I’m sitting here preparing to say goodbye to two very special daughters as they head back to CA later this week. One — Laura — will be finishing up college (seriously…we’ll be heading to her graduation in May). The other  — Hannah — will be completing her first year as a pre-med student. Christmas Break has been different (our Hannah’s hip surgery and recovery has made it so) and absolutely wonderful! Family movies, family games, feasts, baking, sledding, shopping, movie-making, lots of love and laughter. It’s difficult for me to let go of all that. But, time marches on, and we have to march with it. Once routine has set in again, I know I’ll enjoy that time too, but for now…I’m just enjoying these rare moments when we’re all together.

And as I sit here, I can’t help but think — 2015???? I cannot believe we have started a new year. Again.

If you are a New Year’s Resolution kind of person, then you’re in good company. Lots of people everywhere are resolving to do something this year. If you have some sort of social media account, it’s likely you’ve read different resolutions involving weight-loss, healthy eating, exercise, kindness, patience, goodwill.

Me? I’m not a New Year’s Resolution kind of person. If I’ve learned anything in my 41 years it’s that my resolve is pretty lacking. Time and time again I’ve determined to do something — to change something, to live a certain way, to be healthier, to be more patient, to extend the kind of grace my Lord extends me — I’ve put on my big girl pants, dug in my heels, ready to get ‘er done. Then I mess up. Not just once. But over and over again. My resolve is completely inadequate!

So…last week I was scrolling down my Facebook feed, reading mostly about the exercise plans and healthy-eating plans my friends and family members are implementing, while eating the last of our Christmas goodies, no doubt. There I was, stuffing my face, thinking, I’ll start eating better tomorrow. I won’t make any resolutions about it, but I can’t keep eating the way I do over the holidays. 😉

Then, something in my feed caught my eye. It was an article…or a blog…or a report. All I remember is it was some sort of publication. I read a line or two (maybe just the title and first sentence — you know — whatever pops into your feed trying to lure you in to clicking on the link), but didn’t have time just then to read the whole thing. I planned to go back later and find it. Story of my life…I forgot. I can still only remember these details: someone shared something that someone else wrote. That’s really not much to go on.

However, the title and first sentence really got me thinking and formulating a plan. That article-blog-report-publication thingy was about the year 2015 and our need to do only one thing. This author was another non-New Year’s Resolution kind of person. I’m sure we would get along — whomever he or she might be.

What if we all set our sights on what man was created to do? What if each one of us decided not to focus on weight-loss and eating healthy (I do believe these are good goals, by the way), or even on being kinder and more patient (again, good things to be)? But, instead, decided to focus on the job our Creator gave us to do?

Simply put, and borrowed from the Westminster Shorter Catechism, we were created to glorify the Lord and enjoy Him forever.

May we seek to glorify the Lord in 2015!

May we seek to enjoy Him in 2015!

Let us focus on that. Let us resolve to glorify our Creator and enjoy Him. And, knowing how weak our resolve is, let us rely on our Creator to do these very things.

I’m a fan of ceremony…even if it’s not fancy. We plan to sit as a family this new year and, together, make a list of some of the ways we can glorify the Lord and enjoy Him in the year 2015. Won’t you join us? 🙂