The new year is a time when a lot of people are motivated to become their new and better selves... Gym memberships skyrocket, stores reorganize so their workout gear is front and center, we get fancy new planners, make lists of goals and dreams... you get the picture.

Monday's, the beginning of the week, are often similar on a smaller scale.  We tell ourselves, "This week I'm going to get work done!" We make lists and plan to finish what we didn't get accomplished last week.

I'm not here to say that these things are bad... they aren't! Dreams, goals, and lists are all good things (I live with a sweet new baby who does not need sleep, I practically need a list to remember to brush my teeth some days). But I think we inhibit ourselves from being successful at these goals and resolutions when we become obsessed with them.  When we don't extend ourselves some grace, we are more likely to give up on these goals.  As life gets busy, we miss our self-imposed deadlines, our gym memberships go unused, the carefully organized weeks in the planner go blank for a week or two or three...

Instead of getting discouraged, let's remember that God grants us grace every single day.  His mercies are new every morning.  He loves us so much that it doesn't matter how many times we drop the ball or mess up! Unfortunately for us perfectionists, there will not be a day in this life that we are perfect beings... but God shows us His perfect love in our imperfections! This is what motivates me when I feel like I've let myself or someone else down!

So as we tackle -all the things- in 2017, let's fall into God's love and remember to show ourselves some grace when life doesn't go as planned!

~Ashley~