Tag: new year

New Year…New Gifts

Published on by Kimberly NovakLeave a comment

Happy New Year Everyone! I am so grateful for the gift I have of being able to act on my passion for writing for God’s Glory! Each December, as the new year approaches, I reflect on my “word of the year” and how God used it to inspire my writing, thoughts, and actions.

In 2023, my word was Blessing. God certainly delivered blessings upon me in so many different ways. Family interactions, conversations I had in sharing Bella’s Beautiful Miracle, meeting new friends, and reflective time spent strengthening my relationship with Jesus. Those connections provided me with a beautiful list of writing prompts and topics for discussion. Some of which were directly inspired by family or friends. In other instances, I knew the Holy Spirit was the catalyst in developing specific articles.

The year wasn’t perfect; Jesus said we would endure tribulation. (“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”) John 16:23 NIV.

The blessing in each moment of difficulty was that God saw me through. I had moments where I surprised myself by going above and beyond what I thought I could handle, allowing God into the moment, and finishing strong! I also had moments when I thought I knew better than God, did what I wanted, and fell flat on my face. The blessing was that God held my hand in the good and lifted me when I fell.

When I choose a word for the year, I connect it to a song or prayer. In 2023, my selected song was I’m So Blessed, by Cain. A song that not only reminds you to see the blessings in everything, but the upbeat rhythm also gets you up and dancing!

All in all, my word for 2023 was a great reminder that there is always something to be grateful for. I learned to look for hidden blessings when things got rough and how to illuminate the blessings in the good times. Those are the ones to look back on when you feel down or anxious about anything.

I am excited to see what this next year will bring, and I look forward to God’s blessings and gifts. My word for 2024 is Gift (“A gift opens the way and ushers the giver into the presence of the great.) Proverbs 18:16 NIV. Having a passion to contribute to the community of Christians and believers brings me into the presence of God! A place I continually want to be! I have not yet found a correlating song; more is to come. 

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Never being a fan of long-term goal setting, in 2024 I will do my best to enjoy every moment, which is a gift from God. I’d like to complete a sequel to Bella’s Beautiful Miracle and continue with my various ministries. I’m open to God’s call toward whatever he needs me to be or do. I hope God is content with where He has placed me and thrilled at the thought of new adventures in Christ!

I hope my writings have helped turn you toward God and nurture your walk of faith. I pray for your intentions and ask God to pour His Blessings and Gifts upon you! 

Many Thanks and Blessings for your readership!

Kimberly

A Different Kind of New Year’s Eve

Published on by Kimberly NovakLeave a comment

2 Corinthians 3:12, 18

“Since we have such hope, we act with great boldness, not like Moses, who put a veil over his face….And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another, for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.”

Out with the old, in with the new…Bring on new beginnings…Let’s put this year to bed.

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I could go on and on with phrases often said to ring in the New Year. As I reflect on those I hear most I wonder…should we really focus on dumping all that 2020 brought us?  We have faced a lot of common struggles this year and we did this with faces veiled as a means of protection for us and those around us.  In a sense we were transformed into the same image, faces covered with emotions outpouring from our eyes above the mask line.

A fresh new year is a very exciting concept, our reality though is the moment that clock strikes midnight, not much will have changed.  There are however, things that you can do to ensure your 2021 begins fresh, new and blessed! Tonight, the noise makers will be limited, crowds will be via zoom and things will seem eerily quiet and different…an opportunity for “Perfect Peace”?

In that moment why not, open your heart to Hope in God; make a resolution to Act with great boldness in the coming year; look beyond the mask and see the Glory of the Lord in yourself and those around you; pray to our Heavenly Father to allow the Holy Spirit to move and transform you, filling your heart with “Perfect Peace”.

Reflect on 2020 and thank God for everything the year brought you, in the loss, thank God for compassion; in the financial struggle, thank God for Wisdom; in the loneliness, thank God for His Love; and in the Joy thank God for the fullness of your heart.

