Wait, It's 2015 Already?

I rang in 2015 sitting in the fifth row of chairs in Ryman Hall C at the Gaylord Opryland with John Paul, Mike, & Chris Stefanik (cough name dropping cough cough). We were pouring over the SEEK programming timeline, making sure every detail for the opening of the conference would be just right, making sure it would set a tone of fun and openness so the Holy Spirit could begin to work in the hearts of the 9,500 college students that would be in attendance.

At 12:03 AM, Mike noticed the time. "Hey guys, it's 2015." Chris suggested we pray a Hail Mary. We did, and then got right back to work.

The next six days were a blur of conference production and coffee, followed by a blur of moving and adjusting. When I finally got a chance to process that it was already 2015, I was tired. I spent a lot of 2014 tired and lonely. It was kind of a crap year that I don't really want to repeat. I wasn't focused, and I wasn't purposeful.

I've never been any good at keeping resolutions. So instead, I'm going with two words to set the tone for 2015. I want them to be my mantra, my rally cry, and the motivating force behind all that I choose to do. Be intentional.

I turn 25 in March - quarter of a century old. For most of my life, I've lived in that relativistic, do-what-feels-good mindset. And even though I'm aware of it now, it can still creep into my habits and my daily choices. So this year, I'm going to combat that by being intentional.

I want to ask myself "how can I be intentional" about all the different priorities in my life: my faith, my relationships, my career, my time, my health, etc.

I think this 2015 mantra could mean big things for my year, especially as I focus on it day by day.

image via.

a toast to the new year

I've always been bad at resolutions. And goals. Which is silly, because I love goals. I've probably talked about this before. I get so idealistic, but I just lack follow through. Lame, I know. But I think it's because I typically lack a vision or a foundation for why I want to do all these things.

When I started brainstorming all the resolutions I could have for 2014, I came up with a million different ideas: read the whole Bible, live simply, work out more, cook and eat healthy, write more, less media, etc. my list went on and on. 

I took all these different ideals to prayer and a theme arose:

More Jesus, less stuff. 

The heart of all of these goals, all the things I desire, all the things I want to do, and the person I want to be is this:

More Jesus, less stuff. 

So that's my mantra for 2014. More Jesus, less stuff. I want to quit neglecting my relationship with Jesus. I want it to be the richest and most important part of each day. I want freedom to respond to the desires he places on my heart by creating space for Him. I want to simply, and fill my soul with Him and His people. 

More Jesus, less stuff. 

I love You, Jesus. Keep me close to you.