14 Things to Help You Enjoy 2014

I think we would all agree that we want to enjoy this year. Maybe you're off to a rough start already. Well, I've come up with a little list that will hopefully help you out. It's not going to cure all of your problems, but these are some things that I've found to help me enjoy life just a little more.

1. Spend time with God every day.

• Set aside some special time each day just to talk to God and read His Word. This is the most important thing you can do each and every day. Knowing God better will make your relationship with Him even more amazing. You'll find that when you start your day off with God, you're starting it off in the best possible way. 

2. Choose to have godly friends.

• Choose to be around people who are going to encourage you in your walk with God. They'll provide you with fun times, encouragement, and just general joy. 

3. Get involved in your local church.

• Whether it's watching the babies, teaching Sunday School, singing in choir, or whatever else you can do, get involved in church. Don't just sit there every Sunday. See what you can do to be an active member of your home church. You never know what a huge blessing it will be not to others but to you to serve. 

4. Spend your money wisely. 

• This is a great one, especially for me as a college student. You might be tempted to spend money on things you don't need, but save it for something in the future. You never know when life will bring you an unexpected surprise. It could be an emergency or something as simple as a birthday gift. You want to be prepared.

5. Get a planner and use it. 

• I am the queen of planners. I have one that's actually supposed to get here in the mail tomorrow, and I am so excited! Writing down everything you need to do in any given day will help you to get more accomplished. Write down those birthdays, anniversaries, your to-do lists, grocery lists, homework assignments. If there's a day for it, write it in!

6. Make a to do list each morning.

• One of the things that I do almost every day is I write down everything that needs to be done. I love to check off lists, so this is a great way for me to get things done. The feeling of marking something off that list is just wonderful! You should try it right now!

7. Choose a verse for the year. 

• Choose yourself a theme verse for this year. It could be a verse of encouragement. It could be a goal for the year. It could just be something that you want to remember throughout the day. I chose Philippians 1:27a, "Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ."

8. Choose someone and make a difference in her life this year.

• We probably all know someone who just needs a little more love. Do you have that person in mind? What can you do to be her friend? How can you make a difference in her life? It doesn't have to be through money or gifts. It might just be letting them know you care and showing it by the way you treat them. 

9. Eat healthier and drink more water.

• Now, this is one that I really struggle on because I love food. But at the end of last year, I finally began to choose some healthy food choices. It was nothing drastic; I didn't even go on a diet! I just chose to eat foods that were a little better for me. I found that I felt so much better! I think you will too.

10. Read. 

• Reading is quickly becoming a lost art. With all of the social media that we have, people simply don't enjoy reading as much any more. We spend all our time in front of the TV, stalking on Facebook, and pinning on Pinterest. Take some time to curl up with that old favorite book. Read something challenging. Learn something new. You'll broaden your imagination, vocabulary, and intelligence. Enjoy reading!

11. Make it a goal to memorize Scripture.

• Here's another struggle area for me. I'm not the best at memorizing Scripture frequently. In high school, I did a lot because I had to. But I quickly fell out of memorizing after I graduated. Psalm 119:11 tells us to hide God's Word in our hearts why? So that we won't sin against Him. When we are memorizing Scripture, we're building up our armory for Christ. Memorizing Scripture will help you to fight off temptations in your life, making your year that much more enjoyable!

12. Say "I Love You."

• Sometimes those who are closest to us miss out on our love. We live with them, or we see them every day. We think, "Oh, he knows I love him. She knows I love her." But we never tell them. You never know when it may be your last chance to say "I love you." 

13. Take pictures and get them printed.

• Capture those moments that you want to remember and print them out. A few days ago when my sister and I cleaned out our closet, we found tons of old pictures from when we were kids. It was so sweet looking back on all of those old times. With Facebook and Instagram, it's easy just to take a quick picture and upload it. But I want to challenge you to print it off and store it away. Having that picture to actually hold in your hands will be such a sweet moment one day. 

14. Don't waste time.

• If you're anything like me, there have been times in your life where you've looked back and wondered what you were doing with your life. Why did you waste all that time? It could have been years spent on a bad friendship, or it could just be that you sat in front of the computer for way too long. Don't waste your life. Think of something to do, and do it! 

Enjoy 2014!