New Years

It's hard to believe that the new year has come so quickly. I've now been home from my mission for nearly 10 months and so much has happened. It's strange to think that a year ago I was in Louisiana doing missionary work all day every day. It almost feels like a dream or like it never really happened. Yet at the same time it feels like just yesterday that I was there. I am so grateful for my experiences on my mission that have provided some serious support and comfort during the past few months. I'm sure I will continue to see the many ways my mission has blessed me.
New Years is classically a time to set goals and figure out what you want to accomplish in the upcoming year. This year however, I really haven't set a lot of goals. Partly because I didn't really think to much about it and partly because I'm tired of setting goals and either forgetting about them or failing to achieve them. This year I want to set smaller goals and just go from there. For one thing, I'm really working on being better about my daily scripture study. Late last night Meg and I were talking, as happens quite often, and I brought up how I'm not the best at scripture study. (just as a side not, I find it so helpful to talk to people about things. It just provides a way to think out loud and get some outside input.) During this conversation I remembered something someone had said during church last week that really stuck with me. I tend to get overwhelmed by how not good I feel a studying and I let this keep me from doing anything at all. I need to simply remember that just reading from the scriptures is just fine and for now, if that's all I can do, that's good enough. Following is a link to an amazing Mormon Message dealing with New Years.
 - Look not behind thee -

For New Years I sort of threw a black-light party that was not the most exciting thing in the world. I just didn't advertise it really at all which is part of the problem. I was thinking that I would be super happy with a smaller group of people on New Years but I was wrong. The good thing is that I now know that for New Years I want to be with lots of people. That's not to say that I didn't enjoy myself because I did.

Life is just so amazing. I'm in awe at how much the Lord has blessed me.