Fresh Starts in 2017

Jump on over to "From This Side of the Pond" and answer the questions and link up.

1. Share one favorite moment/memory from your Christmas holiday.
Just one?  hmmmm . . .I had a lot of favorite moments this year.  This is ONE of those moments:

Emma, who is hidden behind the book gave a book on Bourbon cocktails to Mark.  Emma is in Mark's lap with some of her new toys and Mark is "reading" the book . . .just a funny juxtaposition!

2. What was the best thing you ate over the holidays? Was it homemade or store bought? If it was homemade did you make it?

Wow!  These are hard questions.  Once again, we ate so much food over the holidays!  Almost everything was homemade.  Mark, Laura, and I prepared a Blue Apron meal on Christmas Eve after church and it was really good - chicken and mashed potatoes and carrots.  The one thing I missed this year was turkey and dressing.  That is one of my favorite meals and due to church falling on Christmas day, etc. Mark's mother decided to serve roast beef which was delicious . . .it was just not turkey and dressing.  As I'm typing those words I'm thinking "first world problem!"  We had lots of delicious food!

3. What was one of the most beautiful things you saw over the holidays?

I LOVE our Christmas Eve services at church.  I love how the preachers and ushers start lighting the candles at the front of the room and everyone passes that flame around and before long, the whole sanctuary is glimmering in candle light.  Gives me shivers just thinking about it!  I also LOVED seeing our sweet grandbaby is all of her cute Christmas clothes (from one extremely spiritual moment to a silly grandmother moment!!)

4. What does fresh start mean to you?

I'm a girl who loves new school books, new crayons, new clean notebooks!  What does fresh start mean to me - NEW BEGINNINGS -- NO BAGGAGE!!  I know that life is not that easy but I love the thought of a fresh start.  I love knowing that I worship a God who always gives second chances.  The beginning of a new year should give us all a moment of pause - what would I change? what could I do better in the new year?  How can God use me in the coming year?

5. On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being very positive and 1 being not so great) how would you rate 2016 in terms of personal achievement and well being? Explain. 

I think 2016 was a good year for me personally.  I'm in good health; I travelled to Israel; I became a grandmother; I learned even more about the inner workings of ministry and how I might better help the senior minister.  I don't have any GRAND personal achievements - I didn't win any awards; I wasn't recognized for some wonderful thing BUT in 2016 I continued to grow in my faith; I tried to let God use me (and he sometimes used me AGAINST my will - hee hee!).  Even amidst all the death and heartbreak that we see daily in the church, I began this year with a sense of hope and a sense of peace that could only come from God.

6. Every January 1st since 1976 Lake Superior University has published a list of words they'd like to see banished from the Queen's English. Words may be banished due to misuse, overuse, or just general uselessness. Go here to read more about how the words were chosen or, if you're like me, to find out what in the world the word or phrase even means or the context in which it's used. There were quite a few on this year's list I'd never heard before.

Here's the 2017 list of banished words-

You, Sir-focus-Bete Noire-Town Hall Meeting-Post Truth-guesstimate-831-historic-manicured-echo chamber-on fleek-bigly-ghost-Dadbod-listicle-get your dander up-selfie drone-frankenfruit-disruption

Which word on the list would you most like to see banished in 2017? What word or phrase would you add to the list?

The words I want to remove are some of those weird words like SQUISH.  I hate the thought of that word!.  I must admit that I use the word guesstimate and I've used the phrase "get your dander up" so . . .interesting!

7. Large or small, light or deep, share with us one goal you have for the new year. 

I didn't make any resolutions this year but I have been trying to ride my recumbent stationary bike every day.  I would like to be healthier by the end of 2017.  That goal sounds kind of "wide open" and I guess it is.  I guess I need to put some more concrete thoughts down about riding the bike, etc.  I've already been thinking that I want to increase my time by five minutes next week.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Speaking of fresh starts, I cleaned out my craft room; I organized a couple of closets; I made lots of labels on my labelmaker (so many that I had to get more batteries and more labels); I cleaned out three drawers in the kitchen; I planned out the menus for Tuesday nights for the next four weeks . . . I took the whole week off between Christmas and New Year's and it was much needed.  I was by myself during the days and accomplished lots.  I rested.  I read a LOT of mysteries!!  I rode the bike!  I began the New Year with a feeling of peace and a little bit of order.

Last but not least - isn't she cute?  She's been sticking that tongue out!!  And . . . if I want a fresh start today, I had better go jump in the shower and get my butt to work!!