My heart feels extremely full as I reflect and see how God has used the happenings of 2020 to pull me closer to Him.  As I ring in 2021 I will welcome the year with the grace of God; openness in my heart and mind; and a willingness to surrender my own expectations and walk in the light of His will. 

I wish a brand New Shiny Year to you and your families!  I will be praying for you to look beyond the struggles of 2020 and ring in the blessings that were given to you and carry them with you at 12:01! 

With Love and Perfect Peace,

Courageous Butterfly

Kimberly

2017 Walk Up and Finish

Published on by Kimberly Novak2 Comments

new-year_resolutions_listI’m still trying to accomplish what I wanted for 2016 and now it is time to make another list, it seemed a bit overwhelming to me.  Looking back on my year, I lost weight, and then gained some back.  I saved some money, then spent more.  Most times life enjoyed me, and I was just along for the ride.

 

According to many sites on the internet, the top five 2016 New Year’s resolutions are:

  1. Enjoy life to the fullest 2. Live a healthier lifestyle 3. Lose weight  4. Spend more time with family and friends  5. Save more, spend less

Sounds easy enough, but tomorrow, most of us will realize we may have only carried out one or two of them.  With a  little help from family, friends and champagne we will make our list for 2017 with every intention of carrying it out.

A friend of mine sent me an idea for New Year’s Eve.  Fill a jar with 10 goals, good things you want to have happen.  In exactly one year, empty it, and see what was achieved.  My response was “OK, but I might be really pissed off in a year!”

This being the last working day of the year, I was focused on getting my mind prepared for my work day, going through my schedule step by step and only paying attention to my thoughts and the traffic.  I had about 10 minutes left on my drive when I finally relaxed my thinking enough to hear what was on the radio.  The traffic report was finally in my favor and I felt myself smile because I was NOT going to be late to work today!  I noticed a light snow begin to come down, the wind slightly increased and then a song came on and I found myself suddenly relaxed.

Have you ever heard a poem, or words from a book or movie that just feel like they are reaching into your soul and squeezing it?  The lyrics I heard this morning were like a whisper to my heart in such a way that tears were immediate.

I could attach a part of my life to each one, some good  and some bad and I felt relieved. I was comforted in the fact knowing that I get to re-set my clock this weekend.  I feel secure enough to be proud of what I have accomplished this year and at the same time courageous enough to reach for more in the coming year.

Today’s timing could not be more perfect, with the new year on the horizon, it was almost like being hit by a lightening bolt; and it brought insight to my thoughts about this past year.  Was I on track? Yes I was on MY track.  I was just where I needed to be.  I may not have accomplished every goal but I did reach some that were never set in the first place.

If I look at the top 5 again I would answer this way:

1.  Enjoy life to the fullest? Yes, I took a trip out-of-state to spend time with a woman whom I never met but who meant the world to me.
2. Live a healthier lifestyle? Yes, I joined a gym hired a personal trainer and not only ran my first 5K but two of them!
3. Lose weight? Yes, even though I put some back on, I still lost enough to motivate me to continue.
4. Spend more time with family and friends?  Yes, I was blessed to have spent three weeks with a cousin from Australia that I had never met, and I have re-kindled a friendship from my childhood.
5. Save more, spend less? Well, if making a budget and sharing expenses counts as saving then yes! As far as spending less….go back to #1 enjoying life to the fullest.breast-cancer-5k-2

What I initially thought were setbacks,this year were just nudges in a different direction bringing me closer to my best life.  For me this song is my 2017 walk up song, you know like when a baseball player is going to bat, or a runner crossing the finish line.

I will share the song with you in the hopes that it will also reach someone out there who may be looking for their song to close out 2016 and welcome 2017 with open arms.

The song is called “One Step Away” by Casting Crowns.  The verse that really called to me is below.  (click and it will take you to the entire song)

Lay down, lay down your old chains
Come now, and take up your new name
Your best life up ahead now
You’re one step away

Have a Blessed and Happy New Year!!!  Got your song ready? please share in the comments

Kimberly

Courageous Butterfly

12/30/16

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