January.

 Happy 2023 people! 


It’s good to be back in the blog world. 


As many do in January, I’ve set a few goals for myself this year. I have overarching plans for 2023, but I am trying to break them down into smaller, more manageable increments by setting goals for each month. That way maybe I can make some positive changes in my life but not get overwhelmed or burnt out too fast. Here goes nothing I guess.  


One of my goals for the year is to write and post a blog each month. I really do love writing and would like to do it more. So I’m going to. Plus I think it will be kind of cool looking back at the end of the year to see what I’ve been learning and thinking as the months pass by. 


It feels weird committing to writing each month before knowing if I’ll have anything to say. So just keep in mind that some months may be more interesting and entertaining than others. Like think about March - what exciting or wonderful thing ever happens in March? We’ll find out. Committing to this goal is kind of like me committing to live a life where I am open to new things and new ways of connecting with God in the hopes I can share them with you.  It’s scary but I want to live with expectation. 


For this month I figure I’ll just write some bullet points to share a few things that happened: 


  • On the 11th, I turned 33. Dang. How is it that I’m a full fledged adult now!? It seems so weird that I’m marching towards my mid-thirties. I always thought “older” people who complained about their body hurting for no real reason were just being dramatic, but I’m realizing that it’s a harsh reality of life. How rude. I’m also seeing new wrinkles appear which is just thrilling. My birthday was a great day and I received a lot of love. I am so blessed by family and friends who know how to make me feel loved. 


  • I’ve been reading some great books this month. I just finished reading a book called Soundtracks by Jon Acuff. It was an easy read and one I highly recommend. The basic premise of the book is that our thoughts are like soundtracks that we replay over in our mind. They can be healthy soundtracks, or broken ones. We need to determine if our thoughts are true, helpful, and kind - and if not- we need to replace them. I’m currently still working through a book on prayer called Worried About Everything Because I Pray About Nothing by Chad Veach. It’s really helping me to see that prayer is more about connecting with God than getting things from Him. I also love the title - I don't want to be someone who worries about everything - I want to trust God. The final book I’ve been reading is called Atomic Habits by James Clear. This book is teaching me the importance and power of habits. Small things can make huge changes in our lives if we stick with them. 


  • I got a piano this month. I’ve been wanting to relearn (I played for a bit when I was in elementary school) for a while now, and I finally bit the bullet and got one with the help of Christmas and birthday money. I am loving it. I was surprised that some of those basic skills were still in my brain. It’s been a lot of fun going through the piano books I have and trying to get my fingers to match the notes on the page. I’ve already seen improvements in just the few short weeks I’ve been playing. I make it a point to play for at least 15 minutes every day and that has been key. It’s cool to turn back a few pages and realize the things that were so challenging last week are actually easy now. Isn’t that the truth about life? When we’re in the middle of something, it may feel like we’ll never get it. But with practice and patience, eventually it will become something that feels easy. I am hoping to create some habits this year that have the same results. 



Well, that’s probably enough for now. I’m looking forward to seeing where this year takes me. It’s always exciting to have a fresh start. January was good to me. I’m praying that 2023 will be a year of growth and beautiful memories.


Thanks for tuning in. I’ll see you sometime in February. 



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