Reading my cookbook collection. Each book like a novel. My criteria, other than being on the $3-$5 table at Chapters, was to buy only cookbooks with stories of culture, geography and food philosophy so they would be interesting to read as well as to cook from. For Christmas, I received a gift certificate for a cooking class at a french cooking school. These activities, I’m really looking forward to in this new year.
I always seek out a word or words and several passages of scripture to define my year. The word that seems to be on my heart is ‘stewardship’ with ‘contentment’. One verse that keeps repeating itself in my life is ‘let us throw off all that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and let us run with endurance the race that is marked out before us…’. I’m curious. What is the race that is marked out before me? Oh sure, I know all of the things God asks all of us to do but what are the things that He wants me to specifically do? Have I done them? Am I doing them? Am I on the right path?
There is the parable of the talents and the Sermon on the Mount which are both speaking to me lately. Both will be inspirational as I endeavour to ‘steward’ my blessings this year. Hopefully stewardship will be a life long practice. Stewarding my time. Stewarding my health. Stewarding my wealth. Stewarding my relationships. Stewarding my soul. These amenities do not belong to me but they have been entrusted to me and I need to steward them wisely and responsibly.
In years past I have felt somewhat out of control. The more controlling I tried to be the more life spiralled out of control. Sometimes lost. Often overwhelmed. Frequently self sufficient. At times, selfish. Cowering in fear more than I’d like to admit. ‘She is clothed with strength and dignity and laughs at the days to come.’ I’m still working on that. I believe it will be a journey not a destination.
I want to improve my blog-make it more user friendly. I want to write more. I want to be thankful for 3 things every day-keep a gratitude journal. I want to strengthen and heal my body with real food, homecooking, physical training and sleep. I want to find meaningful work-lucrative would also be a nice plus. I want to quit storing up for myself treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy and thieves break in and steal. I want to simplify-learn to live with less. I want to spend more time face to face with people and less time on Fakebook and Insta-fairytale. I want to read and learn and engage in activities that will keep my mind sharp. I want to accept wrinkles and grey hair and grow old gracefully. Not that 60 is considered old these days but, let’s face it I am in the latter half of life. I want to spend more time praying and more time believing and less time fearing and doubting and panicking. More time contending for the promises of God.
I want the peace that comes with contentment. What is contentment really? I am determined to find out and when I do I will share what I’ve found. I believe I’m on the cusp. I want to be right with my Father and all His children. I want to bless people and I want to make beautiful things. I want to make beautiful things to bless people. There is still a lot of beauty to be found on earth every day and I’m going to find it. Seek and you will find. Very often I don’t even have to seek, beauty is just there staring me in the face.
I want to discover new music. I want to sing more. Read more. Listen more. Let go of things more. Get angry less. Be selfish less. Be impatient less. Be lazy less. More kindness. More love. Less resentment. Less rushed.
Likely this sounds like a totally impossible self improvement plan. But my aim is not perfection, it’s continuous improvement. God is not through with me yet. I am a work in progress. I can do all things through Christ and that folks is the secret of contentment. I just need to go out and get more practice. As long as I am unemployed I have lots of time to nurture these goals and if the Lord blesses me with a traditional job I will still find a way to include these priorities in my life.
I’ve noticed a new trend on Instagram. Very often when people post amazing pictures of themselves, their kids and families, dressed to the nines or on a wonderful vacation or accomplishing something magnificent or even just giving a virtual tour of their designer homes, many of the comments just say this. ‘Goals’. Many people are looking to others and wanting to models themselves after unrealistic perceptions of very imperfect people. I know when I match up my goals to the Word, I can attain a reasonable level of growth because this is what God calls me to. The goal is not perfection but excellence.
So 2018… bring it on. I’m ready for ya. Not that I have a choice. Nervous Laugh out loud. NLOL
The Red Plaid Apron 