Goal Setting for The New Year

I don't know about you, but I personally love beginning a new year and making new goals and getting a fresh start.
Sadly, last year my goals kind of got ditched halfway through the year and I think I know why.
I had too many and they weren't thought out very well and this year I am going to change that.

This year, I want to set just a few main goals for the entire year but then at the beginning of each month, I will set say, 3 goals just for that month. That way I can accomplish goals but not be overwhelmed by having too many to start with.


Now that I have that down, you may be wondering what exactly are my big goals for 2019?
So here are just a few of them!


1. Live life more fully

To me this means enjoying the little things, spending time wisely, being present and leaving my phone in my drawer and forgetting that it exists.
I don't want to waste a minute, I want to invest in others lives and grow my own originality and creativity.
Because the times that I have spent extra time with my siblings or sat outside instead of being cooped up indoors, I have felt more alive and had no regrets.
It's sad that in such a short time many of us have become so dependant on these devices but we can change that if we make the effort and we will reap the benefits!


2. Read more faith-building books

I like to read. Normally I prefer to read fiction and escape to a different world. While that is great, I want to read books that leave me with food for thought and bring me closer to God.
This video by Coffee & Bible Time helped prompt me to make this goal!

 I actually started toward this goal today by starting a book called Loving God with All Your Mind by Elizabeth George!


3. Post quality content on my blogs

This is a learning process I suppose but I do want to make sure that every post I publish is the best that I can be.
I want them to be inspirational, attention-grabbing and like we are sitting across from each other in a cafe, having a chat over coffee!
Feedback from you all would be greatly appreciated! Anything I could change?


4. Reread 5 books

I really want to go back and read some of the lovely books I know and love. To relive the stories and visit old friends!


5. Be intentional about prayer

I had a prayer related goal this past year but I wasn't very specific and I kind of failed, sooooo, this year I am making it more specific. I want to find practical ways to put prayer in my daily routine and to be praying HEAPS because I have learned this year that it is CRUCIAL for the Christian life and for growth.
I'd encourage you also to make spiritual goals, goals regarding your prayer life and such so that you can strive to grow in 2019!


6. Write letters to people once a week

I love to send letters, receive, and read letters. In the coming year, I am planning to set aside one day of the week when I will try to write to a few different people and hopefully stay on top of the letters I get!
The reason why is because it is a valuable way of connecting with people that I do not see often and maintaining contact. I also want to encourage the people I love by writing words that will encourage and show love.



These are a few examples of some of my goals for 2019. What are your main goals for the new year?
I pray you will grow and flourish in this new chapter of life and that you will remain close to God through it all.

xoxo
Hannah

Behold Your King // Christmas Favourites Part 2

Hey Wildflowers!

I first would like to apologize that this post is a little late, due to computer issues and travelling.
But I am here now to complete this two-part Christmas Favourites post!

You can read Part One here.

For this part of my Christmas favourites, I wanted to focus on the spiritual part of the season.
This December I found a few great resources to get into the Word and fully prepare for the celebration.

The first one is a 3-part series by Revive Our Hearts called Unto You Is Born This Day.
In these three sessions, Nancy Demoss Wolgemuth take us through Luke 2 in a way I haven't ever read before. My eyes were truly opened to many new things about the Christmas story I thought I knew so well.

Next are three classic Christmas carols that I fell in love with this Christmas.
Infant Holy, Infant Lowly is a beautiful and sweet carol that is similar to Away in a Manger but has a different aspect.
O Little Town of Bethlehem is one that I never much liked when I was younger but I really quite like it now. It reminds me of Micah 5:2, here it is prophesied that the small town of Bethlehem is chosen out of all Israel to be the birthplace of the Mighty Ruler.
Come Thou Long Expected Jesus is also one that I came to appreciate and love.
So, now I strongly recommend that you go and listen to these carols and bask in their joy before the Christmas season is over!

Moving on, another favourite of mine was Luke chapter 2. Have you ever thought about how real, beautiful and wonderful the Christmas story is?
It is real because it is from the Bible. Mary and Joseph were real, ordinary folk who God chose to serve a great purpose.
It is beautiful because of how it was all so carefully planned and came about so perfectly, in a way that only God can accomplish.
And it is wonderful because it holds so much joy, hope and peace for this day and age. In the midst of unrest, wars, trials and anger, God has brought peace for us.

I truly hope that you all had an AMAZING Christmastime with your loved ones!
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all!

xoxo
Hannah

NOEL, NOEL // Christmas Faves Part 1

Guys! It's that time of year again!
Christmas time is my absolute favourite time of year. I love it even more than my birthday because the whole world acknowledges it. You see the festive decorations everywhere, everyone gets gifts(not just the person whose birthday it is) and it's a lovely, happy time together with people you love.

In honour of the Christmas season, I want to post some Christmas cheer on my blog during this month.
Today's post it Part 1 of 2 posts about some of my Christmassy favourites. From music to movies, books and Pinteresty Christmas aesthetic.
By the way, all the photos in this post are my own unless stated otherwise!

First off, this November/December, I have discovered some new and wonderful Christmas songs that I love. Here's my top 4!

Top 4 Fav Christmas songs this year:

1. Light of the World by Lauren Daigle - Makes my heart want to cry out in worship!

2. Unto Us by JJ Heller - Beautiful, soothing song!

3. O Tannenbaum by Andrea Bocelli - A lovely song sung by a great voice.

4. O Holy Night by Lauren Daigle - I adore this carol and Lauren's voice is so, so good singing it!

If you're anything like me, you love to be fully immersed into EVERYTHING Christmas, and of course, that includes movies!
Besides the cliche', slightly cheesy, but also decent Hallmark Christmas movies(that I do normally enjoy to some degree) I have some others that you may not have heard about to recommend.

I'll include a small list right here!

As for Christmas books, I actually haven't read many of those so I do not have any to recommend or fangirl about! One that I did read last year and loved was The Shoe Box by Francine Rivers.
It is a beautiful and sweet story that you should totally check out this season!
This is the short story of a little boy named Timmy whose only valued possession is a shoe box. His foster parents, a young Christian couple, are of course curious about this 6-year-old's mysterious box. What could be inside?
The Christmas pageant finale is a true heart warmer for all believers.
The Shoe Box on Goodreads

If you asked me what my favourite thing about Christmas was, I would not be able to give a straight answer because I seriously love everything about it! I will try to condense a small list of my main highlights of the event though.

• The family gathers all together and enjoys a sweet time of fellowship and sharing.
• ALL. THE. YUMMY. FOOD.
• Gift exchanging time! I generally make gifts for everybody but this year we drew names out of a hat I have my mum to shop for.
• Christmas music is THE BEST and I strictly forbid myself or anyone in the house to listen to it at any other time of the year. This year I officially started on Nov 1st!

I find it funny how even though Christmas falls in our Summertime, we still have frosty and wintery decorations and listen to "Winter Wonderland"(and other snowy songs)!


And that is all for Part 1 of my Christmas favourites/chat/lists!
What food is your fave around Christmas time?



P.S. I will be sharing some Christmas wallpapers of my photography with Christmas quotes, lyrics or Bible verses on my Instagram (@joy_and_wildflowers) so make sure you follow!

xoxo
Hannah