Hello, September!

Peace family, welcome to September! We’ve officially made it through two-thirds of the year, so let’s finish the last third well!

This is a great opportunity to take stock. Just as farmers traditionally used this time of year to harvest and prepare for winter, now is a time to celebrate some of the year’s victories, slow down just a little, and make preparations that will help you to finish the year well and begin next year on the right foot. It’s a season to help you be more intentional with your time, and to help you be blessed in the future.

Do you have fitness goals? This is a great time, as the weather cools down, to gear up your exercise. Do you have financial goals, or debts to pay off? Sit down and assess what has been saved and spent, decide ahead of time what to spend on the holidays, and think about where you want to be at the end of the year. Maybe you have some nagging house or yard projects that have added up over the last year… or several years! Write down a list and start checking them off, because the milder weather is an ideal time for both indoor and outdoor projects. Do you have spiritual or social goals? Maybe you are trying to finish reading the whole Bible this year, starting a prayer group, or asking a new friend to coffee once a week. Now is the time to do it! Get yourself into a rhythm. It’s not too late to succeed!

Yesterday, I was looking through old photos from the past year in order to work on a project. As I browsed, I saw so many memories made, meals shared, friends I love, new things learned, places visited, and things that make me laugh! I was overwhelmed by how ridiculously blessed I am, and I am sure that if you look over your year, you will be shown some blessings, as well! No year is perfect, but I am so thankful, and life is beautiful. Just that simple act of looking at photos gave me inspiration for the rest of the year, and encouragement that I haven’t wasted as much time as I have sometimes felt like I did. Looking at photos and reading old journals can be such a help in seeing where we’ve come, and envisioning where we want to go!

There is still a whole third left to this year. You can do it, and do it well, Peace family!