2013

Two.  That's how many blog posts I wrote in all of 2012.  I miss my quiet corner of cyberspace, though, and I'm hoping that the Lord - and time - will enable me to visit here a little more often this year.



I don't know about you, but I love the arrival of the new year. It's a reminder that as long as I'm still walking on this earth, I'm a work in progress. God's not finished sanctifying me yet. Phew!

I'm not sure if you've ever noticed this about me, but I'm a very goal-oriented person. Goals and lists help me focus because without something written and concrete, I get overwhelmed. Writing it down frees my brain so I can do the next thing. Writing it down also makes a big difference in whether that goal is met. If I don't write it down, it's not likely that I'll even remember the goal, let alone meet the goal.

Writing it down here gives me that extra "kick in the pants" that I sometimes usually need.

So here are my goals.  I've learned that I can't have immeasurable, abstract goals. They just don't work for me, and they even tend to seem unattainable (that's the way the devil works, no?). So for the goals that are abstract, I've listed concrete ways to work towards those things. And many of these are habits that I hope to build this year, but not all at once. Baby steps are the key for this girl!

Goals for 2013

1. Choose joy....
...by memorizing scripture. In my morning quiet time, at midday, and before bed, I will begin memorizing the Sermon on the Mount. I'll also be accountable to some of my sweet Sisters from church as we follow along with Beth Moore's Siesta Scripture Memory Challenge. I think I'll try Ann Voskamp's plan for memorizing the Sermon.
...by journaling gifts. This practice changed my outlook when I was doing it, so I will be starting it up again this week.

2. Have weekly dates (in home or away from home) with my husband. (Put it on the calendar!)

3. Have Bible-reading/prayer/worship with the children daily, at breakfast.

4. Have 1-on-1 time with one child each weekday, reading a book then doing an activity of their choice.

5. Exercise 30 minutes, 4 days per week.

6. Read more. I have a Pinterest board filled with 33 books (Hey, I'm 33 years old! That was a neat coincidence!) I'd like to read this year. My hope is that I will make time to write a short blog post after finishing each book, so I can record my thoughts and favorite quotes and sayings from the book. As I finish books, I will move them to this Pinterest board.


As you can imagine, number one - "Choose Joy" - is top priority. If I accomplish nothing more than having the discipline to seek Jesus and His Word each and every day, it will be a successful year for me. Nothing matters more to me than to radiate for Him, and that happens from the inside out. All the rest of it is just "extra".

I pray that each person who reads this post will experience His joy during the year 2013. May you walk each moment as if you believe Romans 8:28 with your whole heart:

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Happy New Year!