New Year's resolution used for years and continuing.
Don't complain or argue when I work (Phil 2:14), do everything diligently and fullheartedly ( Proverb 10: 4, 12: 24), help others secretly whenever I can (Mat 6: 4), accept reprove from those who care and discern the difference of judgement and reprove (Proverbs 9:7-8 & 17:10). Don't seek attention (Proclaim to all fasting times or speak idle words especially when people didn't ask; this is one of the signs of having a Jezebel spirit).
Be consistent in everything; small things do matter like exercising, eating healthy, spending time with God, child, family. Remember private battles will determine my public war. Don't associate myself with angry, lazy, uncontrolled, negative people or I will learn their ways and set a trap for myself (Prov 22:24).
Remember Violent people respond with violence, loving people respond with love, positive people respond with optimism, hopeful people respond with hope, Godly people respond with Godliness (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self-control).
Knowing I have the fruit of the Holy Spirit:
- Love: This shows in my daily actions
-Joy: My joy comes from Jesus, no matter what situation I'm in. The moment I stop praising him I've come out from under his wings.
- Peace: that passes all understanding even in times of difficulty.
- Patience: Be patient with unsaved family, friends, acquaintances.
- Kindness: show kindness even when they don't deserve it.
- Goodness: Doing things with good intentions not wanting to receive or gain something in return...I think.
- Gentleness: No violence, no idle words, no negative speaking, no harshness, no judging.
- Self-Control: Most important, if I can't control my bodily desires, how can I control other things. Bodily desires like overeating. Self discipline in exercising. Being consistent, diligent in work, and deeds.
Small things matter in this matter. People are looking at the lights, we are the lights. God says let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. - Matthew 5:16 ESV
Don't act like a caterpillar when I'm a butterfly. 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
This is what Jesus meant by putting on our cross daily. In Matthew 16: 4 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.
Things to be consistent about:
- Physical healthy lifestyle to glorify my body for God's sake. He gave my body and since he says it's his temple why be harsh to it?
Treat my body with consistent exercise, consistent healthy eating, and consistent discipline.
- Spiritual health: Doing things half heartedly isn't diligent. Focus on spending time with God morning and night even if it's just admiring and giving him glory for all the wonderful things like food on the table, a beautiful bird he created, family, friends and the list goes on.
Make sure I listen to him just as much as I speak/pray. He speaks in the most unusual and usual things/methods.
- Be diligent with my uni studies, patience is a virtue and a fruit of the Holy spirit, so even though I feel like my graduation day is still few years away, remember Jacob worked 14 years because he loved his Rachel. He went through all sorts of deception from his father-in-law during those years.
- Driving, with faith according to the measure God has given me increase my driving locations like Munno Para or Elizabeth for 2017. I can refocus on other locations as I go along or how the Holy Spirit leads me.
- Environment. The earth belongs to God as says in Psalms 24. As God's child I should be caring more and teaching others about caring for the earth. How? Put more effort into "organising Clean Up Australia Days".
Volunteer time into planting trees and biodiversity.
- Personal Goals:
- Isabella, spending more time with her, teaching God's word, helping her with homework, school festivities, events, violin lessons. Encouraging her in her strengths and areas of improvements and teaching her, her limits.
- Archery, aiming to join a local club and see where God takes us from there.
- Writing Children's books and spreading God's word through it. By the end of December I should have saved enough cash to pay for a publisher Xilibris.
- You Tubing: Support Luke as his assistant for his YouTube Channel. Never stop tithing, praising, and showering words of encouragement. Help him when he needs help especially with administration duties.
- Communicate with family more often through viber, Facebook, or email. The occasional snail mail shouldn't hurt.