Those of you who have known me for years know that I am a big proponent of annual vision statements. I have made one since my 20’s and I continue to make them. They keep me focused and on path. I used to brag about how I would write down my goals for the year and by September or October my statement would be complete. I thought I was just that good. Until one day the Lord spoke to me quietly and said that the reason I had accomplished my vision statement early was that I wasn’t dreaming big enough.

So now, I am really seeking the Lord for what my vision statement should look like. I am asking for His will to be done in my life not just with lip service but also with heart as never before. So what about you? Are you thinking about your goals for 2010? Do you have some plans and ideas, and more than that, has the Lord given you a word? If he has not, can you honestly say that you’ve asked him earnestly and waited to hear an answer?

One thing I know about the God we serve is He is a planner. The plan in the bible was written before the foundation of the earth and it tells a story from beginning to end. We are in the final chapters of the book but since we don’t know exactly where in those chapters we are, we must look toward heaven for our next move. God is a planner and you were made in His image. Are you planning and seeking out His will?

I want to write about those things that have struck my heart and where I feel the Lord is leading me. Maybe there will be a cord or two, which will resound in your spirit and you’ll be able to move forward into 2010 with passion, with vision and with purpose in the will of the Father.

1. This year I plan to put people before my to-do. I like to work. I believe it’s a blessing and not a curse and I am a firm believer that every able bodied person should work. However, I work a lot. That is the American way isn’t it? In an effort to get the American Dream I’ve learned some lessons that perhaps don’t serve me all too well. I have to confess that there are times when I am in the middle of work at the office and a visitor comes in and I am annoyed at the interruption, or my kids call and I have to call them back because I am too busy. This year I must learn to put people before my to-do list. After all the legacy I leave will not be one of a clean house, because it gets messy as quick as it is cleaned, the legacy I want to leave is of a people well loved. This year, let’s get out of debt so that we can get to a place where people become more important than things. Where we can decide to work overtime because we want to not because we need to. Let’s be mentored by those who understand how to do this wisely and let’s get on it.