A New Day and a New Month

It's almost been a month since I posted. I know, I've been a slacker. The month of April was definitely a hectic one. Nevertheless, I am glad it is May. As I reflect back over the last few months I have realized just how fast time flies. It seems like just yesterday that it was January and it was a new year. Now 2009 is almost half over. Is it just me or is that crazy!?! It's awesome to think about the future, but it is also scary to think that the days we live will never be lived again. It will never ever be May 5, 2009 ever again, except for today. Time is definitely a precious thing.

The reality of time has been fresh in my mind lately, mainly because one of my friends past away last week. It was a rough week and hard to deal with. It reminded me just how precious life is and why it's so important to live life to the full. Lately I feel like I've just been going through the motions and approaching each day as a task to accomplish. Yet each day is a gift from God that we must choose to cherish. I feel that too often I miss out on this gift, and instead focus on things that are not important. Oh that we would live life to the full!

At the first of the year I posted some of my goals and have personally themed this year EXCEL. So far, there are areas where I've done well in, while others not so much. I have a tendency to beat myself up at times if I don't feel like I'm meeting expectations, but with these goals I have been way more optimistic than I usually am. But my desire is not to accomplish a lot and be successful. My ultimate desire is to live life to the full and seek to excel in everything that I do. When I say excel, I simply mean to give everything I got in everything that I do. I want to look back on the day and say that I gave it 100%, from the smallest of things to the biggest. I fail at this and make mistakes constantly, but there is comfort in knowing that, on this journey called life, I am trying my hardest to be the person God has created me to be.

So tomorrow is a new day and honestly I am excited about the month of May. On Thursday I get to join with others to celebrate the life an incredible guy who experience the amazing redemption of Jesus Christ. Though there will be some painful moments, I know that it will be a time of joy [he is in a better place!]. Also, later this month on the 17th I will compete in my very first triathlon...FINALLY! I'm registering tomorrow and I'm so excited! A week after that I will be heading to Indianapolis to experience the Indy 500 for the first time. I can't even tell you how thrilled I am about that! On top of that, I get to live and work and spend time with incredible people everyday. I am so thankful for the family and friends that God has blessed me with. I definitely have nothing to complain about. God is good and he is worthy to be praised in everything. What an awesome gift we've been given - this gift called life. May we live it to the full and spend every single day loving God and loving others.

John 10:9-10
I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Excelling in 2009

A friend asked me the other day if I made any New Year's resolutions and at first I went blank. I have never been big on "New Year's Resolutions" but the more I thought about the question, the more I realized that I do have some goals and aspirations for the big 2009.

I am definitely a visual person and need to "see" my goals in order to keep focused on them. I also like to be neat and organized, although I fully admit that it is difficult at times. If I am messy it means one thing - I'm stressed and overwhelmed. All that is to say, I am choosing to create habits this year that will help me focus on the goals I want to achieve. So meet my new best friend - X.



Excel is a program for my personality. You can make lists, charts, graphs and formulas to serve your purpose, whatever that may be. Right now I'm a novice at best with X, but I'm hoping that will all change this year. As I learn it, I know it will help me focus on what I want to accomplish and EXCEL in life (no pun intended).

To start, I made a simple and somewhat generic list of goals and things I want to do in 2009. This is only the beginning. My plan is to add to this and build more and more "action steps" to help me excel in them. If you have read my blog in the past, you know that DISCIPLINE has been a key word for me. It will continue to be in '09. But I just don't want to be discipline. No, I want to EXCEL in everything I do.

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men."
- Colossians 3:17

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