Begin Anew
A study by Statista shows that in the United States, the top ten New Year's resolutions in 2025 included: to exercise more, save more money, eat healthier, spend more time with family and friends, lose weight, do more for the environment, improve performance on the job, reduce stress on the job, spend less time on social media, and quit smoking.¹ Pretty much what you expected, right? They are all good and noble things to do and I’m sure that any of them may have a positive impact on your life. However, another study by DriveResearch, indicates that only eight percent of those who make resolutions will follow through on them and 23% quit by the end of the first week.²
A study by Statista shows that in the United States, the top ten New Year's resolutions in 2025 included: to exercise more, save more money, eat healthier, spend more time with family and friends, lose weight, do more for the environment, improve performance on the job, reduce stress on the job, spend less time on social media, and quit smoking.¹ Pretty much what you expected, right? They are all good and noble things to do and I’m sure that any of them may have a positive impact on your life. However, another study by DriveResearch, indicates that only eight percent of those who make resolutions will follow through on them and 23% quit by the end of the first week.²
Psychology Today suggests some of the most common reasons people fail to follow through are an all-or-nothing attitude, their goals are vague or unrealistic, or that they don’t have an understanding of their why.³ Most people have heard about setting SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. This method can be effective if you tend to set goals that are vague or unrealistic, but this is a little bit like a band-aid. If your downfall is that you have an all-or-nothing attitude, that is, you give up as soon as you slip-up, that’s a difficult one to overcome. You must be kinder to yourself. Know that God wants you to succeed. Every day is a new day and you can start over again. Often the greatest successes come from what we learn in failure. The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning. (Lamentations 3:22-23 NLT)
What is critical to success is knowing why you want to achieve your goal. Might I suggest a more holistic approach…living intentionally. Living intentionally starts with understanding what you value. When you focus on what is intrinsically important to you, your why is more easily identified. And with a clear why, the work is easier. It involves being more mindful and present in your daily activities, not being on “autopilot,” and purposefully aligning your choices with your beliefs. You will still want to set short-term and long-term goals, but through self-awareness and introspection make slight modifications as you go. Making adjustments allows you to grow at your own speed, discover what works and what doesn’t work, keep aligned with your values, be kind to yourself, and succeed. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)
In Romans 6:4, the Apostle Paul writes, Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. In the “newness” of 2026, I hope you find great success with whatever your New Year’s resolutions may be and if you don’t yet know our Lord, that you will find trust in Christ for your salvation.
Feel free to leave your thoughts on living intentionally or just let us know what goals you have for the upcoming year.
Freshening Up a Bit
These days, I live alone in my little house. I love it! Don’t get me wrong. My adorable little house provides everything I need. However, I had decided that I wasn’t going to put up my tree this year. My thought process went kind of like this: It’s too much of a struggle to get it out of the basement. It takes up too much space in the house. It’s just me. No one else will probably even see it. It will look the same as it does every year. Then it struck me that maybe I just needed to freshen up my decorations. I started with a new tree that is easier for me to handle. Then I found a ribbon on Etsy that is gorgeous and paired some new ornaments with the ribbon. I am so happy with the outcome. Along the way, I was reminded that it’s not about me, or my house, or the tree that I put up. It’s about the King who came into this world as a baby and died on the cross to pay for all of my sins. It’s all about Him and celebrating His joyous birth. I just needed to do a little house cleaning and putting things in the proper place. Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. (Psalm 51:10) A little freshening up never hurt anyone.
These days, I live alone in my little house. I love it! Don’t get me wrong. My adorable little house provides everything I need. However, I had decided that I wasn’t going to put up my tree this year. My thought process went kind of like this: It’s too much of a struggle to get it out of the basement. It takes up too much space in the house. It’s just me. No one else will probably even see it. It will look the same as it does every year. Then it struck me that maybe I just needed to freshen up my decorations. I started with a new tree that is easier for me to handle. Then I found a ribbon on Etsy that is gorgeous and paired some new ornaments with the ribbon. I am so happy with the outcome. Along the way, I was reminded that it’s not about me, or my house, or the tree that I put up. It’s about the King who came into this world as a baby and died on the cross to pay for all of my sins. It’s all about Him and celebrating His joyous birth. I just needed to do a little house cleaning and putting things in the proper place. Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. (Psalm 51:10) A little freshening up never hurt anyone.
I encourage you to try something a little new this Christmas season…to change things up a little. It could be a new ribbon on your tree or stringing popcorn instead. Whatever it is, let it rekindle your spirit as you wish our Lord and Savior a happy birthday. Remain steadfast in His love. But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31)
On a side note…the devil did try to sneak in to foil my plans. My new ribbon went on a voyage all over Kentucky, then from Louisville to Chicago, and Chicago back to Louisville. Last I checked, it just says “in transit.” Many thanks to Laura at RibbonTown for shipping out my beautiful ribbon a second time!
Starting Simply, Living Fully
As this is my first post on my new blog, I would like to provide an overview of where I see this going and a glimpse into how I try to live my life. But let’s start by defining Unpretentious Abundance. Unpretentious - not pretentious; free from ostentation, pomp, elegance, or affectation; modest. Abundance - a great quantity, overflowing fullness, plentiful supply of means or resources. Unpretentious Abundance sounds very much like an oxymoron…and it is. It is because Unpretentious Abundance is about living a life of balance. Over my lifetime, I have experienced times of financial poverty, as well as times of financial wealth. But what I have learned about myself is that I want the least that I need to be comfortable and happy. The more you have, the more you have to take care of. I don’t like feeling burdened by “stuff.” At times, my posts may reflect a minimalist slant. However, I do feel that I truly live abundantly.
Photo by Diane Fanucci
As this is my first post on my new blog, I would like to provide an overview of where I see this going and a glimpse into how I try to live my life. But let’s start by defining Unpretentious Abundance. Unpretentious - not pretentious; free from ostentation, pomp, elegance, or affectation; modest. Abundance - a great quantity, overflowing fullness, plentiful supply of means or resources. Unpretentious Abundance sounds very much like an oxymoron…and it is. It is because Unpretentious Abundance is about living a life of balance. Over my lifetime, I have experienced times of financial poverty, as well as times of financial wealth. But what I have learned about myself is that I want the least that I need to be comfortable and happy. The more you have, the more you have to take care of. I don’t like feeling burdened by “stuff.” At times, my posts may reflect a minimalist slant. However, I do feel that I truly live abundantly.
There are a wide range of areas that I will be exploring in this blog. There will be discussions on finances - debt, budgeting, credit cards, thoughtful giving; media literacy - fake news and bias, clickbait, scams and fraud; consumerism - consumer protection, product reviews, discounts, bartering; “green” consumerism - sustainability, repurposing, up-cycling; and all things home - hospitality, cooking, decorating, parenting, fashion, fitness, gardening; and so much more.
There is another integral and essential piece to this puzzle of living an abundant life. It isn’t just about material possessions. To live a happy and balanced life, we must also seek spiritual abundance, including joy, peace, love and hope. This is the abundance that results from a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. John 10:10 says, The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. Our God wants us to have full, prosperous, and happy lives. And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. (Deuteronomy 8:18) We must trust in His promises to provide for us.
God is the source of all provision. He wants us to have faith in that provision. And in that provision, we need to be grateful; we must demonstrate good stewardship; and we must exhibit generosity. Unpretentious Abundance is about being open to all of God’s bounty, living your best life, and seeing Christ in and throughout your daily life. I hope you take this journey with me.