I’m done with wasting time.
I’m done with being selfish.
I’m done with hating myself.
I’m done with settling for less than what Jesus offersI’m hopeful and thankful because God foreknew me and predestined me to be conformed to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29). God is the redeemer of time; God is the renewer of minds; God is the molder of hearts; God is the potter of this vessel of clay.
I know it’s totally cliché to decide to make changes at the start of the new year, but I really feel led to make a declaration right now. I’m inviting you on this invisible journey. (I call it invisible because I won’t be documenting this journey online. Read on to see why.)
I’m making some changes in 2018.
In the past I have been heavily wishy-washy with making commitments. “Loyal” probably wouldn’t be the first word someone would use to describe me. Thankfully my Abba sees the end from the beginning, so He hasn’t given up on sanctifying me just yet. 😋 So I want to publicly make this commitment in the hopes that I will be faithful to it. Here are my goals:
Be 100% Present
This goal will encompass lots of changes in my everyday life, and a lot of it has to do with staying off my phone! This conviction has been growing on me for a while now, but I’ve ignored it. In retrospect, I’ve missed being 100% invested in the people I love because I’ve been wasting time by blankly staring at a screen (phone/TV/laptop).
Just take a moment and consider how ridiculous that sounds: we sit together with people we love, but instead of interacting we stare silently at a box with changing pictures. We entertain and distract ourselves rather than engaging in deep and meaningful conversations. This is definitely an exaggeration, and I know not all families are like this, but some are.
I want to be and I want my future family to be 100% invested in whomever they are surrounded by. Screens are being turned off and hearts are being opened. I’d like to relearn to socialize and like what other people are saying without giving virtual thumbs-up. I want to confidently hold eye contact, listen actively, and give thoughtful feedback to my peers. God made us for community! I want to get this right.
This means I won’t be getting on social media at all in 2018.
No Facebook. No Instagram. No blogging. My goal is to remove as many distractions and excuses as possible so that I can actively love those around me.
I’ve been considering doing this for a while, but social media is often how I keep in touch with friends from around the world. Although social media does make it more convenient to do those things, there are other ways of staying involved in the lives of distant loved ones.
In 2018 I’m resorting to the more traditional ways of communicating:
email, phone calls, and the old-fashioned pen and paper snail mail!
If you’d like to stay in touch this upcoming year, let me know the best way for you. At the bottom of this post, you’ll find more details about staying in touch.
Be Selfless
While I’m off the grid, I’m going to intentionally work on being more selfless. I basically just want to be more like Jesus and love His sons and daughters better by putting others ahead of myself. I’ve heard that the more time you spend with someone, the more you become like them. So the remedy to this is to spend more time in Jesus’s presence, which is definitely something I’d love to do more of.
Be Transparently Who God Made Me to Be
This goal sort of ties into the break from social media. I’ve noticed that when I critique pictures of myself, I’m not usually satisfied unless the camera is at the right angle, my double chin is disguised, my breakouts are hidden, the right side of my face is partially covered, and the lighting is complimentary. Isn’t that ridiculous? Is the picture actually what I look like, or is it what I wish I looked like?
Abba has convicted me recently because I do not love myself, and this is one of the ways it shows. He is gracious, though, because His goal is for me to see myself as He sees me. He’s so kind, and I know He loves me and calls me His beautiful princess. My heart will align with His someday.
So for 2018 I want to stop pretending I’m something that I’m not and instead be comfortable and confident in my identity as a daughter of the King of kings.
So… À bientôt!
That is, see you soon in real life. Here’s to a new year!
Click here to send me a Facebook message and let me know which form of communication you’d like to use to stay in touch this upcoming year: snail mail, email, phone call, or Facebook Messenger. I’ll connect with you once every three months to hear what’s going on in your life and to share what the Lord has been doing in mine. Expect to hear from me in January, April, July, October, and then at the end of the year. I’m so excited for this new season and starting this new year in California with trΞd!
Love, love, love to you all!
