Happy New Year Everyone!  It’s crazy to think that this New Year Day is my final one stateside as come this time next year, I’ll be leaving El Salvador and heading across the Pacific to Vietnam which will actually be kinda cool since I’ll be celebrating two New years as Tet (the Vietnamese New Year) is celebrated at the end of the month, so I’ll get to see all of those festitives hopefully.

 Sorry it has been awhile since I last wrote in this blog.  Work has been crazy these last few weeks with the Christmas season and all, but that’s life in retail for you, and not to mention the fact that it was my final holiday season as I am planning on leaving my job at the end of September.

Anyways now things have finally slowed down which is nice since I can finally focus on other projects such as World Race and all the fundraising as well as some minor logistical things that I still need to do to prepare myself for the year ahead.

I remember one of my BSF group members from last year telling us about having a keyword for the year to study and meditate upon, and I thought that was a really cool idea.  So for 2018 I have decided to try that myself, and while there are a few words that I will most likely write about, the word that seems to be cropping up the most with me lately has been the word FOCUS.  This word first came up while I was in discussion with a friend of mine who just also happens to be a former racer when I met her for coffee last month since I had questions about the Race, and she was my go to gal.  I know God challenges us in so many ways both big and small, and I feel like this is one of the many ways that he is doing to prepare me for the adventure ahead.  That’s pretty cool to think about. 

Focus (verb) is defined as to concentrate on something in particular.
Focus on my personal preparation which means that I am going to be putting myself though training both physically for what I going to be facing at training camp (as well as golf season & attempting the full tough mudder/warrior dash) and spiritually for both training camp and the Race.
Focus on preparing myself financially *coughdonatecough*
Focus myself mentally for what is to come this year since I know just how much I’ll be leaving behind for 11 months.
 
“So let’s keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us.  If any of you have something else less then total committment, God will clear your blurred vision-you’ll see it yet!  Now that we are on th eright track let’s stay on it.  Stick with me friends, keep track of those you see running the same course, headed for the same goal.”-Phil 3:15-17
 
So there you have it, for the next 10 months, I will be focusing on very aspect of that word, and how it relates to my preparation for this incredible adventure that 2018 is bringing to me.
 
Til next time your sister in Christ,
Bonnie
Psalms 18:2
YOLO