Tag: books

Hey Mama,

We did it! Are you ready to celebrate? We made it to the end of one whacky, nutty, turbulent, hard year.

Can you believe it’s December 31?

Are you dancing for joy or just barely crawling toward midnight? Whichever one, I hope you can find time today to celebrate. You made it!

And tomorrow we get to start fresh.

I know it’s been challenging (are we over that word yet?). It’s been filled with the unexpected. And loss. It’s caused us to re-evaluate our lives like never before. What really and truly matters? What path was I even on? And why? Do I want to stay on that same path or forge a new one? What do I really want out of life? How do I create the life I want?

I have asked myself all of those questions (and more) this year.

I’ve seen lots of people cursing the year or making fun of those who started the year by saying it would be ‘2020: the year of perfect vision’.

But honestly, I have been calling this my year of clarity. Maybe it wasn’t the 20-20 vision I had planned or expected, but it has brought some crystal-clear vision for me, personally. I faced some hard decisions and walked through the muck of getting the answers. I know what I want and how to get there. I’m thankful, crazy thankful, that despite all the difficulties, I found truth and clarity.

What about you? Did this year bring up these questions for you? Have you been able to get clear on what matters to you? What you want in life? Where you want your family to go? What are the things you want to be and know and do and experience?

If not, I suggest you start by making a list of all the things you are thankful for. Go back to January and go week by week. There is something to be thankful for in each day, but if that seems too daunting, just look at the week or the month.

List anything and everything that comes to mind. This practice will help you see all that God has blessed you with and what you want more of.

Next, make two columns, one for the things you want to keep or welcome in your life, and the other for the things you’d like to say goodbye to.

This could be as simple as . . .

Column A – Keep or Welcome

Eat green veggies 3x/week

Start a new business by March 1

Start the day with Bible reading

Call one friend every Wednesday

Column B – Bye Felicia

Cut out sugar Mon-Fri

Quit job by July 1

Cut phone time to 2 hours/day or less

Assess apps to see if they are necessary

And so forth . . .

Next, write out your dreams.

List them out. No matter how small or how massive! Don’t let your logical thinking get in the way. Really go crazy with it!

Who are you? What do you feel you were created for? Where do you want to be one year from now? What steps do you need to take for those dreams to become a reality in your life?

My dream is for more freedom in my life. Thanks to good ole 2020, I now have that. Because of the lockdown and being furloughed back in March, I was able to reevaluate and decide what I want that freedom to look like and how to make that happen.

If you are floundering or feel crushed under the weight of this year, in addition to the exercises above, I recommend listening to messages and reading books that can help propel you forward. Being stuck is a sucky-duck place to be.

I want you to be brought out to a spacious, free-to-twirl-around place (see two of my favorite verses in Psalm 18:19 and Psalm 118:5). That’s God’s heart for us, as His daughters.

Here are some of my favorite messages, books and music that helped me grow, ministered to me, or brought me into worship this year . . .

Myles Munroe’s Overcoming Seasons of Crisis

James Clear’s Atomic Habits

Jeff Olson’s The Slight Edge

Dr. Cindy Trimm’s Commanding Your Morning

Bill Johnson’s Born for Significance

Hillsong’s King of Kings

Bethel’s Goodness of God

Elevation Church/Kari Jobe/Cody Carnes’ The Blessing

Another fantastic resource I want you to know about is the read through the Bible in a year plan I followed this year. It’s the Bible Recap on the You Version Bible App. This year I did something I’ve never done before. I listened to the entire Bible! I loved it and highly recommend it. There is also a daily podcast that goes along with the readings. And don’t miss the intro videos for each book. It’s a special resource, and I hope you check it out if you’re interested in reading (or listening!) through the Bible in 2021.

Well, my Friend, I want you to know that I’m proud of you. You accomplished a heck of a lot in 2020. I’m giving you a standing ovation!

I’d love to hear about your dreams and plans for the new year. Please drop them in the comments. I read every word.

Thinking of you,

Scarlett xo

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