New Year’s Resolution Success!

I’ve never been big on New Year’s resolutions. On the other hand, for 24 years, I’ve thoughtfully and prayerfully, with a bit of hopeful idealism, composed an annual ministry plan full of predictable and high-minded objectives for my vocational and personal life. The former includes keeping my weight under 200 pounds. I think I achieved that “weighty” goal for about three days during the past 20 years. This year, to make success more likely, I’m raising it to 205 pounds! The latter includes nobler aspirations like catalyzing a disciple-making movement in Bosnia and Hercegovina. Both have proven stubbornly elusive. 

But this year, on this first day of 2024, I’m starting with a win. This here blog is the fulfillment of a personal and ministry goal that has evaded many years of good intentions. Recently, I found journal references to this intent in 2005, and again on the opening day of 2010, along with a list of good but idealized resolutions that sounded great in theory but proved difficult and vague in practice.

One recurring goal was some version of learning to say “no” to certain activities, presumably so I’ll have more bandwidth to say “yes” to other, better things. For example, I’m fond of the idea of organizing events, or making moving speeches, sermons, and presentations.  However, I tend to forget how much I dislike public speaking and extended periods of extorverting. As deadlines draw near, I bemoan ever agreeing to do this training event, or that speaking engagement. Inevitably, this earns me a well-deserved if gentle rebuke from my wife, Jacque, who is familiar with this pattern and predictable lament, “Why did I ever agree to do this?”

Not so this year. I’m saying “no” to public speaking and “yes” to public writing. Of course, it helps that nobody has invited me to speak, which I interpret as evidence of God’s grace in my life.  Meanwhile, I rejoice in achieving a goal on the first day of the new year. Hopefully, it will become sustained momentum for posting something each week. At least, that is one of my resolutions for 2024. Stay tuned. I’m off to a good start!

And I wish a happy and blessed New Year to each of you!