Intentions & Prayers for 2017
"He is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us." Ephesians 3:20
{Photos by Taylor Leopold}
Wow. Another year is coming to an end, and what a beautiful year it was. As I find myself reflecting over this past year, I can't help but look forward to 2017 and celebrate the possibilities and mystery of what is to come.
Before I look forward, I just want to take a moment to share a bit of reflection of 2016. As January 2016 rolled in I found myself in surrender to God's ways more than ever before. Perhaps some of you have read my "My Epic Love Story" blog post before, which may give you a bit of insight to the state of my heart at the beginning of 2016. (If you haven't read it, I recommend reading it after you read my words to come.) Just like I'm doing at this very moment, last year I sat down and started praying and writing my intentions for the next year (2016) to come. Like I said, I had found myself in complete surrender realizing how most of my life I had just asked (let's be honest, sometimes most of the time begged) for God to do the things I wanted Him to do, MY way. The big "aha" there was that most of the time my way was actually painful. And thank God that He never left my side even when I was trying to steer this ship of my life alone. At the end of 2015 this verse became a strong whisper to my heart…
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the Earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9
With that scripture becoming God's words to my heart, I sat and opened up my hands to whatever God could possibly have in store for me, trusting that His way would be the best. He of course knows the desires of my heart, but I wrote them ALL down trusting that He had given me those desires with a purpose, but maybe they would look a little different than I had imagined, or maybe the timing would just be wayyyy different than what I had tried to plan.
Well, as 2016 began, I gained complete ease and joy. I would say, "His ways are greater than I can even imagine. I have peace in this." True story. Only a few weeks into 2016 several prayers were answered but in ways that I could have never have fathomed. One prayer answered was a nice, and very dreamy continuation of my epic love story. ;) (If you spend any time on my instagram, then you know what I'm talking about.)
And now 2017 is right around the corner, and to ring it in I want to do as I did at the end of last year. I'm writing down my intentions, goals, prayers, and dreams for 2017. The coolest part of this is that I found an intentional planner to help me do this for the whole year to come. A beautiful woman named Lucy of "Lucy Celebrates" created the most beautiful Daily Planner & Prayer Journal that I have ever laid eyes on, and I had to have one.
The pages are filled with encouraging Scripture. Each day is set up by the hour so that I can still schedule my clients on my calendar hourly, and on those pages is a space to write your goal for the day, your action plan, to do's, a space to journal some devotional thoughts, some lines to jot your prayers down, and a space to Celebrate God's goodness all the time!! (There is so much more!) I am so excited about this, as I know it will help me to keep my thoughts focused on each day's purpose, instead of just letting another day race by.
I totally know and understand that bringing in a new year can be overwhelming, scary, and sad, but I also know that there is so much Hope in new opportunities and what God has in store to bring Glory to Him in the things we set out to do. So here I am, letting go of any fears, and writing down my dreams for 2017 on the Vision List page in my Lucy Celebrates Intentional Planner.
The greatest desire of my heart now is to completely sit back and trust God with the desires of my heart, not needing to try to steer this "ship" but let Him. It will be good. And as I have learned that even when disappointments and great sadnesses can occur and throw you off of the path you may have had planned for yourself, you can have the peace that there is still goodness in store, and great things to come that you could never fathom.
"For we are God's handiwork. Created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10
Thank you so much Lucy Celebrates for sharing this beautiful Intentional Planner (Prayer Journal & Daily Planner) with me. I know that it will help direct and guide each day seeking God's ways and revealing the deepest desires of my heart to live each day with genuine intention.
Cheers to this New Year, new opportunities, new possibilities that you can't even fathom! In 2016 I truly experienced God's goodness and faithfulness, because I let Him show me. I'm excited to see where He will lead me in 2017!
As usual, I always love hearing from all of you. Please leave comments sharing what you experienced in 2016 and what you may be looking forward to most in 2017! Blessings to each of you!
