Happy New Year!
I don’t know about your house, but in mine, Christmas has left the building! The decorations are down, the mess is cleaned up and somehow, it seems a little lonely…
Before Christmas, every time I look at the tree or the lights or nativity, I am filled with a sense of expectancy, peace and joy, all rolled up into one big happy package. The expectancy isn’t from waiting to open gifts and the peace and joy isn’t from anticipating what is in those pretty bags and packages. They come from celebrating the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Each time I look at these traditional signs of Christmas, I am reminded of the greatest Gift of all.
All of this got me thinking. That feeling doesn’t need to go away, packed up in storage until next year. It’s in my heart so I can still celebrate it each and every day! Before Jesus’ birth, they were waiting for a Savior. Today, we are waiting for our Savior to return! And the peace and joy are what I feel knowing I will be with Him for all eternity. So! I will celebrate Christmas every day, with peace, joy and expectancy!
Do you have that peace and joy? It’s a free gift from Him to us. Merry Christmas every day!
Pray Unceasingly!!
In His light,
Lois
| 3 Practices to Transform Your New Year “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9 If you’re like me, 2018 has been filled with so many ups and downs. No matter what your journey has held, we want you to know that you are not alone, and hope is within reach. As we head into the New Year, we wanted to take a moment to refocus on a few simple practices that promise to enrich and empower your life in the days ahead. For decades,experts in every walk of life have found that the common practices of high performing individuals are consistency on the fundamentals. They show up day in and day out and stay committed to what’s most importantto making them excel in their lives. So, whether you want to cultivate a deeper walk with God, get in better shape, start feeling better or discovernew opportunities to serve… building a few daily practices can be transformative. The three below have been most significant to me… #1 – Take an inventory and discover what rejuvenates you As you begin to reflect on what your hoping for in the New Year, it’s best to start by evaluating what makes you feel most invigorated and alive. According to Dr. Mark Hyman, “being fully energized comes down to a very simple principle – take out the bad stuff and add in the good.” In pursuit of our best life he suggests doing an inventory of our energy gainsand drains and to start by simply making a list of what fuels us. Keep in mind this list is unique to you. You may find yours filled things like enjoying a good meal with friends, taking in the sunset, listening to your favorite music, reading a great book or something as simple as walking your pup! As you reflect on what fills each of your days, be reminded of the things that rejuvenate your life. When you get to the list of energy drains, it may include things like watching too much TV, eating fast foods,going to bed late, dropping your exercise routine, etc. The goal here is to start letting go of the areas that drain you and to begin developing a routine that brings you joy. #2 – Develop a daily routine to recharge physically Tom Rath, author of Eat Move Sleep suggests that these three elements are the key areas we need to reboot and recharge. He puts it this way – “Ifyou eat, move, and sleep well today, you will have more energy tomorrow. You will treat your friends and family better, you will achieve more at work and give more to your community.” Well, I guess that says it in a nutshell. It’s about focusing on steady improvements in the way we eat, move and sleep. What I have found in working of thousands of individuals to improve their health is that small steps = huge results, in fact it’s transformational. So, let progress not perfection, be your goal as you learn to love foods that nourish you, find movement you enjoy, and put a priority on having a good night sleep. #3 – Cultivate life giving rituals for your morning routine If you’re looking to jump start your life, it’s imperative to dial in the way you spend the first and last part of your day. Hal Elrod, the author of Miracle Mornings has this to say, “How you wake up each day and your morning routine (or lack thereof) will dramatically impact your life. By simply changing the way you wake up in the morning, you can transformany area of your life, faster than you ever thought possible.” So, whether you’re spending 5 minutes or 50 minutes, the goal here is to steep your soul with inspiration and develop a life-giving routine for beginning each day. A morning routine may include a prayerful reflection, time in God’s word, a few pages of an inspiring read, recording your gratitude’s, an invigorating walk, or catching up on your favorite podcast. Explore finding a new morning rhythm and enjoy what works best for you. Considering that these foundational practices become the fabric of our life, there is arguably no single skill that is more important than learninghow to incorporate these fundamentals into our lives. So now it’s up to you. Have fun designing ways to enrich 2019 as you focus on habits that rejuvenate you, routines to recharge physically, and life-giving rituals that set the tone for each day. Blessings, Dee and the Daniel Plan Team |