Thank you, Lord, for this day. May it be used for your glory!
Good morning everyone and welcome to another Thursday Update!
This week’s post started like many others in the past. A blank page.
Ok..ok, they all start with a blank page.
This time, however, was still different than most. I wasn’t really sure what to write about. I’ve been pretty consumed with researching and experimenting with all sorts of technologies in the crypto space (as you all know by now). I have loved learning and sharing what I’ve learned with all of you, but I don’t really have anything new to report this week.
Therefore, this week is going to break off from the norm...slightly. I believe it will still be informative, inspirational, or at the very least slightly entertaining.
This week I just want to talk briefly about fresh starts.
Most people take a fresh start every new year. On January 1st we create all sorts of resolutions. Ways we want to change for the upcoming year.
Things like: go to the gym, eat healthier, walk or run every day, start that new hobby, learn a new language, and the list goes on and on. For the record, I’ve had all of those resolutions many times before.
The truth is: I don’t go to the gym every day, I don’t walk every day, I still eat Cinnabon, there are many hobbies I’d still like to start, and I only know English.
That doesn’t mean I failed, though. It just means we live life in small phases.
There have been times where I did go to the gym each day, I’ve run each day in the past, I have started many new hobbies (like writing), and I used to be able to hold a conversation in Spanish.
So that’s just it. Life is lived in different phases. Our fresh starts come and go in phases.
Why do I bring any of this up?
Well, this past week was Thanksgiving! At least in the US.
Tay and I were gone all week. First, we got to celebrate out 1st anniversary (Praise the Lord) in Asheville, and then we spent the rest of Thanksgiving week celebrating with our families. A whole week with no work, no routines, and just traveling around eating whatever we wanted to. We even gambled and won $100 on the lottery! All of the unhealthy things, haha!
When we came back home we decided to try something. See, we have some goals for the new year. The typical eating healthy, working out more, etc. However, when we got back we decided to start now.
Usually, if I come up with a goal in November, I wait until January. This is because December is always crazy and unpredictable with all the Christmas parties, festivities, and Christmas itself. It just makes it hard to start a new routine.
That’s why we created what we are calling our “soft opening resolutions.” Like a soft opening of a restaurant before the Grand Opening. It’s a time to start new habits without any pressure.
Let me repeat: start new habits without any pressure.
Hmm...I sit here this morning asking myself, why does there ever have to be pressure?
For me, I feel like there is pressure to keep New Year’s resolutions because they only happen once a year!
That’s silly.
I want to challenge myself to try something new. I want to give myself new resolutions throughout the year. Not on a regular basis either. I’ve tried the whole 90 day intervals of goals and those added pressure too.
Life is not perfect, it’s not a computer system. Life moves, it’s unpredictable. Why should I assume my goals and habits can be?
What is the key to unlock all of this? Reflection.
It was the time we had off over Thanksgiving that truly gave us time to reflect, think, and make a plan for our new goals.
It doesn’t have to be a holiday, though. It doesn’t even have to be a vacation if you can’t afford time off. It can be a staycation on a free weekend. It doesn’t matter what it looks like, but making dedicated time to rest and reflect is all so important.
Otherwise, the business of life takes over and our routines get sucked down the river drowning, barely holding on, with no hope of rescue.
The Lord says rest, so we must. He doesn’t say it for Himself. His commands are for our own benefit!
Centering and focusing on the Lord in dedicated times of rest is an important piece to this whole thing too. I want all of our fresh starts centered on the Lord. That’s what He did for the Israelites when He created the Passover. That’s what He wants for us too!
By the way, if you are interested in the Passover, I have another newsletter, Biblit, where we talked about the Passover this week!
Ok...the main takeaway here is to take time to rest in the Lord, reflect on your life, and create fresh starts throughout the year. It doesn’t have to be just once on New Year’s. Start Now.