'First Things First'

C.S. Lewis said,
"Put first things first and we get second things thrown in:
put second things first and we lose both first and second things."

How many years has it taken me to see the wisdom of putting first things first?

For so long I was eager to forge ahead with my own agenda, I forgot that God has a plan for my life and it might be helpful to check in with Him first!

I've learned that the 'first' thing I need to get into place at the start of every year is my relationship with God. January is a good month to take stock of my spiritual life. January is a good month to organize my thoughts about what I might learn about God. The cold weather(in Minnesota) is a perfect time to spend the long nights reading a book that stretches me in my understanding of God. It is a good month to lay out my plans for the year for my spiritual growth and then all the 'second things' will be thrown in!

If I want to be a wise woman, I need to be a healthy woman in all areas of my life. That means I must put the health of my soul first before I charge ahead and take care of other areas of my life.

Choosing a 'theme' for each year has been a spiritual discipline that has encouraged me to grow spiritually. Having a 'theme' each year allows me to focus on one topic all year long. See Stacy's posting from Dec 31,08 to give you an idea how a 'theme' impacted her life last year!
A theme needs to be measureable so I have something to evaluate at the end of the year. Then I will know if I have grown spiritually or I will know why I have not!

Put 'first things first' this month. Consider choosing a theme for 2009. January is a good month to talk about what it means to be a Godly woman.