I love the beginning that a new year brings, I love that it is filled with endless possibilities and new opportunities.

A new year for me is like a blank canvas.

Can you imagine that, a lovely blank canvas?

I love that the canvas that is for the new year is waiting to be painted in beautiful colours. That the canvas is waiting for new stories to create, it is new stories of the adventures that you will have for this year.

I always take the time to buy a planner for the year and this year I found a really nice pink planner for 2021.

Today I want to encourage you to buy a blank canvas, pick a canvas that speaks to you that encourages you.

Place the blank canvas in a place where you can see it, where you can look at it every day.

Today dream, dream about what this year can be for you.

Dream about your new possibilities about your new opportunities.

Let’s encourage one another, let’s be there for one another.

What are your going to paint on your canvas?

I would love to see how your canvas is going?

Let’s encourage and support each other.

Let’s embrace this new year together.

When I was going through a life challenging experience a few years ago, I knew that when I had recovered, I really wanted to help others.

I really wanted to give back.

I really did.

I didn’t know what I could do to help others at this time.

I did know that at the time I really had to focus on my recovery.

My recovery was important and it is what I needed to do.

Oh, yes, I did I really wanted to be an ambassador for people going through an eating disorder.

I prayed, I asked God for His wisdom, I really wanted to help others who had been through what I had been through.

I remember saying to him when I was trying to recover-

    Jesus all I have is all in my hands.

All I have is in my hands.

I was still struggling, I really was.

I didn’t know what I could go.

Jesus, what can I do?

Jesus, what do your want me to do?

I did know that I wanted to help and encourage others.

Let me say that all I have is in my hands.

All I have is in my hands.

I love the new year, I always think of it as a new beginning and a fresh start.

I love to embrace the new year as new possibilities.

Today I have been thinking about my word for the year, I love to have a word that embraces a new year.

I have embraced this for the past few years.

I have been thinking about this and praying about my word for this year.  I have been praying about my word for 2021.

I really want to make a difference this has been on my heart for a while.

I journaled about my word and what I wanted to do this year

I don’t have just one word or two for this year, my words for 2021 are-

                                 I Want to Make a Difference

Yes, these are my words for 2021.

This has been on my heart for awhile and I really want to make a difference for 2021.

What does that look like?

Well, lets take the year to explore this.

I will be writing about this on my blog this year.

I would love to hear from you.

What is your word for the year?

Let’s encourage each other.

2021 I want to make a difference.

Watch this space.

Today I am sharing with you the Christmas Movies that I have watched this weekend-

Christmas Reservations

Four Christmas and a wedding

A Country Christmas

There is something about Christmas Movies, I really love them.

I really do.

I love spending my weekends just relaxing and watching movies.

What are your favourite Christmas Movies?

I would love to hear from you.

Let’s encourage each other.

I have been thinking about random acts of kindness and I love random acts of kindness.

I love them.

Today’s random act of kindness is to write a card for your neighbour.

Do you know your neighbour?

I know that in some neighbourhoods it can be difficult, but what If we put all this aside in this Christmas season and just wanted to bless someone?

What if we wanted to make a difference in our neighbourhood and spread the Christmas message?

How lovely would that be?

I live in a complex of 12 units, now I don’t know all my neighbours but I do know a few.

Last weekend I had my youngest niece stayed over and she was creating, my niece decided that she would send a letter to one of my neighbours.

She got herself an envelope and some paper and wrote a message, we then went to the letterbox and she randomly chose a letterbox to post her letter.

I loved to see the excitement and wonder of a seven-year-old posting a letter to someone that she didn’t know.

It was so exciting for her as she looked at all the numbers on the letterbox and then choose the one that she wanted to send her letter to.

She really wanted to encourage someone.

Now I do not know what happened when the neighbour received the letter, but I do hope that they realise that they are valued and a seven-year-old wanted to encourage them.

Let’s embrace this and post a letter to one of our neighbours and let them know about Christmas.

Let’s encourage on another.

I would love to hear what happens.

Today’s random acts of kindness is to bake some biscuits for someone.

Find a recipe and bake some biscuits for a friend, a co-worker, for a neighbour, for a family member.

Surprise someone this December.

Choose a recipe that you love or try a new one.

Bake the biscuits and place them in a box or a tin.

Decorate the tin with a beautiful ribbon and include an encouraging note.

Take the time to bless someone today.

I would love to see how you have blessed someone.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Today my idea for a random act of kindness is to smile.

Yes, smile.

When you smile at someone that you don’t know, you do not know what they are going through.

We really don’t.

There is something about smiling at someone that you do not know.

You do not know what this could mean for their life.

It could mean-

• Thank you
• I have been noticed
• I have been acknowledged
• They have seen me

Today be encouraged and smile at someone.

Today decide on a charity to donate too.

I find that this time of year I want to help others and I know that this year has been difficult for a lot of people. I am so passionate about giving back, I really am.

Some ideas for you to donate could be too –

• buy a present
• donate food
• your time
• money

or

• buy locally
• support a small business.

Think about a charity that resonates with what you are passionate about.

Maybe this year you could choose a different charity to donate to.

Maybe you could be creative with your time and helping others.

I would love to hear from you.

Let’s share ideas and encourage each other.

My thought for today is to send a letter or encouraging postcard to someone.

Last year in the school holidays I decided to bless people by sending them an encouraging message in the post.

Now, I had not brought a stamp for a while I really hadn’t.

I remember going to the Post Office and asking the person behind the counter, how much is a stamp?

The person behind the counter said one dollar, this is Australian dollars.

I love creating cards and then writing encourages message to send and bless other.

Who are you going to send an encouraging message to?

I would love to see what you design.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

You are amazing.

I love coffee, I really do and I love catching up with friends for coffee.

Today’s random act of kindness is to buy someone a coffee.

Some ideas to surprise someone with a coffee are-

• You could buy a coffee for someone at work
• You could pay for someone’s coffee behind you at the shop
• You could pay it forward at a coffee shop
• You could write an encouraging message on the take away cups lid
• You could surprise them by leaving a coffee on their desk
• You could give them a voucher for a coffee
• You could take someone out for coffee and see how they are going.

I would love to hear about how you have shared a coffee with someone.

If you need a coffee let me know, I would love to catch up with you.