A Month of Change

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Happy first day of September!! Fall officially begins this month and while I’m not quite ready to say goodbye to summer, I am ready for a new season to begin.

If you follow me on Instagram, you may already know that this past four months have been hard for me. If I am being honest, hard does not really begin to explain the depth of my struggle- but that’s a story for another time.

I’ve made the decision September is going to be a new month, a new season of life for me. As the season begins to change, I am making sure a new chapter in my life begins as well.

In August, I posted on Instagram and asked if any of you had set goals for the month. While some of my goals for September are tangible, most of them are goals for a heart change. I yearn for the coming months to be a sweet season of life- a season of new beginnings, a season of growth.

I truly believe in the power of writing out your goals and intentionally asking someone to hold you accountable. So today I am sharing my some of my September goals with you.

1. Speak less. In September I want to speak less and listen more. I’m learning to bite my tongue-  just because I have something to say, doesn’t mean I should say it. My husband is great at knowing when to speak and when to listen. Hopefully by the end of the month I will be better at it too. I am ready to make more room for wisdom to be poured into my life.

2. Be positive. As I mentioned before, I am declaring September to be a fresh start and the first chapter to my next season of life. I am choosing to turn away from the struggles of the past few months and to be positive in all circumstances. It’s my goal to not let negative talk come out of my mouth. Less negative = more positive.

3. Find a women’s Bible study. My work schedule is a bit odd and inconsistent which has made finding a women’s Bible Study hard. The women Bible studies have also taken a summer break and will be returning this month. My goal is to find a local study & to consistently be involved. Online studies are great- but there is something special about grabbing coffee/tea with friends and diving deeper. {What is it about coffee shops that just make room for the Holy Spirit? Anyone else feel like God is always present in a coffee shop?}

4. Cook at home more. One of my favorite books is ‘The Table Experience‘ by Devi Titus. If you haven’t read it- go buy it! It’s the kind of book you want in your home, not on your kindle. The book explains the importance of having meals at your table and the deep, meaningful relationships that are cultivated when we take the time to make meals together a priority. This month, we are going to eat out less and cook at home more. We finally have our kitchen set up so this is finally a viable option! Once we get back into the swing of cooking, I can’t wait to have friends and family over for dinner.

5. Hang our pictures and art. Silly, I know. Most of our apartment is set up, but we have NOTHING on our walls yet. Our building is pre-war so the walls are rock solid and painted with latex paint- i.e. nails don’t work and I’ve read reviews that the Command strips won’t stick to this paint… This month, I am determined to find a way to hang our pictures  and art.

Normally I like to stick with five goals a month so I know my goals are realistic, but this month just requires six goals.

6. Pray more. In Thailand it was easy to be in constant prayer. It was hard to escape the constant reminder that we were out of our normal comfort zone. Now that we have returned to the U.S. and we have begun to get into a routine, it is easy to get distracted and forget to be in constant prayer. This month, praying only a few times a day is not enough. I now have a post-it note on my work computer screen to remind me to pray for specific items, so whenever I look at the note, I will be reminded to pray.

My goals aren’t about a check list or about becoming more successful, my goals are about my heart and what is important to me. In September, I want to focus on what matters most. September is a month of change, a month of new beginnings.

What are some of your goals for September or the fall?