2018 was not on plan. A major family issue tripped me up, plowed my face into the pavement, and brought on another full-on war with my depression. But you know what? God is still in control. None of this took him by surprise. And he is still faithful. Even when life is not working out.
My 2018 word for the year was Life. And I did have life, and the opportunity to choose Life in the midst of shattering circumstances. In between, I did get some goals worked toward.
Faith
- Read the Bible in the Holman Christian Standard version. Done.
- Finish 12 Bible studies. I finished 7, but a couple were with a women’s group at church, so I got some fellowship as well as study in. I feel pretty good about this one.
- Become a prayer warrior. This was not a SMART goal, in that it is not really measurable. But I have consistently prayed for my family, and the concerns of our youth group, and have started praying for the world. This is progress.
Family & Friends
- Go on a family camping trip. We did this, but it was so hot we may not try this again.
- Have monthly family get-togethers. Some months more than one!
- Join a small group. Did not do, but did join some women’s Bible studies.
- Stay in touch with friends. I have reached out and did write our family Christmas letter this year.
Health – Physical & Mental
This was a real mixed bag
- Read 100 books. I actually have finished 115, and will probably get another one read by the end of the year. I read 13 from my list of influential books, several that I already owned, and a bunch of miscellaneous.
- Lose 50#. I managed to gain weight this year in coordination with my depression struggle. My eating was not on plan and not good for my diabetes.
- Average 7 hours of sleep a night. This is a victory. For years I was sleep deprived and living on 5-6 hours of sleep until my body would shut down. I am now averaging 7 1/2 hours of sleep every night.
- Visit New Orleans and Texas. We took a great trip to the southwest and visited Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, plus New Orleans. I loved seeing all these national parks and states I had not seen before.
Finances & Business
- Pay down debt. Did not happen. We are trying to sell some things, but so far nothing. So far our finances are not on plan. I will need to work on this in 2019.
- Get blog up. Yay! The blog is up and I am working to blog regularly!
This year was a mix of good and bad, accomplishments and lack of the same. I can look back at the year and realize that I have grown and been stretched as I have lived not exactly on plan. Looking forward to 2019! Have a Happy New Year.