Revisiting my Yearly Goals at the Six Month Mark

I arrived home yesterday afternoon after being away all weekend. I had  a speaking engagement as well as hosting a district event for women and speaking there. Between all the driving, speaking, visiting and organizing, it caught up with me last night and I fell fast asleep at 7 p.m. and woke up at 5:15 this morning. I was tired!

It was such a wonderful weekend and my heart was full as I saw His word encourage others. I'm thankful for the ministry opportunities that the Lord gives me.

We are in a new month and the push is beginning for wedding preparations. I am hosting Emily's bridal shower, along with her maid-of-honor, on July 20th and then her wedding is August 31st.  While there are a lot of moving pieces, it's fun to prepare. I love event-planning and a wedding is event-planning on steroids! 

Of course, I still have district and church things to focus on as well so I'm making a plan and working it. I'm also working ahead on many things as much as possible.

One of the things that I sensed the past few weeks is the need to continue to lean in and stay focused on what the Lord has for me. I very quickly get distracted because there are so many things I can do. While they are all good things, I keep coming back to the thought of what is the main thing that God wants me to focus on? 

I'm trying to stay on the main path and to stop hopping down bunny trails. It's not easy because there are so many interesting things down them! There may come a time when one of those trails will be fine to wander down, but at this moment in my life, I'm feeling directed to stay the course on my writing, speaking and leading.

It's hard to believe that we have finished up six months of 2024 and I want to revisit my priorities or goals for this year. The word that kept coming to mind as a focus was connected and so my goals reflect that.

1. Take one day each month for a personal retreat day where I disconnect for either an entire morning or afternoon to read, pray, and listen to the Lord as I work on the following.

I will continue to spend time each day in God's word and prayer. Because I'm in a leadership role in both our church and our district I want to spend this year reading through the Bible again and seeing what God has to say about leadership. Sometimes my idea of leadership and God's view of it do not line up.

Look at the struggles in my life and evaluate them in light of perhaps being pruned, then pray and listen to what He has to say to me. I often view unpleasantness or uncomfortableness as a negative thing and do everything I can to change it. But this year I want to step out in trust, knowing that the Lord is working in all things. 

Journal through this process.

2. Connect to and love the people in my life through specific actions. 

Meet with different women once a week for coffee, conversation and prayer.

Encourage friends and family through notes and cards, spending time with them, etc.

Twice a month invite another family or person over for dinner.

3. Focus on the ministry that God has for me and cut out the activities that are a distraction from that ministry. If I want to be fruitful, I want to do a better job of being focused on God's call on my life. I am implementing the following activities.

Spend more time writing at least 3 times a week so I can continue to encourage in this way.

Take those speaking engagements that arise and that fit into my schedule.

Do a better job of leading and mentoring instead of trying to do all thing ministry activities myself. 

Connect with the team of volunteers I work with in different ways - through conversations and listening to their heart, encouraging them with notes, gifts, etc. Do this on a rotating basis with different team members and at least once per month. 

Some of these I've done a great job of doing and others, I need to continue to work on. Overall, I'm thankful that I've really stayed focused on these this year. I think I'm further along on achieving these than I've ever been in the past.

I'm on to the second half of the year and am looking forward to what the Lord has in store for me. 

Happy July!