May 1st – a new month, a clean slate, a new beginning. Having just turned 47, the big 50 isn’t that far away. To be honest I don’t feel that old. I feel like I am in my mid-thirties. Other then aging eyes and bones and about 30 pounds I feel pretty good. Of course 3 kids help with that as well (old and young all at the same time). There are so many things left to,do, to start, to see. Like visiting Disney (which we’ve never done) and a trip to Israel (maybe once the kids leave home). But today, I choose to make small changes, small plans that may lead to those bigger goals and dreams. So daily I choose to kiss my husband and kids and tell them I love them, count the gifts that I am thankful for, tell my story through a picture a day, spending time with my Savior through the Word He gave me and the studies His teachers have supplied. Exercising 3 times a week even when I don’t feel like it and fostering new and old relationships, loving others like Jesus loves me.

I’ve been camping out on Ephesians 2:10 today. “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” I think a lot of times we focus on the part that says we were created to do good works. But I know that a lot of times I ignore the second part that says those good works that God prepared in advance for me. There are so many good works in this world but I am only called to do those He has prepared for me. Those things that I say yes to that overwhelm my calendar may be the good works that He prepared in advance for someone else.

A new year…new beginnings. A chance to start out with a blank slate, a clean white page, a new calendar. What does this new year hold? Praying for wisdom this year and a deeper relationship with my Savior.

I didn’t want to do it. I tried to talk myself out of it. I wanted butter pecan ice cream instead. But I did it…

So here we are a couple of days after the 4th and it seems that summer is already on it’s way out.  Isn’t true that we spend so much time in the current season wishing it was the next season instead of just soaking up where we are today?  The sun is out bright today and it’s going to be hot but that’s ok.  It wasn’t that long ago that we were complaining about the cold.  So here’s to today and all the blessings it brings.

                                                                Schroon Lake, NY

We are 19 days into the new year and I haven’t blogged yet, even though one of my goals was to blog once a week.  So many goals and so little time…