It is hard to believe that the year is over! 2015 flew by, and brought a lot of new and incredible, and some not so fun things, into our lives. I anticipate what the new year will bring, and look forward to the fun and the challenges it holds.

Over the past couple of weeks, I have been reviewing the year. In terms of this website, I have seen steady growth over the previous year. But I have been reviewing 2015 from a personal standpoint as well. Have I accomplished my goals? What things of significance did I see in my life? How have I grown? And where do I need to continue to focus in 2016? These are all some of the thoughts that have been running through my mind and my journal.

One of the main ways I track my personal growth is through the use of a Life Plan. At this time of year, I give this document a very thorough examination, and adjust it for the coming year. You can read about this process here and here. I challenge you to take a good look at your life over the past twelve months. Look for the good as well as the not so good. Set goals to improve and grow for the coming year. Your growth must be intentional; you will not grow by accident.

Here’s to an excellent 2016!

In the meantime, and in case you missed them, here are the top seven posts from JeffRandleman.com for the month of December.

December has arrived, and with it the feeling that the year has evaporated into thin air! I find it hard to believe that the year can be almost over already, but the Christmas decorations cannot be denied.

Around our home, Thanksgiving was busy, with family and church gatherings. But it was all very enjoyable. The coming month promises to be just as busy. Between our family holiday activities, church programs, and the various things our kids are involved with, it will be a busy time indeed!

December will also be spent adjusting the Bible Reading Plans for the new year. If you haven’t subscribed to the email updates, you can do so here. If you have already done so, let me know if you would like a copy of the new plan when it is released later this month. If you are a current subscriber, I’d be more than happy to send you a new copy at that point.

In the meantime, and in case you missed them, here are the top seven posts from JeffRandleman.com for the month of November.

October was a pretty crazy month around here. Between football games, church events, and my health problems, it was a crazy month. And it flew by. November begins the season of birthdays in our family, and of course, the holidays. 2015 will be over before we know it!

With all that has been going on, I have been more intentional about carving out some time to write consistently. With everything that has been going on with my health, that has been tough, but I am striving to stay on a schedule.

I am also trying to strengthen my habit of journaling, and take it to the next level. So I have been writing a lot more than normal. What would really help is if we had a good coffee shop around here. But alas, we do not. There is one in the next town over, but his open hours are so inconsistent, it isn’t worth the time to drive over there, only to find out he is closed for the day. Ah, the joys of rural, small town life.

And so, I have been seeking out places to write outside my normal desk at the office and my corner at home. While the weather lasts, writing outside is enjoyable. But that can’t last much longer. In the meantime, I am having fun with the process.

Summer has gone. Now, the weather is cooler, the trees are beginning to turn, football season is in full swing, and the pumpkin seeds my kids threw into the front flower beds have produced a few bright and shiny orange pumpkins. Fall is here.

With fall comes a busy time of year. Summer activities have slowed down, but the fall is full of its own brand of busyness. Between school activities my kids are involved in, community events, and church programs, we have a full schedule leading into the holidays.

But it will be fun and enjoyable, and there will be some great opportunities for rest and relaxation mixed in as well.

Along with my recent diagnosis of sleep apnea a couple of months ago, the month of September brought with it another health scare. I have been diagnosed with skin cancer, and am scheduled for surgery later in October. Your prayers in that matter would be greatly appreciated.

With my various recent health challenges, I have made a conscious effort to scale back in many of the activities I am involved in, while remaining steady in what I can. In order to make time for some of these things, I have revised my writing schedule and reduced the amount of posts I attempt to complete each week and month. That is not a choice I am really happy with, but am convinced it is necessary right now.

It is crazy to think that summer has come and gone. School has started, and we are moving back into the routine that we find ourselves in for most of the year.

August was a month that was very different than most of the year for me. There was a lot going on that is outside of the norm, both personally and professionally.

This summer, I was diagnosed as having sleep apnea. As a result, I was given a CPAP machine, and I am having a difficult time getting used to it. I wonder if it is causing me more problems than giving help, and have been tempted to stop using it at times. Add to that the soft summer we have experienced, and the fact that my allergies are still responding to something, and my sleep has still been suffering.

On top of that, my oldest daughter has experienced a busier schedule this year, as a Junior in high school. She has been selected by her peers as a part of the Homecoming Court, and as a co-captain of her cheerleading squad. She has also elected to take some very hard courses this year, and is doing well with them so far. I am very proud of her efforts and involvement in the school and the community.

The rest of my kids are much the same, busy, involved, and loving it.

On the professional side of things, our newly hired worship minister has not been able to make ends meet on the part time basis that we can offer. As a result, he has submitted his resignation, and we are searching for someone to fulfill that role again.

August is here! Summer vacation is winding down, school is about to begin, and hopefully some cooler temperatures are in the near future.

July was a very busy month for me. From my diagnosis with sleep apnea and the details surrounding that and getting adjusted to a new reality to a mission trip to an Apache reservation in Arizona, July was packed with stuff.

With so much going on, and with traveling taking up a good chunk of the month, I set my writing aside for a few weeks, only covering what I consider to be the bare minimums for JeffRandleman.com and DeliberateDads.com.

However, with the summer ending, and things falling back into a normal routine, I expect to ramp it up a bit more as we enter into the fall.

In looking over my stats for the month however, I realized something significant, to me at least. I usually only pay attention to the top seven posts for the past 30 days. And they are consistently the same ones. It hit me this time, that I rarely look at the next ones on the list. And what I found stunned me.