A new year.  Brand new notebook.  Fresh page.  Crisp and pristine.  I like the feel of it, untouched, no smudges or coffee spills.  No torn or worn corners.

A new year is like that for me, presenting a fresh start.  Not exactly a do-over but a chance to do-differently.

I’m a planner by nature, making lists, checking things off.  It brings me satisfaction to make a plan and follow it through.

But oh my, I’ve learned a lot lately.  My plans are subject to change at any moment whether I’m ready or not.  This is the unknown factor to figure into the equation.

I hope I’ve learned to make adjustments more quickly, so I don’t stick long in the mud of my stubbornness wanting my own way.  I hope I’ve gotten better at discarding my plan for the richer plan of my Father.

As I begin 2015, my inner planner starts to list projects and goals.   There are things I want to do, places I want to go, people I want to spend time with.

Scripture teaches that we should plan for the future.   But it also tells me I must bow the knee to the greater plan, one that I cannot fully see or understand.  As I make my lists, I must be ready to change and be willing to roll with it rather than fight against it.

I’ll set aside some time in the next few days to make some plans and write a list for 2015.  They will be subject to the Father’s will, and I will pray to be ready to adjust to Him rather than throw a tantrum because I’m not getting my way.  But I’m learning.  After all these years, it’s about time, don’t you think?

 Photo by Alex Markovich of Idiot Photography

If you are making goals in 2015, would you share some of them with me?