My Best Plan
He has told you, mortal one, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justice, to love kindness,
And to walk humbly with your God. —Micah 6:8-9
Okay, I am ready. 2025, here I come with a proper state of mind, a fresh perspective, and a willing heart. I address my new forest green Leuchtturm1917 essay book freshly minted with the prophet Micah’s sobering words. My 2025 strategic plan looks like this so far:
DESIRES
To know and be known
To challenge myself with new things and skills
To love the Lord my God with all of my heart, all of my soul, and all of my mind—and to trust Him completely
To give Steve my love and attention—that he will never question my adoration and deep respect
To faithfully use my voice in a way that honors both myself and others
I just read this Psalm and want to incorporate part of it. I add it to the left-facing page of “Desires”:
Let me hear your faithfulness in the morning
For I trust in you;
Teach me the way in which I should walk
For to you, I lift up my soul
Save me, Lord, from my enemies
I take refuge in You. —Ps 143: 8-9
An Instagram page I follow posted a graphic I resonate with, so I write it down on the next blank page. It incorporates areas where I wish to funnel my thoughts on goals:
THE FOUR F’s
Faith
Fitness
Family
Finance
Quick tasks to get the party started:
LOW HANGING FRUIT
Advertise and sell plants
Cull books
Challenge stored materials box by box
Complete the last entries to five-year journal that ended 9.30.2024
Try something new:
CHALLENGE ACCEPTED
Eat more Asian food using chopsticks
Utilize the Sohee Fit Year of Strength Lifting program
Read Tanakh
Our time for working on 2025 goals is winding down. We are at the Columbia Gorge Hotel. The propane gives off zero heat but produces ambiance. The Columbia River is rivering its way to the ocean. We will be making our way home to Bend. I beautify my 2025 intentions with stickers that I purchased at Tokki Art Supply in Hood River. Time to dazzle Steve with my handiwork.
December 30, 2024
Bend, Oregon
We are home now. Steve’s kidney stone removal in Gresham, Christmas with the kids, respite in Hood River, and stent removal were a giant cluster. Christmas was stunning from pajamas on Christmas Eve to pancakes on Christmas morning. It was not the underwater implosion like last year. I am so grateful. Now I can get busy with my plans. I am excited to travel and do new things.
December 31, 2024
Steve took a short break from convalescing to have dinner out with friends for New Years Eve. We review 2024, lick our wounds, celebrate our wins, and are home by 8:00. We hear fireworks into the night.
January 1, 2025
93-year-old cousin Elaine is in a coma. Shoot. I saw her on December 11th and cut the visit short because she asked me to come back with Steve so he could hear her stories also.
“I’ll surely be alive still after Christmas,” she said with that smirky little smile of hers. “I have goals you know,” she told me. “I want to make it to Valentine’s Day. My really big goal is my 60th anniversary.” “That’s a worthy goal,” I respond. “When is it?” She grinned and looked at her wedding ring “November.” Elaine just went on Hospice in November. “This lovely woman in her cream color sweater with glittery gold threads, black slacks, and festive red Christmas stockings is a going concern,” I tell myself.
January 3, 2025
Elaine passed early in the morning. Carl, 90 years old and 10 months shy of his 60th wedding anniversary, is ripped with grief every time we repeat that Elaine is gone. He sweetly said “goodbye” to her before her body was removed from the home. He is devastated with grief that he can’t find his wife and learn that she passed away. We cannot fathom that this will continue and for how long. His Alzheimer’s has stolen his mind and life has stolen his wife. Steve and I are Carl’s custodians now. God, please help us.
January 10, 2025
Cute that you thought you were making plans like God was going to come along with fairy dust and bless them. So committed to the process were you that you added notations of holy scripture—your version of tithing herbs from your garden (wait—you don’t garden). Call it an honorable mention to the Lord.
You know this already, but I’ll remind you. Those displaced folks from Jerusalem in 600 BC were making plans and minding their own business when they were hauled off to Babylon. They were much more surprised than you that plans had changed. The prophet Jeremiah sent word to them to do their best and leave the results up to God. His letter quotes directly from the Lord and says not only would they be okay in their current time, but in seventy years they would be grand.
If you remember nothing else, remember these things:
God has Big Plans
You can trust Him
The Four F’s are a solid framework. Do your best.