December 26th is quickly becoming one of my favorite holidays. No, it’s not Boxing Day here.
My kids are off with their grandparents.
Kermit is off coaching wrestling.
And I am here, 6 feet deep under blankets, covered in lap-cats, a full casserole dish of leftovers warming in the oven, laundry and dishes running in the background and not a single thing to do except exist in the quiet.
I haven’t come up with an official title for this day, but it’s something like “Me-mas,” or “National Cat Snuggles Day,” or “The High and Holy Feast Day of Shhhh.” Actually, that last one has a really nice ring to it…let’s go with that.
This is also the day that I begin the process of closing out my planner for the year and beginning to set up my planner for the coming year. Some of you all may use your phone as a planner. Some of you might have one of them good brains that holds details well. I don’t use either of those tools for scheduling, and having something physical to carry around with me really seems to help me feel like I’ve got a sense of control on our crazy life.
If you you want a planner to try a planner, but don’t want to sink $80 into it, I highly recommend dropping everything, running to Target, going to the dollar spot and buying one of their planners. I get the mini-binder planner for $5 every year and it is AMAZING. It also holds up really well.
Last year’s planner had a new feature. At the beginning of each month, there is a goals page. It is divided into 5 sections including “goals,” “to do,” “make it happen,” “don’t forget,” and “important.” I looked at each month and saw how I met goals and followed through on the things that lead to my publishing my book. I read reminders to myself to ask more questions, a personal development goal which I made for myself. I saw how I woefully failed to meet my monthly blogging goals. Oops.
But my favorite space on those pages is the “Important” section where I wrote down a good word of wisdom I heard spoken that month.
Here are a few:
“Don’t try to be someone else. Be who God created you to be.” – Clay Dyer
“There is no such thing as a disqualifier for someone called of God. Disqualification is simply a human thing.” – Brian Charette
“You already are ALL THOSE THINGS!!!” – Molly
“The next wave of Christian influence will come from the pews, not the pulpit.” – Gabe Lyons
Friends, today is a fantastic day for me to relax. I reflect on the year past and wonder about the year to come. I hope if you don’t have time today to do the same, that you will pick a day in the next week and commit yourself to this activity.
This isn’t a really deep piece of thought provoking writing today. Any deep thought provoking thoughts I might be inclined to have are being sufficiently smothered by blankets and cats and leftovers. But I will leave you with 2 things.
1) I live my life VERY MUCH as moment by moment, day by day, choice by choice. I naturally prefer to float through the glitter cloud of life than plan out each step and turn. A few days ago I was in conversation with a kid and we were talking about how we have this in common. I realized though…at some point, we all turn around and say “How did I get here?” You can see how there was this plan all laid out, and if you never made any goals and steps and to-dos, you missed out on having a voice in that plan.
It is ok to have plans. It is healthy to have plans.
2) The High and Holy Feast Day of Shhh has a reading to be completed.
To humans belong the plans of the heart,
but from the Lord comes the proper answer of the tongue.
All a person’s ways seem pure to them,
but motives are weighed by the Lord.
Commit to the Lord whatever you do,
and he will establish your plans.
The Lord works out everything to its proper end—
even the wicked for a day of disaster.
The Lord detests all the proud of heart.
Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.
Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for;
through the fear of the Lord evil is avoided.
When the Lord takes pleasure in anyone’s way,
he causes their enemies to make peace with them.
Better a little with righteousness
than much gain with injustice.
In their hearts humans plan their course,
but the Lord establishes their steps.
Proverbs 16:1-9
Happy Feast Day, friends.
Sarah Kinzer 