I am not much for New Year's Resolutions.  If I can only start new things on January first, then I feel I am doomed to fail.  Instead, I take on new challenges when I am motivated to do so.

I am a Bible reader already.  My practice has been to study a topic that is on my mind.  For example, "worry" or "truth" or something like that.  I have not read the entire Bible.  When I was younger, I tried to read the Bible cover to cover and failed every single time.  To me, it's not intended to be read that way.  I've been much more successful learning about someone or something and then going to different chapter and verses and tying it all together in the way it speaks to me.  That said, I do want to read the Bible in its entirety, no matter what it takes to get me there.

Today, I saw this on CBN and wanted to share it so that you could also find it delightful.  I have signed up for daily Bible passages via email and will commit to reading 15 minutes or so each day so that I can read the entire Bible in one year.  Check it out!

www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2023/january/it-becomes-delightful-read-the-entire-bible-in-one-year-sign-up-for-s-bible-in-one-year-daily-reading-guide

I was recently quoted in a professional report and just like happens to many of you, my words were taken out of context and very selectively and purposely twisted.  It's always stunning to see how devious someone can be when they are trying to portray a parent in a negative light or discredit me as a professional.  I would never attack a colleague like that.  It's so unbecoming and unprofessional to do so that it would never even cross my mind to make a professional out to look incompetent.  Anyone who does that shows that they are insecure.  That is another reason I wouldn't do it.  I will admit, I was shocked to read this person's opinion of me, but guess what?  I don't care.  The way I look at it, that person must feel threatened or inferior.  I am confident with the work I do and I will keep doing it.

As I said, I know that for many of you, this has happened to you, as well.  I encourage you to shrug it off.  Actions speak louder than words on a page.  Words can hurt and do harm, but you do not have to take on labels that anyone places on you.  When someone takes a snippet or a snapshot when you weren't at your best or without having the big picture, therefore taking things out of context, that is all it is, a snippet of you, a snippet of your life and a snapshot of a situation.  We all have moments where we falter.  No one is perfect including the person who wrote the report I'm referencing.   I will forgive that person because they look the most foolish in all of it.  The people who matter the most know that the writer did not know everything that was taking place behind the scenes.  If something similar happens to you, take time to review what is said or written, take a step back, think, and review your actions.  If you need to make changes, take steps to correct the things that could be done better.  If you are confident in the way you've responded to difficult situations, then hold your head high and keep on keeping on.  Do not let a snippet or snapshot define the entirety of your identity, your life or your life's work.

Have you ever wondered what happened between yesterday and today to put questions in your mind that zap your confidence?  Oh, man.  That certainly happened to me yesterday and today.  It just blocked me.  I had a whole day free to work on whatever my little heart desired and then, just a couple of simple words came out of my mouth that I couldn't pull back in.  I probably looked as stunned as the person I was conversing with.  My mind screamed, "Why would you say that?  What were you thinking?"  I am not going to go into details other than to say I know the person on the other side made assumptions about me.  Her response made that clear.  I didn't want to rehash it or defend it.  There wasn't time to do so anyway.  It was on a professional level, and it wasn't an attack on her or anything of the sort, but I know that it was not the smartest thing I have ever said in that type of situation, and it bothered me all night.  I cannot tell you how many times I thought, "Why?  Why did you say that?"  Regret.  Disappointment.  Lack of confidence.  That what I began to feel.

The good news is that it didn't keep me up at night and it wasn't the first thought in my head when I woke up this morning, but it did linger.  It blocked me from creativity.  It blocked me from being productive.  I was upset with myself for a little while, but then I prayed.  I turned it over to God.  I asked God about it and God told me not to worry about it.  The message God sent me was, "This too shall pass."  I instantly knew that it would.  I soon came to realize that not only was it not the end of the world, but I started to see there were positive things that will come from that.

We cannot take back things that fly out of our mouth, especially when our egos might be getting the best of us.  We cannot undo the past.  We can look at what we've done, examine it, turn it upside down and then we have to put it in the past where it belongs.  That is what I have done now with writing this post.  I wanted to explain that I, too, am human.  I make mistakes.  We all do, but God will take the burdens away if we let him.  

Whatever regret, disappointment, lack of confidence or anything else that you are feeling right now, let it go.  It will not help you.  It's over and done, water under the bridge, yesterday's news.  It will probably linger more in your brain that anyone else's.  Do you know why?  Because that other person you are wondering about and worried about what they think of you will have their own moment of regret.  They either never gave you a second thought in the first place or they thought about it until they had their own problem to worry about and lost track of your moment of weakness.

I held onto the moment longer than I needed to, but that is over.  Faith got me through.  Embrace faith over mistakes and sleep peacefully, parent on, create, inspire and most of all, do, be, achieve.

Whoever drew this knew exactly what I was thinking.