Happy happy New Year!!! Welcome to 2015! If you’re anything like me, you’re excited for all that a new year brings!  I’ve been sharingwhy I think goals are important and how to make realistic goals for yourself. I also shared that I’ve always been a fan of New Year’s resolutions but I mostly love the feeling of a fresh start that comes with a new year. The past couple of weeks I’ve been praying about the new year and what the Lord has for my husband and I in 2015. In sitting and listening, the Lord has clearly brought to mind a “theme” for our year instead of specific resolutions. It’s a broad theme- one that stretches across many aspects of life, and is something that has been deeply resonating in my heart over the past couple of months.I want to live generously in 2015Generosity is something that is not often talked about in today’s culture and if it is, it’s usually in the context of a wealthy someone donating a large amount of money. 
I think we (I) often forget that generosity applies to so much more than just money. It can apply to our time, our home, and how we treat others. The dictionary defines generous as “liberal in giving or sharing; unselfish”. That is what I want my year to be about. I want it to be a year of giving and sharing of my finances, my time, and my home. I’ve shared my struggle in not letting money control me, and I think my challenge will be trusting in the Lord’s provision as we strive to be generous financially. I’ve already seen drastic and very real examples of how the Lord provides and I need to continually remind myself of those times. Over the past couple of months, Alex and I have also really enjoyed doing some fun things with some of our income including tipping a waitress generously and sponsoring a family’s Christmas presents. We have absolutely loved it, and hope to continue doing random financial gifts throughout the year.

Second to our finances, I want to be generous in my time and home. I grew up with a large family and our house was always full of laughter and people. I want to be generous in my home by opening my doors to friends and strangers alike. I want to serve others food and show love at my dinner table share community around our couches. I want the generosity to extend outside of my front door. A few weeks ago it was bitter cold out and as Alex and I turned on our street to go home there were some homeless men holding signs on the corner. We had chicken noodle soup waiting at home and I thought to myself that it would be good if we went home, put some soup in a couple of containers and brought it to the men on the corner. Unfortunately, that thought stayed a thought and never turned into action. I haven’t forgotten that moment and it’s resonated deeply within me that I want my generosity to extend out of the front door and to the street corners. Things like taking soup to the homeless take so little time and effort, yet I almost always don’t make it happen. I want that to change in 2015.  
I’ve come up with so many excuses that limit me in my generosity. Things like our 600 square foot apartment, 4 person table, and single income have given me an excuse for not doing more. As I’ve watched those of you I know in person and read about the stories of you in the blogging community, you have shown me that these things should not be a hindrance. I’ve realized that I need to stop making excuses and be generous with the resources I have now.

The transition after college has been pretty difficult for me, and I often feel like I’m in an awkward in-between time. Alex is still in school, I’m still figuring out what it means to be a nurse, and we are nowhere close to having kids or buying a car. I feel like I’m in a time of waiting, and this feeling tends to make me shy away from involving myself in things. I often find myself thinking that “oh we’ll invite more people over when we have a house” or “we’ll do that when Alex finishes school and we have two incomes”. But if my whole life is a season of waiting (which in one sense or another I will always be in a season of waiting), then I will have wasted my life hoping for the cards to fall into place so that I could start this thing or that thing.

This year, I will fight against the excuses and the heart of waiting that so easily turns into the heart of postponing. I pray that the Lord guides Alex and I to opportunities requiring generosity, the wisdom to hear His direction, and the courage to follow the call.