New Year, New Views

Hi ya'll!  Yes - I still exist!  :D  I hope you all had a wonderful new year and great times with friends and family.   We currently have my paternal grandparents staying with us, but I think they are going home in the next day or two.

The new year always makes me want to fight my phlegmatic leanings and plan out my entire year.  (It never happens, in case you were wondering. ;) )  This year, I think, it is a bit easier as I have some very definite goals to work towards.

For one thing, I really want to finish my diploma this year.  It will be a lot of work so (shock and horror!) I am going to do some through the holidays.  After that I am planning on moving into naturopathy and doula training, which I am immensely looking forward to. Unfortunately, I don't have money for those courses :) so this year will include work for me as well.  (Not sure what exactly yet - we are still praying about that one.)

I have lesser goals too, such as doing up my 18th birthday party scrapbook before my 19th birthday (I'm running out of time for that!), learning the entire Pathetique sonata by Beethoven, leaning more sewing, and sew on... (excuse the pun - I couldn't resist! ;) )

We have stuff happening this year.  This Monday, I am going to the dentist as I have been told that I need all four of my wisdom teeth out.  As you can imagine, I am overjoyed to get all four of my wisdom teeth out.  NOT!  Actually, I am terrified as I did not have a good experience when I had to get molars removed.  I can only assume that wisdom teeth are worse... Ahhhhh!  This Monday is just the consultation however so that the dentist can determine when and how the deed should be done.

On January 13, I am starting an online open uni course on midwifery.  It only goes four four weeks, but it is free and I am really looking forward to it.  (The site had quite a number of free online courses.  If anyone is interested, the website is https://www.open2study.com/courses )

There are other things happening too.  We have ten birthdays (but that's normal!) my uncle will be getting married at some point (I am super excited about that!) and on top of that, we have another whole year to build our relationships with family, friends and with God.  How blessed we are!

In the New Living translation, they look at the dates that the Bible gives and put it into perspective of our calendar.  One of the first times it indicates New Year is the erection of the tabernacle. (Exodus 40:2)  I believe this is significant.  God wants our hearts all the time, but New Year is an especially marked time for renewing our love for Christ and for rededicating ourselves to do His will, whatever the year brings.

Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
¹¹ Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

¹² Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.

(Psalm 51)

 
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17)