Proverbs 3:5-6 (nlt)
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It’s the season for resolutions and vision boards, new planners and transformations; all things that I love. Opening a brand new planner and checking out all the blank pages that are just waiting to be filled with excitement and hustle is a pretty great feeling. When fitness was my primary focus, this was my favorite time of the year because of all the support and encouragement around living a healthy lifestyle.
While I wholeheartedly believe in goal setting and planning for the future, I was also reminded recently of how little space we make for God and His will in our plans. I think for the most part, it’s unintentional. I don’t intentionally exclude Jesus from my planner; I just forget to include Him.
I was sitting in the Denver airport last month, waiting to board my flight, because I’m always there way too early – anyone else? I can’t find a middle ground between basically sleeping there because I arrived so early and running for the gate as they’re locking the doors. So, we decided it’s better to be early. Anyway, I started thinking about my 2019 goals and plans, because I always do my best thinking in the airport, and before I knew it, I had started my vision board.
I started thinking about the new car I wanted to get, because my lease is ending this year. I also started thinking about where we might want to live next; will we stay in Dallas or journey to somewhere new? And I decided that this is the year that I should definitely get some nicer, “classic” pieces of clothing to add to my wardrobe.
When I looked down at what I had written, I realized that none of these plans involved God. I hadn’t even considered Him when making them. So I decided to stop planning, and start praying. I asked God to show me what He wanted me to use 2019 to do. And it was just a few hours later, in the middle of my flight, when I heard Him answer me.
Together, we decided that I was going to:
That doesn’t mean these are the only things I can work on, and there’s nothing wrong with wanting a new car or a pair of jeans, but in my case, these were direct conflicts with the things I felt that the Lord wanted me to focus on right now. Luke 12:34 says, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” NIV Whatever we desire becomes our focus. And that focus leads to action. I’ve found that when I’m really focused on achieving something, it’s difficult for me to put a lot of effort and energy into many other things, which is why I think it’s so important to make sure that my desires, focus, effort, and energy line up with what God wants for and from me. I’ve finally started to learn that filling my heart, mind, and planner with God’s will instead of my own is me living my best life, and it’s changing everything. I hope this truth does the same for you. If you’ve already made a vision board/goal list for 2019, pull it back out and take a closer look at it. Does it line up with God’s promises and instructions in scripture? Are there any areas that you planned for without consulting Him? If you haven’t set any goals for 2019, write down some ideas that you might like to focus on and use your time in prayer to get God’s opinion on them. For your 2019 goals and plans. 5 minPrep Time 5 minCook Time 10 minTotal Time Serves 2 Slices Ingredients Instructions For this recipe, I used multigrain sourdough bread from Trader Joes. While I prefer sprouted grain bread, I’ve found that the density of sourdough is pretty perfect for toast that’s getting smothered, in order to keep it from getting soggy. Once you’ve made this recipe, you can store this bread in the freezer if you aren’t going to use it right now. You’ll see bread used throughout the entire FaithFull Mornings plan, so don’t let this go to waste! Make sure it’s sealed tightly, and when you’re ready for your next slice of bread, you can toast it straight from the freezer. The Everything But the Bagel Seasoning I used is from Trader Joes, but if you don’t have one locally, you can always order it from Amazon. Or feel free to use whatever seasoning or seeds you’d like to sprinkle on top.
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