A New Year, full of new things to accomplish?

Several years ago, I read about a woman who made a list every year. The year that she turned 28, she made a list of twenty-eight things she wanted to accomplish. They ranged from: go scuba diving, get a motorcycle, take a foreign language course, to reading certain books and more personal things. I thought this was a neat idea and started my own list. I did that for a couple of years(but never accomplished my entire list), but found that I kind of cheated on my list. I could never come up with the number of things that I needed, so if I did something neat that year, I would just add it on to my list. High ropes course? Well, that wasn't on there, but it was pretty cool, so I figured I should add it. White water rafting? It hadn't occurred to me that I really needed to accomplish it that year, but once I did, I figured it was worthy of being added to the list.

My main problem with the list, though, is that I really liked the concept, but didn't really have the desire or motivation to see it through. I've never been one for New Year's resolutions, so it's kind of funny that I made this list for a couple of years. I could never remember where I kept the list, either, so wasn't able to check anything off, even if it was completed. =-)

Today is the first day of 2009 and I realized how many of the things that were on the list have been accomplished and will continue to be this year:

*financial freedom(no debt)
*start saving for retirement
*visit friends in Ukraine
*get a new job
*be able to read books in Russian
*be able to travel by myself in Russia/Ukraine
*do more in depth Russian study(what's better than immersion?)
*move overseas with a ministry or to teach ESL
*and some personal ones =-)

When I first started this list, I wasn't thinking about the fact that all of these might be accomplished in the working of one, big life change. And it's very interesting to see how God brought some of these things to pass, once I was willing to relinquish any control I had over them. What I've come to accept and relish is the fact that everything happens in God's timing and according to His bigger and better understanding of my life. Why should I try to plan my life, when His plan for me is so much more vast than I can possibly imagine for myself? "Ah, Lord, my desire is that I might forever relinquish my selfish desires and rest in the peace of your knowledge and perfection." Amen