So I know some of you just read that title and thought, “Is this chick serious?!” Yeah, I am.
After years of dating and meeting all the Mr. Wrongs I could find, I’m ready to put one guy at the top of the list—Jesus. I’ve always had what I would consider a lukewarm relationship with Jesus. I go to church, I pray (albeit not as often as I should)..., and I believe with my whole heart that Jesus is my Lord and Savior. But that’s not enough anymore (nor was it really ever). It’s time I focus on my relationship with my Savior and stop putting everything else ahead of Him.
Dating is a hindrance for me because I spend so much of time and energy on it. I am a member of two dating websites (which are a crock….I’ll be writing a blog entry on those soon!) and I’ve not had one successful relationship (or friendship for that matter) emerge from either of them (and we’re talking several years of this…).
It hit me today in church when my pastor (Perry Noble, NewSpring Church) was talking about what hinders us from being close to Jesus. Dating is just that for me. It’s consumed so much of my life, and let’s be honest, I’m pretty sure that God keeps putting all these Mr. Wrongs in my path for a reason!
So, starting today, July 13, 2014, I will not date for an entire year! (Gasp!!! Whatever shall I do?)
Well…there are three areas of my life that I am going to focus on improving over the next year (I got these from an awesome service by Lee McDerment at NewSpring Church).
1. My relationship with Jesus…I desperately need to spend more time praying and studying God’s word. I get this awesome (and free!) devotion sent to my phone every day from www.newspring.cc. Now it’s time to stop skimming over it and actually read it, study it, and live it. EVERY DAY!
2. My Health…I’ve been overweight for most of my life. For the longest time I just accepted that this was who I was and that nothing I could do would change that. Now I realize that I shouldn’t be okay with just accepting it…I need to change it. Boy, oh boy, it’s not going to be easy. We’re talking changes eating habits and exercise habits for nearly 20+ years…but I’m determined because I want to be healthy so I can live a long, full life!
3. My finances…This one always stings the worst for me. I don’t know if it’s pride that causes me to have a hard time admitting that I’m terrible with money or what, but I am. I’m an impulsive spender and I don’t have good money management skills. I know that there is no way I’ll be able to be debt-free in 12 months, but I know I can establish a strict budge and stick to it. One of my amazing friends is going to be helping me about by being my accountability buddy throughout this year (and let’s face it…I need somebody to kick my rear if I try to spend money that I shouldn’t be spending).
So…A lot is going to be going on this year, and I know it’s not going to be easy and I know there are going to be days when I feel like giving up, but I’ve been blessed to have a strong support system of family and friends who aren’t afraid to set me straight or pick me up when I fall.
Do I expect to find the elusive “ONE” after this year? No…the good Lord knows when I’ll meet him and until then I have other things to focus on in life!
I’ll be posting each month on the 13th to track my progress with each of these goals…to quote one of my favorite books “May the Odds Be Ever in My Favor"!
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