Happy New Year!
New Year, New You
By Medical Director Dr. Amy Eubanks
With the new year upon us, it is a time for all of us to reflect upon where we are in our lives and what we hope for in the new year. As people of faith, we have just celebrated the season of Christ’s birth, and we have had the joy of seeing family and friends – many of us re-establishing family traditions for the first time since the pandemic. In Jeremiah 29: 11, we are reminded that our new year’s plans should not be made alone. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” In seeking the Lord in prayer and asking for guidance, deciding our new year’s path becomes a more divinely inspired course. In Matthew 7:7-8, we are told: ”Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” God is always there with us when we seek to find his guidance and His grace, and he will never lead us astray. Proverbs 16:9 says: ”In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” If we resolve to listen to God as much as we talk to him, he will show us the way. In asking God’s guidance, we can draw comfort in knowing the goals and plans we make for the new year are in step with His plan for us. However, it is well known that most new year’s resolutions fail to succeed, not through God’s failing but through our own. Why is that the case, and how do we improve our chances of success with our plans? We have to set SMART goals:
S: Specific
It is one thing to say “I’m going to exercise more.” It is another thing to say “I’m going to walk on the treadmill for 30 minutes on Mon, Wed, and Friday at 10 am.“
M: Measurable
Are you able to document that you have done what you aimed to do? A journal of your activity and progress can certainly measure your activities.
A: Achievable
Is this something that is reasonable for you to accomplish? Have you set goals that are within your capabilities?
R: Relevant
Are your goals something that are meaningful to your life?
T: Time-bound
Have you set a specific time frame for you to meet the goals you have set for yourself?
By setting SMART goals for your new year, you increase the likelihood that these goals will be met. By setting your goals with a mind to following God’s guidance, you also help align your personal and spiritual goals. When your goals and God’s goals are aligned, we also increase the likelihood that we will shine God’s light in this world as we live our day to day lives. Happy New Year!
Read the rest here: https://mailchi.mp/b0185e96f4a0/news-from-rapha-clinic-of-west-ga-15798606