A New Beginning

New Years was a tough holiday for me when I was younger. I was a high strung kid. Not much has changed but some of my OCD has subsided, and I now look forward to the new year as a challenge to become a better person.

I read Debbie Macomber’s “One Perfect Word” a few summers ago and it has stuck in my mind. People always think about setting healthy physical goals, but they often times forget about mental health.
My resolution is to focus on the word “patience” this year. Patience toward coworkers, my job search, my dog, and most important, toward God’s timing. I will also spend time each day with a devotional. Of course, I will need patience in regards to my own progress in finding patience and trusting God more, throughout the year.

Good luck to all of you, in your search to become better, healthier people in 2015! Cheers!

The Holidays: Near and Far

The holidays can be tough for a number of reasons. Maybe you can’t see your family over Thanksgiving or Christmas, or maybe you can… but wish those celebrations weren’t so long.

Choosing a university halfway across the country has cost me the past five wishbone pulls and day-after decorating, but it has opened my eyes to other traditions. I’ve been welcomed into four homes for the famous feast since 2010, letting me in on celebrations from families near and far.
For the past two years, my extended family has ditched gift-giving in place of sending boxes of necessities and treats to active servicemen and women. I’ll be missing Christmas this year as well, but I know from last year, the change was much welcomed; no hard feelings or disruptions from the once a year catch-ups to unwrap something we don’t really need.

What I’ve learned from these two changes from the norm is, no matter where you are, people care about you. When I can’t be with my family on the holidays, other people are willing to reach out to me. And when our military men and women are away, my family does our small part to help them feel close to home. It’s hard being away, but in a sense, it’s easier to experience the real meaning of the holidays: expending love toward one another.