Dave Gullett

Over this long holiday weekend, I have been reading posts by various authors concerning the start of a new year, goals, life change, etc. I’ve posted links to some of my favorites and have been thinking on them quite a bit.

Two have really stuck in my mind: Don Miller’s post on the importance of story and Leo Babauta’s thoughts at 6changes.com.

There are many story arcs in my life. And my character has many roles. Christ-follower, husband, father, son and brother, friend, and man among them.

In the bigger story of my life, Helen and I are seeking to serve with an organization in Indonesia helping further bible translation.

In a smaller arc, we are going back there this year for a month to introduce Abigail to her family and to reconnect with our friends and partners there.

In light of these (and other) stories and roles I am prayerfully seeking to mold my life this year in the following 6 ways:

1. A serious, scheduled meditative time in the Scriptures everyday.
I have never been truly consistent at this and in the last year or so have gotten worse. And my life shows it.

2. A daily time of prayer, reading and worship with my wife
We have been on again off again with this, and with a young child times of quiet are rare. But H and I truly need this.

3. Intentional “Daddy time” with Abigail every day.
Not just feeding her or changing diapers, but talking, playing, reading or whatever that gives her joy (and me too).

4. Building (or rebuilding) the relationships between my brothers and I and our mother, grandmother and my dad’s side of the family.
Even before my dad passed away my brothers and I were headed to different parts of the country. And now it is hard to get together and feel like family. And since then relating to my dad’s siblings and my cousins, etc has been hard…but the truth is I haven’t sought to know them as I should.

5. Reconnecting with old friends.
For most of my teens on up to early thirties, I was semi nomadic. I lived in Ohio, then NC with summers in NY, the NC with weekends anywhere in the southeast, then back to NY and then back to Ohio and then a few summers in Indonesia. It has been awesome. The down side is that I have left behind friends at every turn that have often gone on to new places themselves. Now I literally have friends on every inhabited continent, in various nations and most every state. And most I haven’t seen in way too long and may not yet for longer still.

6. Loose 100 pounds and feel alive again.
Now it may take more than a year (and truth is all my goals probably will) but enough is enough.
I have seldom been trim. But through a combination of laziness, gluttony, convenience, craving, fatigue and whatever else I am well on my way to becoming twice the man I should be. And it has to end. Now. I can’t serve God with Helen in Indo if I can’t fit in the plane to fly there.
And it is sin.

And I need repentance and restoration.

I’ve laid this all ou here because that’s what we do these days. And as a reminder and a sort of digital accountability. If I see you next Chrstmas you should be able to call me on any of these and I shouldn’t squirm or dodge the questions.

It’s going to be a long year, but maybe one of the best yet.

Don Miller on the opportunity of a New Year:

“I’ve discovered something better than resolutions. If you’ve read A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, you know I’ve reorganized my life into stories rather than goals. I don’t have any problem with goals. I like goals and still set them. But without an overarching plot, goals don’t make sense and are hard to achieve.

A story gives a goal a narrative context that forces you to engage and follow through. People who are in great shape and have their finances in order probably don’t set goals to be in good shape or get their finances in order. They probably set goals of running a marathon or paying off their house. In other words, they think in narrative rather than goals. The goals get met in the journey of the story.”

Living a Good Story, an Alternative to New Years Resolutions.

I woke up this morning around three and could not fall asleep again.
So I set about wrapping up some things I had started on yesterday then took a break and browsed some blogs.

Many of the things I read I’ve linked to here this morning. There are a lot of wise people out there who are in touch with where they are and where they are headed.

I am not one of those people right now.

But I am working on becoming one.

The last year has been awesome, with so many blessings, but it has also been one that felt like being in limbo. As if I am waiting to see what’s next.

Some truly amazing things did occur though, and I wanted to share some highlights.

1. Abigail Ruby

The birth of our daughter is without a doubt the highlight of the year.
THere just aren’t words to describe it well.

2. Helen’s greencard approval

After hundreds of dollars, months of waiting, piles of paper and alot of prayer the U.S. gov’t gave her permission to live here.

3. Grace Baptist has a Pastor

It took over 18 months and over 200 resumes, but some sheep finally have a shepherd to help them stay away from cliffs.

4. A Place to Live

Helen and I had been staying with family, but we were able to rent a house close to family, church, and work came and it is a great blessing. And speaking of work…

5. A New Opportunity

While Helen and I are preparing to go back to indonesia full time, we still need to eat and Abigail needs lts of diapers. So I have been working at a local propane company. And a position opened up in the corporate office that is less physically demanding and more challenging and in which I am learning some things that will be helpful later on. All this means I have more energy for Helen and Abigail as well as other things.

What’s Next?

As Helen and I still seek to prepare for mission our big goals include
growing as believers and as a family.

If all goes well, I’ll be seeking to earn a Master’s degree and Helen and I will be joining a missions organization as part of our desire to serve in Indonesia.

There is a lot to be done.

And we begin today.

Ten Questions for the New Year.

The beginning of a new year is an ideal time to stop, look up, and get our bearings. To that end, here are some questions to ask prayerfully in the presence of God.

1. What’s one thing you could do this year to increase your enjoyment of God?

2. What’s the most humanly impossible thing you will ask God to do this year?

3. What’s the single most important thing you could do to improve the quality of your family life this year?

4. In which spiritual discipline do you most want to make progress this year, and what will you do about it?

5. What is the single biggest time-waster in your life, and what will you do about it this year?

6. What is the most helpful new way you could strengthen your church?

7. For whose salvation will you pray most fervently this year?

8. What’s the most important way you will, by God’s grace, try to make this year different from last year?

9. What one thing could you do to improve your prayer life this year?

10. What single thing that you plan to do this year will matter most in ten years? In eternity?

From Don Whitney via Challies.com

Joe Carter at First Things:  “The beginning of a New Year—and a new decade—is an an excellent time to try something new. As you make your list of resolutions and goals I want to recommend adding a simply four step process that could transform your life by, quite literally, changing your mind.

After reading the entire post the vast majority of readers will snicker at such a hyperbolic claim and never implement the method I outline. A smaller number will consider the advice intriguing, my assertion only a slight exaggeration, but will also never implement the method. A tiny minority, however, will recognize the genius behind the process and apply it to their own life. This group will later say that my claim was an understatement.”

This post is written for those people.

How to Change Your Mind » First Thoughts | A First Things Blog.