What Do I Want From 2013?

"You can't change your past, but you can learn from it to make your future brighter!"  I shared this status post from one of my FaceBook friends just now because it so concisely says what I have been thinking today about this past year (2012) and the up-coming year of 2013.  We can't undo our past, but, we are not wise if we do not realize that our past is what brought us to our present.  

There is a mathematical concept that has fascinated me ever since I learned about it:  the Fibonacci number.  To quote Wikipedia, "  By definition, the first two numbers in the Fibonacci sequence are 0 and 1 (alternatively, 1 and 1), and each subsequent number is the sum of the previous two.  In mathematical terms, the sequence F_n of Fibonacci numbers is defined by the recurrence relation. In mathematics, the Fibonacci numbers or Fibonacci series or Fibonacci sequence are the numbers in the following integer sequence: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, ...    A number is added to the previous number to make the next number.  This concept is used in computer algorithms and biological settings, to name just two.

The relation of this series to what I am talking about is, that it would not be possible, without using the past, to direct the future.  It was said, "Those who cannot remember their past are doomed to repeat it."  At the very least, by looking at our past, we can learn what NOT to do and, hopefully, we should have learned what TO do.  With that being said, we should not dwell on the past but we should use it as a springboard to propel us into our future.  Paul said, "Forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus".  It's like using the side of the swimming pool to push yourself forward and give yourself a head-start, so to speak.
So what do I want from 2013 because of 2012?  What do I want to do with 2013?  Who do I want to see in the mirror in 2013?  I lost some things in 2012 but then I gained some things.  I learned some things in 2012.  I learned I could survive losses.  In 2013 I want to have a greater appreciation for what God has given me.  I want to show that appreciation through my life, actions and words.  I want to honor God in every way, especially by taking care of what He has given me:  my life, my body, and my gifts.  I want a greater understanding of the fact that everything I have belongs to Him and everything I am is because of Him.  I want a greater impact on the lives of others, through actions, lifestyle, and words.  I don't want to take anything or anybody for granted.  Life is precious and I want to nurture it in every way.  I want to be a Voice.  I want to speak Truth.  I want to know when to speak and when to keep silent.  I want to stand up with confidence and, knowing that my God is Faithful, take back what the enemy stole from me, with full reassurance that I will recover it all!  God is Faithful!