Unbelievable.
This is unbelievable! I swear I’d had a universal remote that allowed me to fast-forward my life, like how Adam Sandler did in ‘Click’. How did time pass so quickly that I am now breathing in the hours of the new year? I bet you must be feeling the same, right? I simply cannot fathom how it has already been 365 days since I posted the year in review for 2013.
Before I proceed I must warn you that, unless you enjoy reading long posts, this entry may end up in your tl;dr (too long, didn’t read) bin.
YEAR IN REVIEW (FAMILY)
For a family of three like mine, I am extremely grateful and content with all the blessings endowed upon me by the Lord. He has given me many opportunities to celebrate wonderful moments throughout the year. Every year, I look forward to anniversaries, Chinese New Year celebrations in Malaysia, birthdays, gatherings and reunions, road trips, and watching Annakate grow. Without a doubt there are always hiccups and obstacles, as any family will face, and I thank the Lord for giving us the strength to have faith in Him to help us overcome any stumbling block.
We are greatly inspired by a church leader who displays a set of family values in her home that she hopes her family to live by. I thought it was a great idea so for 2015 onward, Mike and I have put together some family values that we would like to put into practice.
Your beliefs become your thoughts, your thoughts become your words, your words become your actions, your actions become your habits, your habits become your values, and your values become your destiny. —Mahatma Gandhi
We know that talk is cheap, but we choose to believe that this can be done. And of course, like what Gandhi mentioned above, our values will become our destiny, and this will eventually be part of our lifestyle.
YEAR IN REVIEW (PERSONAL)
There are many of us that will choose to reflect at the end of each year. Some remember challenges and triumphs, some celebrate and some don’t. I will not speak for others as I, the individual, have my own thoughts. Nevertheless, looking back at the personal goals I set, my head is hanging down with complete shame. If I were to grade myself, it would definitely be a score of “Failed to Meet Expectations”. In all honesty, I am ashamed because I was too ambitious and I know I should have set practical baby-step goals. Instead of putting up small hurdles that would enable to me to complete the race, I had big giant hurdles which knocked me down hard, left me limping away, and eventually, I did not bother to complete the race. Boy, I am completely filled with embarrassment, knowing that I had only met 3.5 out of the 10 goals of 2014. E-M-B-A-R-R-A-S-S-I-N-G!
Let’s put my shame aside. I have to say that 2014 was quite an eventful year for me, honestly. Come to think about it, I do have many joyful days. My heart is filled with gratitude for those delighted moments of celebrating Annakate’s developmental milestones, getting plugged into my church community, learning and growing spiritually with moms’ group, embracing fun times of play-dates, reuniting with loved ones in Malaysia, and many more. Call me a nutcase, I got most of these events documented. (Yes, I am a photo addict!)
The most emotionally-challenged day of the year would be November 19th. This was the day I lost something so precious that my heart breaks to think of it right now. The joy of knowing that Annakate will be a big sister was short-lived. The crushing pain was immeasurable and my devastated heart questioned a lot of whys and what ifs. I don’t know if I will ever be the same again after going through this darkness. But the very one thing I know for sure is that he or she is being held in the arms of my Savior. I know we will be reunited one fine day.
GOALS FOR 2015
The good news is, I am surfing on positive waves for the upcoming year. I admit that I am only human and my two bare hands can only do so much. I’ve got only ten fingers and a beating heart. How much can I do in a day? How much more can I do? In order to stretch myself to the fullest, I must really learn to do baby steps. After all, a baby must learn how to crawl or walk before he/she learns how to run.
Even if I desire to reach greater heights, I must learn to build a solid strong foundation for myself. I do not want to fall brutally and give up on the way. In order to achieve the impossible, little steps of faith are required. Every baby step counts. Little by little, I know I will get there. It’s not about ending the race as fast as I can. It is about ending the race with dignity – it’s about what I have done to cross the finishing line with pride.
All I need is my faith in Christ to know that He will take me to higher places. All I need is His unending love which will constantly reassure me that I am not alone in this journey. All I need is His comfort and this is more than enough for me to know that He will always be there for me. His plans are bigger than mine. His plans are better than mine. And I believe in that.
So, this year, I promise I will:-
1. Dig Deeper
I can’t wait to go deeper and receive more awakening from the Word. I yearn for the passion and fire to fill me up again. I missed the book of Prophets previously and I will not miss it this year. I also can’t wait to explore BibleX with the small group and embrace intimacy with Him through the devotional book ‘Jesus Calling’ by Sarah Young.
2. Pray and Listen More
I want to not just intercede for myself but to constantly remember the needs of others, and to also pray more with my family. I want to learn to listen to Him. Nothing satisfies my soul like He does.
3. Live a Healthier Lifestyle
I want to make a commitment of consuming less processed foods and make more healthy choices. As some of you know that Mike is intolerant to sugar, salicylates and gluten – Hence, my daily cooking recipes have been challenged for the past few years. It is not easy but it is manageable; and I want to sneak more veggies into my dinner plate. I will slowly withdraw myself away from being a night owl and embrace a good night sleep of minimum 7 hours. I can’t keep on sleeping less than that. It is detrimental to my health even if I don’t feel the consequences right now. After all, being an early bird has a lot of advantages.
4. Read More
I am still struggling in making time for this. I have been talking about this since I graduated from college. I love books, don’t get me wrong. Somehow, somewhere, something else always eats into my reading time. Prioritize, Grace, prioritize!
5. To live well by spending less
I am committed to spend less and live contently with what I have. I just took on a pledge this morning that for the next 31 days (January), I shall not spend on anything besides perishable food. It will be a challenge for me. (Sweats!) This mama has done it many times and I am inspired to do so. At the end of the day, all the extra savings can go into vacation fund or children’s education fund.
I am hoping for the best for this brand new year. I am hoping the best for my well-being and my family. I do not want to look back like a pillar of salt. I’m fired up to run the race victoriously.
How about you guys? Did you make some new resolutions for the new year? If yes, have faith that your dreams will come true. I am sending lots of positive vibes your way. Let’s do this together for 2015.
Cheers and Happy New Year!