New Year, New Dreams

It's now 2020, and to me it seems like maybe 2000.  Where have all the years gone?  I'm still thinking 20 years ago was 1980's! 

Ah, growing old, it's not for the faint of heart, and not everyone gets to do it.  I'm blessed to make it this far.  My body doesn't believe that, but I know it's true. 

This year, I've started something I haven't done in years.  Writing.  Not blog writing, but prayer journal type writing.  This doesn't make me holier than thou or better than anyone else by any means...it's just a way of expressing to the Lord the prayers of my heart.  Years ago, I loved writing stories and penning descriptions of the world around me.  I'd write descriptions of the rural life on the farm in northern Missouri, with details of just about everything.  I took 35mm pictures of everything in the countryside, which now would seem rather boring to most, but at the time really helped my descriptions. 

Anyway, I don't know about you, but I seem to have prayer ADD.  I get distracted so easily when I pray.  Sometimes it's one of the kids needing attention.  Other times it may be hubby wanting something.  Often times it's my own thoughts interrupting.  I'm sure I'm not alone in this.  I'm finding that writing down prayers, thoughts, hymns, poems, etc, help me to focus on my time with the Lord.  The Lord deserves my undivided attention, and I feel guilty when I don't give it to Him. 

Something new in my little world here I'm trying out as well is something that our church's associate pastor's wife spoke to me about.  That would be doing devotionals straight out of the Bible, with no extra books besides a Strong's and/or dictionary.  We use KJV, and I admit some of the words are a bit harder to grasp, but that's what the Strong's Concordance and dictionary are for...to expand understanding and learn the words the way they were penned years ago.  I enjoy going deeper and learning more, about the background of what was going on during the times each book was written and the context of the verses.  Now, I don't have a college degree nor am I scholar, but learning is still very much enjoyable.  It is amazing, at least to me, to realize something "new" to me, sitting right there in black and white, that had been there all the long.  It's like finding a diamond laying right out in the middle of the page and not seeing it before. 

I'm also finding that there's inexpensive books on Kindle that are amazing for learning history of Jews and Israel in general and other areas during Bible times.  It is very nice to read a bit and learn what the culture was like in different areas, what customs were, how people lived, what they believed and how they worshipped, and so on.  Seeing the different people groups' histories during the Bible times really opens up my eyes to the Bible and how each writer saw things during their times.  I've found some books on Kindle for as low as 99 cents, that are easily 500 pages, full of information.  Ok, it may be dull reading to some, but I absolutely love it.  Yep--I'm a nerd 😀.

This year I've got into the "word for the year".  Mine is prayer.  I need to step up my prayer life.  There's things my body just isn't doing well anymore, but I can be a prayer warrior.  I have seen prayers answered in ways unimaginable, and know prayer works.  I want to be known at the throne for praying so much that everyone in heaven says "she's baaaaaaaaaaack".  There's many prayer warriors here in our church alone that I look up to, I want to join among their ranks. 

What is your goal for this year?  I'd love to hear yours! 

Feel free to comment and share with everyone!  :)