Just Being Me
Well, we've arrived at the last Sunday of the year...hehehe And it has been a good day ❤️
I went to theChapel service this morning at the Port Richey (satellite) location. It was a blessed time. Worship was okay (still too loud...LOL), the message was a compilation of segments from various messages throughout this year, and we partook in communion. It was a good way to finish the year off.
The other day, I mentioned I'd be staying at theChapel through the upcoming prayer and fasting season in January and then moving on. After today's service, I decided I'm moving on now instead. I may still do a prayer and fasting process on my own in January. But I'm going to look for a new church to physically attend. I'm grateful for my time at theChapel. I thought it was over there at the end of June...LOL But I was drawn to the new location for a time. The 3 weeks I went between last month and then the 1 today, though, have given me the closure I didn't even know I needed ❤️
I really connected with the CUMC service today. There was just something special about it today. The worship and message both spoke to me. It was a comfort, again, I didn't even know I needed ❤️
I'm feeling so much better today. The pain is far less and I was able to get good sleep last night. My spirits are up as well. And that Facebook post is well over a thousand reactions now...LOL More comments have been made. None of the previously negative comments are even bothering me now. I'm glad I wrote about it last night. It helped clear my head...hehehe
Tomorrow morning, I'll be wrapping up my Bible in a Year plan. That's right! After tomorrow morning, I will have read the Bible in its entirety in 2024. Yay!!! It's fun to meet goals...hehehe Especially this one! I've read the entire thing at least once before. But I'll chalk this up as the first time I've really read the Bible as a whole. I didn't just do it to say I've read the Bible. The point was to actually read it. Not that I yet understand it all...but to READ it...hehehe
I haven't yet decided if I'll do it again in 2025. Perhaps I will. But I would like to dive deeper into certain things I clearly didn't understand this year...LOL It will take years of study to ever understand a fraction of the Bible. But that's what the rest of my life is for, right?!? LOL
I'll decide for sure within the next few days, but I may go ahead and set my goals up as New Year's Resolutions. Considering that I never do that, this might be a good year to actually start doing it. Having accomplished a goal I set out to do a year ago, it makes me feel as though I can actually make a resolution after all...LOL
I was thinking that perhaps I didn't make resolutions because I was afraid of failure. Well, yeah, I'll fail sometimes. That's life...hehehe And that's okay. There were a few goals I didn't meet this year. Guess what!? I'm doing okay...LOL Goals for the year are actually resolutions anyway. Why was I getting hung up on the labels?!? LOL
I'd say my New Year's Resolution for 2025 is to focus on the goals I mentioned the other day: Simplify and minimize. That will likely be that monthly thing in a way. So, the resolution will be small things each month. But it won't be so much one built on top of the last. It will just be small changes each month to see how things go for the year as a whole. Then I'll see what I decide for 2026.
This being my first time doing a New Year's Resolution, I want to try it on for size and see how it fits...LOL Yeah, I don't dive into these things anymore. When I used to dive right in, I'd burn out quickly. I'm going to take this slow. It doesn't have to be any big deal. I'll not even talk about it on socials or anything. I may write about it here. And I may talk to my closest friends as the year goes on. But I'll just work at the goals and see what happens...hehehe
One goal I failed at this year was finishing and publishing my first full book. Yet, I have 3 active projects going right now. By the end of 2025 or into the beginning of 2026, I may have 3 full works published...LOL So, 2024's failure might be 2025's success...LOL
Okay, enough about that...LOL
I made a silly coffee dance video tonight...LOL It was to mimic the dance Elaine Benes did on Seinfeld. It was a good laugh...LOL I've been exploring my silly side this year. I'm really glad I did. It was fun and makes me happy. And it seems to make other people happy. I use to be silly like this years ago. It was like half my lifetime ago...LOL
Reconnecting with the good things about my past and life has been part of my growth this year. It has been a blessing. I had forgotten who I truly was and what a wonderful life I have. All the bad circumstances can't take that away. And really, they never did. In my own way, I was giving up the good stuff...hehehe Finding God in those bad things has helped me appreciate both the bad and the good. Because in the end, it all works out for the good ❤️
One of the blessings this month was sharing my family Christmas. Capturing a few moments and sharing them gave me the opportunity to look at my family Christmas with new eyes. I never realized how special it all was. Some of what I experience with my family is quite rare these days. It's as if it is a Hallmark Christmas movie and Normal Rockwell painting combined. I don't say that in a proud way. I say that in a spirit of humility and gratitude. It really is a drama-less Christmas with family, food, presents, and even carolling.
I had forgotten how precious that is ❤️
Sometimes I feel certain ways. But I don't want to feel those ways anymore. So I find ways of changing my heart or how my mind works. Regret is one of those things. I don't always want to regret certain choices I make. What I'd rather do is learn from those choices and make better ones next time.
Yesterday, I regrettably ate that movie theatre popcorn. Well, maybe I don't actually regret it. Maybe, just maybe, I just don't want to experience it anymore. So, I have learned from that choice and I'll choose better next time...hehehe
I made a silly year end joke on Threads tonight. I suppose it is like a dad joke. I said, Great news everyone! Tomorrow is the last Monday of the year! There won't be another until next year! Yeah, silly...LOL
I sometimes miss posting dad jokes. On Twitter, a large number of people started following just because of those jokes. I don't do it consistently anymore.
I pondered something today. Has writing here in this journal and in my devotionals/Bible studies caused me to engage less on social media? It's just a thought for now. And it's okay if that is the case. I don't post things as content. I prefer genuine interactions with people. So, my posts are raw. Even my Vitamin G is raw and real. Just ask my closest friends and family who hear me say those things offline...LOL
A while back now, it seemed like my posts were content. Even my dad jokes were delivered via videos I would produce. But to be honest, I did the videos after a friend of mine commented on how they'd be funnier if I spoke the jokes. So I feel as though they remained raw and real...more so, really.
Exploring Instagram and Facebook Stories helped me learn new ways to make genuine posts. All of those were fun. Some were silly. Some were serious. But all were me just being me. Although my Vitamin G posts are cross posted, most of the rest of mine are specific to the social platforms. Some get cross posted because that's an easy option from Instagram. But I liked that I explored new ways of communicating over social media this year.
But the best thing I did this year for communication was journaling. It helped me process my thoughts. And it helped me communicate with people in person as well. I'm really glad I have been doing this. I look forward to continuing it in 2025.