One of my favorite things about the new year is it always feels like a refresh. Even though it is really no different than another day, another week, another month, it still has the empowering effect on every person to re-create themselves or make new goals or finally do what they’ve been aspiring to do. Last year I had said that I was going to journal more and well…that lost quickly. But I did do better at working out and losing weight…overall I learned that my biggest problem with my weight loss: self discipline when it comes to eating. Sheesh is that disappointing. I can’t blame the gall bladder anymore, I can’t blame thyroid or vitamin D deficiency…it’s just me. Now this means I have to get to work.
New year, new resolutions, clean start. Last year was brutal and filled with heartache. I will do everything possible (of course with the help of my great God) to ensure that doesn’t happen again this year. We will not allow our trauma to define us, but to reshape us into who God wants us to be. One of my favorite scriptures has always been James 1:2 
and this year, when we were going through a dark time as a family, we forgot this verse. We allowed the season of trials we were suffering to define us, to wear us down, and we kept trying to keep it within our control and reach…which we were so silly to think we had any power in this whole situation. God would send gentle reminders that we could not do more than what we already did and to just trust Him to take care of everything. That is so hard. But we will overcome this. We will move forward and God will use this in some way that we cannot see because He is bigger than this.
Back to the whole new year theme….I don’t even want to attempt to make resolutions because I’ll totally forget about them and yeah. But I do want to create a theme of 2018. I want this year my theme to be SELF-DISCIPLINE. I lack this incredibly. I start something 
and hardly finish it (unless its a really great Netflix show), I love to work out, love to eat healthy foods…I just have no self control when it comes to donuts, cookies and cake, I start reading my bible pretty actively than slowly drift off and before I know I’m a month behind my reading plan, I start chore lists and reward systems for the kids and then never follow through. That is changing! I want my kids to be in a structured household, no chaos, and I want them to not struggle with their health and devotionals like I have…so I must set that standard. If I pray for self-discipline, practice self discipline, and hold myself accountable for following through–than maybe any goal I would make for myself, I’d actually finish. So 2018 will be the year of discipline. Pray for me…this will be hard. May my body react in repulsion to the taste of a free cookie at work, may my stomach believe it’s full without finishing my plate, and may that chapter in the Bible come to life and unfold in front of my eyes to grasp my full attention. 
I want to be better. I’m praying for God to give me the wisdom and self discipline to help better myself. What’s your theme going to be?
The Reddickulous Life 