Hard to believe it, but today is the last day of 2014. And what a year it's been! So many amazing lessons and experiences. Some have been extremely difficult, like learning to rely completely on God's provision for our finances month to month. Some, like the cultural stress I experienced earlier in the Spring, have been painful. Some, like the publication of my first novel, have been utterly satisfying. There is precious little I would change about this year.
Now, however, it's time to look toward the next year. Of course, our fervent prayer is that God will perform a miracle with regard to our funding and we'll be able to return to Mexico for our second term in July. That's a big goal. But we serve a BIG God!
Personally speaking, this year to come is a big one for me. It is the year in which I will turn 40 years old. 40! While it doesn't conjure the terror for me that it inspires in others approaching this decade mark, it is a tad more daunting than turning 30. I'm not quite sure why. Maybe it's because I don't actually feel like someone about to turn 40. Don't feel anywhere near mature enough for this age. At any rate, I have several goals in mind. Taking a page from my sister, I want to own 40. To do so, I want to meet the following goals by the end of the year:
(1) Regular, consistent, daily devotions.
(2) Exercising 45 minutes a day 4 x a week, and another 15 minutes 2 x a week
(3) Drinking at least 80 oz of water every day.
(4) 60 minutes of Spanish study 5 x a week, incorporating Spanish into my devotions 2 x a week.
(5) Reaching, and maintaining, a healthy weight. Sadly, I have gained back everything I previously lost (booo!). So, I have broken this last goal into a few mini goals - I want to be down 25 lbs by March 31, down 50 lbs by July 1, down 75 lbs by September 30, and at my goal weight by December 31.
If I can manage to reach all 5 of these goals, I will be able to say I "owned" 40.
