New Year Prayers

I could not be more thankful that 2015 is over and we have started 2016. Normally a New Year is seen as a new beginning and that could not be more true for my family this year. The suitcases are out and we are packing, getting ready for our new adventure. The kids and I will get on the plane in 9 days and will have a few weeks to decompress before we begin our new adventure, wherever that is! I could have fear of the unknown, but I know that my God is bigger than any fear that I can come up with. I am thankful that I can rest in His care and know that He has got this.
I do not make New Year Resolutions anymore, simply because I don't want to get to the end of the year and feel like I have failed. This year I am focusing more on prayer and these are a few of my prayers for the new year:

1) World Peace-I know this sounds cliche' but I truly do want the world to be at peace. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said "Someone must have sense enough to cut off the chain of hate and evil, and this can only be done through love." Let's all do what we can to cut off that chain of hate and show love to others. You never know what people have walked through or is currently going through, watch your tone and do your best to show love and not hate.

2) The leaders of our country-this is an election year and I want the best leader for our country. Unfortunately I do not know who that is at this point. I do know I don't want a president who is going to try and follow people according to their religion (where has our religious freedom gone?) or a president who is against Homeschooling (which is 2 of the candidates). Join me in praying for our country and that the right leader will be obvious...and I know some of you already know who you are voting and pulling for, but I haven't been able to follow things that closely yet.

3) I am praying hard for a friend who is running for senate. I believe in her 100% and know she wants to make a difference and will if elected. I also know that it is going to be an incredibly hard year for her family. Join me in praying for Dinah and her family? And, if you feel led to contribute to her campaign please do so!

4) I am praying for Matt's job that the one he gets will  be a good fit for him and our family.

5) I am praying to be sent to a good community where we can serve.

6) Praying to be led to the right church ^.

7) Praying for a good homeschooling community where the kids can make great friends and I can have some friends too...where we can support each other in our endeavors.

8) I am praying that the move will be good for my kids and they will bounce back to their bubbly happy personalities.

9) I am praying that my school will go well this year, especially through these first few months of transition.

10) I am praying for friends and loved ones who are going through difficult times in their marriages, with their health, their finances.

11) I am praying for a stronger prayer life. This is an area where I am not as strong as I would like to be.

12) I am praying to be the wife, mother, friend, sister, daughter etc that God wants me to be. I want HIS leading on my life, to be completely in His will, doing what He wants with my life.

13) I am praying to be more of a servant. If you know me at all you know I love to help and serve others. Sometimes I forget to take care of myself in the process, but I truly love to give and help others. I am praying that God will open my eyes to areas where I need to work on this. On the other hand, I am praying that I will make my kids more responsible this year. We are to train our kids in the way they should go, to make them capable responsible adults who can take care of themselves. Matt and I were doing a pretty good job of that before we got here and since the kids were so miserable some of that dropped by the wayside. That changes this year as well and I pray that the kids will be receptive to that.

And, if I am being completely honest I am praying for the will power to eat healthier and exercise more...it would be nice to lost about 15 pounds!

My friend Andrea says over on her blog that she wants to pay for someone's "something once a week." This is a wonderful goal and one I would LOVE to adopt, but not sure if that is realistic at this point, but I will certainly keep it in mind as I go through out this year. I hope you will take a minute to hop over to her blog and read this post, she is definitely a mentor to me and it's a great blog post that gets you thinking.

What about you? What are your hopes and prayers for the new year? It's a new year...a new beginning, what do you need to let go of so that you can move on? Fear? Anxiety? A grudge? Leave it in the past, start over. This beginning of the new year is a crossroads. You can choose to hold onto things, or you can let go and start new. Suzanne Eller of The Mended Heart said in her book, "God and His plan for you do not change in the crossroads." This was a profound thought to me and a great reminder that no matter what I am going through God's plan does not change.

"The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." Deuteronomy 31:8

"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18