Not Resolutions – Goals

On January 1, I told you that I’d spent much of the day thinking, dreaming, and planning for 2012. I ended that blog saying that there was more I had to tell you about my day and now, FINALLY, on February 12, I will share my final installment about that day.

If you’ve read my blog for very long you will know that I never make New Year’s Resolutions.To me, resolutions have way too much potential to make me feel like a failure.But last year, our pastor, Rob Ketterling did a leadership training at which he encouraged us to set goals.To be honest, even setting goals makes me a little bit nervous because they are like first cousins to resolutions and still have the capacity to make me feel like a failure.But, Pastor Rob helped me to look at goals differently; because when our dreams (or goals) are put into God’s hands, all kinds of great things can happen.

With this new outlook, I finally decided that I could put down some goals – not just for 2012 – but for the years to come. At the leadership training when Pastor Rob spoke on goals he mentioned seven areas in which we should set goals; family goals, travel goals, influence goals (who will you influence?), financial goals, physical goals, experience goals and ministry goals. So, seven months after that leadership training night, I took out my computer and started a list of goals. It didn’t seem nearly as scary when I just put them all in God’s hands. Pastor Rob encouraged us to dream big, write them down and then say “I don’t know how you’re going to do it, God, but I’m going to ask.”

The great thing about God is that if “OUR dreams” don’t come to pass it’s because HE has something better in mind.And His “better” is always better than my “best!”

I’m not going to tell you ALL of my goals because seriously, I can dream pretty big and while I’m more than willing to tell God my big bodacious dreams, I’m not so sure you won’t just roll your eyes and laugh at me.But, I will share a couple.

One of my “family goals” is to go on a date with my husband twice a month. Marriage is important . . . and challenging . . . and I think dating is still important, even after 36 years

I love to travel so setting “travel goals” was easy for me.In fact, I’m sure that’s a part of the list I’ll probably be adding to as time goes by.But for now, my two biggest dreams are to go to Holland in the spring to see the tulips and to Vermont in the fall to see the leaves.Be prepared for TONS of pictures when that goal comes to pass.

As for “experience goals” I’d love to meet (and have lunch with) Women of Faith speaker, Luci Swindoll. I’ve always enjoyed listening to her speak and I would love to glean some knowledge from her.She’s also incredibly funny and loves to travel.To be honest, this seems like an impossible dream to me.I mean, really, Luci Swindoll is a busy woman and I’m sure I’m not the only woman on the planet who would love some one on one time with her.Then again, who knows?Maybe she’s your aunt.

I won’t bore you with the whole list. But, I will encourage you to make your own. You aren’t too old, too young, too short, too tall, too thin or too fat to dream big! And, you don’t have to wait until next year to start your list. God doesn’t care what day it is. He just wants you to dream big! So do it! You never know what God might have in store.