2010............

Every year in December I start thinking about the new year coming up and I write up goals/resolutions of things I want to accomplish for the next year, what I want to do, where I want to improve, etc. I usually focus on four main areas: Spiritual, Marriage/Relationships, Finance, and Home. However I had been struggling on developing any for 2010. I would come up with a list and then threw the list away.

Then last Sunday, our preacher’s wife (Jackie) actually gave a message about “Prayers in Agreement”. (To watch message, click here.) She has asked that we join her each month in praying in agreement with her. Imagine if everyone in church was praying everyday for 30 (or however many days in the month) days for the same thing! Wow! Change would have to take place! People would have to be effected!

Praying in agreement! Since Sunday, I’ve really thought about this and about my “goals” for 2010.

This month’s prayer is that “We pray that we won’t substitute any lesser plans for the plans God has for us”. With Scripture reference being Jeremiah 29:11 and Proverbs 19:21

Today I got up before everyone else. The house is quite….. only the hum of the furnace is going (and the continuous beep of the baby monitor! – which is a wonderful, secure feeling!) I sit here really concentrating on this months prayer and Bible verses.

We pray that we won't substitute any lesser
plans for the plans God has for us.

Jeremiah 29:11
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Proverbs 19:21
Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.

My first thoughts about the prayer is that in every area of my life (marriage, family, home, work, etc) I know that I don’t want anything less than God’s plans for me…..I want to follow his will!

Jeremiah 29:11 is a verse that I realize I must repeat to myself constantly…. I’m a planner…I really try to “plan ahead” in life. I know that sometimes my plans are not his plans………..Sometimes its just so hard to release this control!

Then when I read Proverbs 19:21……………..I realize that 2009 it was His plans that prevailed! Not mine! I didn’t get half the stuff on my goal list done.

On Sunday, January 04, 2009 I wrote this on a blog post: “I don't even try to know what 2009 will hold for us but we will continue to trust in Him and lean not into our own understandings. I hope you continue to check in with us....cause I know there will be love and laughter and who knows what else this year!!!!!!!!!!”

That post was an understatement!!!

How do I know that God’s plans prevailed………..

• We survived another year on one income! Yeah at times things got tight but that just made us more aware! Aware of our waste, aware of how much money we spend on “stuff” and “junk”, etc.
• One of the greatest events of 2009 was that after 8 years of thinking I was never going to get to experience the miracle of childbirth, on February 23rd I found out I was pregnant! 
• For 9 months I got to “feel” God at work as he created this wonderful little human being in my tummy. I will never forget the first time I felt her move! Even on the 8th and 9th month, when she was “actively moving” and keeping me awake at night– I loved it! I do not understand how you can be pregnant and not believe in God! 
• The second greatest event in 2009 – November 2nd – the birth of our daughter. For someone who had never been in the hospital, never had surgery, nor had any severe pain – my only concern that morning was that I wanted to hear her cry! Then I would know everything was okay! I was not worried about the needles (I have a huge fear!), the cath, the block, the incision (had a c-section)….I only wanted to hear her!! And boy did she not disappoint me! That girl has a set of lungs! I remember Mike coming into the room, kissing my forehead, the doc saying okay…here we go, and then holding my breath and praying! I begged God to take care of her, to be with her, to let her be healthy, to keep her safe! And then that is when I heard the most precious thing…..her cry…well her screaming!!! I immediately started crying and thanking God! I knew all this was because of HIM! She cried (screamed)for the first 2 hours of being born! I was in recovery and could still hear her in the nursery crying! I’m sure not everybody thought that was a wonderful sound…but this mommy sure did! I had 8 years of want and desire built up in my heart and I know who supplied!! God did!!! God took the love of a husband and wife and created the most precious gift in the world…our little girl! Wow!
• There was also so many more things in 2009 that I know God had his hands in….family coming to church, being able to afford to fix up our home, my husband “getting on fire” and raising money for wells, getting to go on vacation with family, Mike getting to go to the Catalyst conference, a wonderful (and easy) 9 months of pregnancy, etc.

But to look back…..No where on my 2009 goal list was any of the above….

• I had hoped we would survive financially but I figured (planned) it would be because of a 2nd income. Not because God would provide! That God would make us aware of the waste we did and we would change our lifestyle.
• I planned on finding a way to add to our little family by either adopting or fostering a child but never did I expect I would be pregnant with one of my own.

It could just go on…and on….


This past December was a busy month for us. We are still learning about being parents (I’m sure this is something we will continue to do for the next 18+ years!) So I was not able to really come up with any list of goals for 2010.

Then listening to Jackie Sunday and studying the first prayer and Bible verses….I realize that I don’t want to quickly jot down some goals/expectations for the new year that I want.

I want to pray about it, to allow God to show me where he wants me to be, where he wants my family to be. I want to “remove” Sherlyn from the equation and let God be fully in control!

So for now…..I do not have a list of goals for the new year! I think this year will definitely be a year of learning and growing – what with the new role of mommy – it’s a guarantee! So you will just have to wait along with me to see what God has in store for us…………..

I do know that God wants me to (1) Grow closer to him and be obedient to him, (2) to concentrate on my marriage and family, (3) to serve and love others, and (4) to be a good steward of what he provides me.

So I guess in a way I do still have 4 areas of concentration….just don’t know all the details or plans. But as I study his word, rely on him, pray and work as a helpmate beside my husband….He will show me His plans! He will show me where I need to be, what I need to change, how I can improve………I’ll keep you posted…………….