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Goals and dreams for the new year 2024

2024
Image source: BoliviaInteligente on Unsplash

“The new year stands before us, like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written. We can help write that story by setting goals.” ~ Melody Beattie

We’re nearing the end of 2023 and the new year 2024 is around the corner, as of this post’s writing. I hope you had a great Christmas with your family and your friends, and have a wonderful, new year overflowing with God’s blessings.

I usually do several things at the end of each year and before the start of the new one:

Reflect over the past year and pray about the coming new year. I set aside a quiet time alone to seek God to ask His forgiveness for any sins I may have committed in the past year, and to ask for His direction, wisdom, guidance, and protection for me and my family. I no longer do new year’s resolutions (breaking them too fast). For the last several years, I’ve asked for a “one word” and a Scripture as an anchor for the coming year. The one word has worked much better, and it serves as a theme for the year. I really liked this video on resetting your life and just “dreaming” about the coming year and writing down what comes to mind (although I still think goals are a great and wise idea!). My motto is “Dream big because we serve a big God!” God makes dreams come true, as my life is living proof!

Palm trees & beach
Image source: Maarten van den Heuvel

Declutter, organize, and clean. Marie Kondo said, “Tidying is the act of confronting yourself.” So true! Have you ever just really LOOKED at your house, rooms, closets, drawers, yard, garage, and car and thought, “What IS all this crap? Why on earth do I have it?” (Or you wonder why your spouse or kids do!) Decluttering and organizing is an endless task, but such a necessary one. I try to do this several times a year, but especially at the end of the year, to have a fresh new start. It’s SO freeing to give away, throw away, or sell things. You just feel a weight lifted off you, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. “When home feels out of control, no matter what the reason, unsettledness and anxiety can seep in, and then the chaos becomes internal as well as external.” (Myquillyn Smith)

Clutter
Image source: Ashim D’Silva

December 29, 2023 by Beth Jones

Blog, Faith, Family, Friendship, pets, prayer

God and our prayers did a MIRACLE for Phil the stray cat (and about my other cats)

Phil the male stray cat I brought in

If you’ve been following me on Facebook, as you know, I have been praying fervently and calling and emailing pet rescue places and shelters since I brought Phil the male stray cat inside our house one night when I saw him walking/running on 3 legs.

I made an appointment with the vet and she said his leg/paw wasn’t broken. At the follow-up appointment the next week, his leg/paw seemed okay. They also tested Phil’s stool sample for parasites and worms (negative). They tested him for FIL (the fatal cat virus) and FLV (cat leukemia). Both are fatal diseases, but FLV is worse.

He tested negative for the leukemia, but positive for FIV. I cried for hours that night. My husband Ray had to pray a couple of times for me. I was so upset, as I know cats with FIV can have health issues and even die. I didn’t want anything bad to happen to Phil!

Many cats with FIV live long, happy lives, but I didn’t want him to ever become unhealthy or the health risk to my cats Natalya and Silas, to possibly get it from Phil.

There’s a lot of misunderstandings and fears about FIV. As a result, many people think it’s an instant “death sentence” for the cat and many become unadoptable. So sad!

While FIV can’t be transmitted through casual contact (cats sharing food and water bowls, using the same litter box, or being in close proximity), a FIV+ cat can give it to another if they fight and cause deep wounds. I did NOT want my cats Natalya or Silas to fight with Phil and become infected with it, as they tested negative for it.

I believe Silas and Phil would have fought like this, as Silas is so territorial and can be aggressive occasionally, despite being neutered! You’d never know it in the picture below in the sunroom, with Silas looking afraid of Natalya, LOL!

Silas and Natalya in the sunroom

I adopted Natalya, my beautiful, black female cat with green eyes, several Christmases ago. She is the Queen of Sheba in our household and as Ray says, “spoiled rotten.” I love her very much and vice versa. I call her my little black panther.

My sweet kitty Natalya

She follows me everywhere I go in the house and sleeps with me most of the time. I’m also quite attached to Silas (who thinks he is the king!).

November 17, 2023 by Beth Jones

Blog, Family, Friendship

An ordinary day on your birthday, an extraordinary God

Today is my birthday! I haven’t done anything spectacular to celebrate it; in fact, it’s been a very ordinary day…primarily because I just had some dental work done and I’m on a soft food diet this week (which means, the hygienist said, no chips & salsa right now (or cake)…although I did buy a Sonic hot fudge sundae today to put in my coffee for a little chocolate, creamy treat!). I can’t have hot or cold drinks right now, so I had to let it cool first. But it was so good!

hot fudge sundae for my coffee

But my perspective (despite not being able to go out to eat for my birthday) is that each day and moment is a precious gift and sacred, whether you’re saving lives like my husband Ray does in his courageous career (Marines/Navy corpsman, paramedic, police chief, SWAT team medic, and currently a fire chief/paramedic); a doctor or nurse; a lawyer; a librarian; a homeschooling mom; a garbage truck worker; a scientist; a therapist; a radio show host; a stay at home mom changing diapers; or ____ (you fill in the blank).

Fire Chief Ray Jones
Central Cass County Fire Dept yellow-ribbon cutting ceremony

When I went to get Swiffer power mop cloths at Walmart this morning to mop the floors, I also bought myself some gorgeous yellow roses there. They are among my fave flowers, besides sunflowers, daisies, and wildflowers.

Yellow roses for my birthday

They go nicely with my t-shirt with the yellow inscription (with a cute heart!), which reads, “Choose Happy.” I believe that we do have to CHOOSE happiness, or joy, rather, no matter what our circumstances are. “The joy of the LORD is our strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10)

Choose Happy t-shirt

Today was a beautiful day with the sunshine streaming through the trees in our yard.

Sunlight through the trees

September 20, 2023 by Beth Jones

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I'm an International Speaker, Author of 30 books (and still writing!), traveler, wife to fire chief/paramedic Ray, and a blessed mom of 3 beautiful daughters, Heather, Eden, and Leah. I encourage women to use their gifts for God's glory, fulfilling their great purpose, and living a life they love. I help aspiring Christian speakers & writers to share their hearts' unique, powerful messages. The ocean is my happy place and place of peace and refilling. I love Jesus, my family, my cats Natalya and Nichodemus, traveling, chips & salsa, coffee, chocolate, nature, music, and art. My husband Ray calls me an enigma: I love to laugh and cry a lot. What about you? I'd love to connect more with you and hear how you desire to make more of an impact here for God's glory. Thanks for stopping by here. I pray you will find the hope, inspiration, and motivation you need to become all God created you to be. Dream big because we serve a big God!