Y’all, I finally broke down and did it… 

I ordered a planner. 

You know, the paper and pen kind, with a monthly calendar, weekly schedule, and hourly time slots. This one even came with fancy stickers and pretty pens! I realize we are living in a digital world, and like many of you, I depend on iCal to keep our family calendar straight. But I am tired of the random To-do lists and sticky note reminders scattered all over the place! I need it all in one place so I can see the whole picture. 

While I am a creative at heart, I tend to work best in a structured environment. Jeff has always been the visionary in our family; I am the details girl. I seriously get excited about bringing order to chaos! (But you wouldn’t know that if you peeked in my closet… Shhhh!)

See, I am super organized in many ways, but completely unorganized in others. I have been pondering this lately, through the lens of my word for the year: “transform.” Immediately, there were areas that sprang to mind that need some transformation— my closet, for example! And my bathroom cabinets. And my linen closet… 

Apparently, clutter is my friend—you know, the kind that shows up unannounced on your doorstep and sticks around several months (or years) longer than expected!

So, that was easy. My physical spaces definitely need some work. And there are other areas that need to change as well, such as my lack of an exercise plan and the way I manage my time. In fact, the more I thought about it, the more I realized I need A LOT of work! Maybe God knew what He was doing after all when He chose that word for me. Ha!

As I have begun asking Him to transform me this year, He has been revealing various areas that need to look different. And they don’t just need a facelift—they need to be changed from the inside out. Your areas of struggle may be different from mine, and that’s okay! But I would venture to guess you can relate to at least a few of these. 

So, being the structure-loving person I am, I made a list of “transformation topics” I am praying about and working through this year. I have added a few topics that are not currently trouble areas for me, but might be helpful to consider.

Possible Areas for Transformation

• Home/living spaces
• Health & fitness
• Marriage/Relationships
• Family/parenting
• Friendships/social life
• Job/career
• Finances
• Time Management
• Dreams/Goals
• Priorities
• Hobbies/volunteer time
• Technology use
• Spiritual/Prayer life
• Mental/emotional health

When I considered each of these areas, I found myself returning again to the verses that go along with my word for 2021:

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not be conformed to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing, and perfect will.” (Romans 12:1-2, NIV)

These are some of the questions I have been asking:

1. Can my actions and attitudes in this area be considered “holy and pleasing to God?”

2. Do I approach this area selfishly (what I want) or sacrificially (what can I give)?

3. Are my thoughts, actions, or opinions in this area being shaped by “the patterns of this world” or by the Word of God?

4. God, how do you want to change the way I think and act in this area so I can be a better reflection of You? (Your grace, love, mercy, forgiveness, holiness, integrity, gentleness, truth, etc.)

If you are joining me on this journey of transformation in 2021, set aside some time in the next few days to think through these different areas and ask yourself these questions. Like me, you might be surprised to find you need a little more transforming than you expected! 

Upon reflection, I have realized I am drowning in clutter and need to drastically transform my “stuff.” I have been settling for good enough health, but I am ready for it to be better. I am grateful for a good marriage, but I desire it to be exceptional! I could keep going, but you get the point.

And the best part is that God is the One who does the transforming! I just have to make myself available and be obedient to whatever He reveals. Easier said than done, for sure, but certainly not as hard as trying to do it all myself. 

The next step is letting Him “renew my mind…” whatever that means, right?! Stay posted for more on that next time!

And somehow, I imagine it will all be easier now that I have my new planner! Ha ha!