aside. I decided to let my reading for this first quarter of 2023 be the Bible. I finished Matthew this morning. My prayer time and time in his word have helped me in all areas already in my daily life. I know this, I just let the worries and busyness of life get in the way. I was once again becoming the unkind, impatient mean girl I once was. I refused to do that.

I am going into this year not making resolutions, but looking at the end of 2023. Who do I want to be? What do I want to have accomplished? Why do I want these things?

I encourage you to do the same. It is all about reflecting on where you are and where you want to be. My word for 2023 is OBSESSED. Obsessed with being debt free, healthy, kind, patient and obedient.

MY MANTRA FOR THE YEAR: EVERY DAY IN EVERY WAY I AM GETTING BETTER AND BETTER!!!

I write this every day in my planner and in my journal. I pray you all do some reflecting of your own.