New Beginnings

I just LOVE a fresh start! I love the idea of setting aside the old and getting to start new again. I love writing on the first page of a new notebook, putting off 'healthy eating' until Mondays after I mess up by mid-week, making new plans and writing them so I can check them off...you get the picture. Because of that, I've always loved New Years. I know that people say resolutions never stick and that you're destined to have dropped them by February, but I still like sitting back each year and reflecting on what I've done in the past one and planning what I want to do in the one ahead. I've decided to blog a few of mine so that I can have some accountability if anyone is reading this...

1- Spend my time and energy on things with ETERNAL SIGNIFICANCE. This is going to basically determine all of my other goals for 2011.
       *I want to eliminate things that eat away at my time that don't really matter in the grand scheme of        things.    One of those? All the time I spend on Facebook! I'm addicted, it's got to stop...seriously. I am going to try to just check in briefly once each day instead of leaving it up on my computer.
        *Spend time each day not just reading my Bible, but soaking it all in. I want to know MORE than just be able to quote scriptures...I want to understand and apply it.
         *Be mentored by someone further along in their Christian walk than I am, and in turn, mentor someone that might need me, as well.
       *Commit more time to relationships that are worthwhile. Have more people over for dinner, spend more time actually TALKING on the phone or in person than texting or on facebook. Stopping and really being present in conversations with people that I come into contact with at church, or restaurants, or Wal-Mart.
     *Learn to be OBEDIENT to what God is telling me. It's okay to be afraid, I think, but I need to be able to go, do, or say whatever it is that He is showing me. Will it be uncomfortable? Probably. Worthwhile? Yes! Christ didn't come so that I could be comfortable, He came so that people could be saved. Use me, Lord!

2- Live a healthier lifestyle.
   *Physically- I have got to start exercising again. It is good for my body, and good for my mind. We are created to be God's temples and I have not been a good steward of that lately. I want to watch what I eat so that I can be healthy and feel good enough to do all that I am called to do.
   *Mentally- I plan to read good books. I have so many right now that I am reading that I can't decide which to read each night. This blog will be used often to post some of the insight I am gaining through these books.
   *Emotionally- as I mentioned before, I plan to focus on relationships that contribute to my growth and pay less attention to those that are superficial. I desire to have transparency with those I am friends with and I want to be able to be transparent with them as well.  I also want to stop worrying over things I cannot control and to keeping things in perspective.
  *Financially- resume my role in making sure our household stays on budget and fiscally frugal.
 
3- Treasure these short years with my children.
    *Take more pictures
     *Video!
    *Blog the day to day happenings so that I can share with family and look back on them later
    *Keep up with my picture-a-day digital scrapbook
     *Play more, work around the house less (at least when they are awake)

4- Get Organized!
    *Monthly menus
    *Weekly/Daily cleaning tasks so that we aren't overwhelmed all at once.
    *Home Organization- get all the clutter into it's place and keep it there!
    *Resume couponing

I hope that each of you have an amazing start to your 2011. Please check back often and see what we're up to. If you're new to blog reading, the easiest way for you to read the latest updates is to create an account, and then click FOLLOW. You can do this on all the blogs you like to read, then when you want to read them all, just go to www.blogger.com and they'll all be listed there for you together in one place.

I love you and am thankful you are all in my life!