Resolved!

     We have had a great holiday season around here.  I hope your Christmas time was filled with fun things, family times, and reminders of God's blessings in your life.  Our family really enjoyed our break from the "grind" of school, and we spent several hours just doing nothing for a change!  I even stayed up late playing video games--*gasp!

    I was pretty glad to get back to the routine today, though.  Schedule is soothing to my OCD soul.  Although, I already miss the sleeping in!

    As most people look at the new year, they think about the things they want to change, or the weight they want to be, or the goals they want to accomplish in the new year.  I always feel that my "new year" begins in August, when school starts back.  That is usually when I take stock of our lives and see what is working and what isn't, make changes, and things like that.  So, the New Year for me is more of a time to check in on the plans from August and see how they are working.  (So far, so good!)

    Secondly, I think that in order for resolutions to make any impact in your life, they should really be made on a daily basis, rather than a batch of "I want to..." at the beginning of a year, most of which are forgotten by the end of the month!  I thought I would share a few things that I try to resolve to do each day.  Like a lot of things, some days it works, and some days it doesn't!  Which ones would make your "daily resolution" list?

       1. Pray more purposefully.   We pray over our meals, and there are the quick, desperate "mommy" prayers ("Please keep me from completely LOSING it!"), but praying purposefully can be something that is difficult to do on a daily basis--especially for us busy moms!  Praying purposefully means to me that I have sought a quiet time, alone, to go to God and talk with Him in a coherent, thoughtful way.  I have tried to clear my mind of the busy clamor of life to spend some time worshiping and communicating with my Heavenly Father.

       2. Think about God's Word.   Again, this is not a snatched verse here or there, but a time apart to read an spend time meditating on God's Word and what He would have for me to apply in my life.

       3.  Tell my husband I love him.  Yes, this is something I have to decide to do.  When you and your spouse are busy working hard all day, and then you come home to kids who need you to take care of them, it can be easy to push through until bedtime and then crash and burn at the end of the night.  Then, before you know it, it's been three days since you have said anything meaningful to your spouse besides "Did you remember to pay that bill?" or "Have you done anything for supper?" or "It's your turn to deal with that!"  Take the extra minute to connect with your love.

      4.  Hug my kids and tell them each I love them.   Usually this is something that happens daily at bedtime, but once in a while even the bedtimes are rushed and it is just time for EVERYONE TO GO TO SLEEP RIGHT NOW!!  Your little guys and girls (and your big ones, if you have them)  still need to feel those special moments, even in the midst of your busy life.

     5.  Remember this song.  We have an old Johnny Cash album recorded at San Quentin prison, where Johnny Cash is singing with the Carter Family and the Statler Brothers.  One of the songs on this album has the best words for mommies (and other people) to have in the back of their mind on a daily basis.  Here are the lyrics, and you could probably hear a recording on Youtube, if you looked it up.  So simple, yet powerful if you take a few minutes to think about them.  It's like a mommy theme song!

"Less Of Me"

lyrics by Glen Campbell

Let me be a little kinder
Let me be a little blinder
To the faults of those about me
Let me praise a little more

Let me be when I am weary
Just a little bit more cheery
Think a little more of others
And a little less of me

Let me be a little braver
When temptation bids me waver
Let me strive a little harder
To be all that I should be

Let me be a little meeker
With the brother that is weaker
Let me think more of my neighbor
And a little less of me

Let me be when I am weary
Just a little bit more cheery
Let me serve a little better
Those that I am strivin' for

Let me be a little meeker
With the brother that is weaker
Think a little more of others
And a little less of me

    Anyway, those are just  few of the things I try to resolve to do on a daily basis.  What's on your daily "resolve" list?  If you don't have one, maybe that can be your New Year's resolution! :)