Monday, December 29, 2008

A New Year...

I'm not big on New Years resolutions... wait, let me rephrase that... I've made MANY new years resolutions throughout the years but I'm not big on following through...

So this year... I had a thought... It's just a thought, but there's something about it that seems a little more promising than my previous attempts at New Years resolutions...

A few days ago I started asking the Lord to bring to mind a few things that HE would have me move forward with this next year... I read through my journal from this past year... seven things have come to mind... some are more shallow, some are more deep... But my thought is that instead of seven New Years Resolutions, My seven things would become topics of prayer for this next year... they will be things that I hope to talk with the Lord about often... Things that I will believe with all my being that the Lord will grow me in throughout the next year... I do not have the expectation that I will by any means master any of these things but I am excited to seek the Lord about them and see what happens... It will be kinda fun to look back next January and see how the Lord has grown me and my family... and I look forward to giving him all the glory!!!!

The Spectacular Seven for 2009...

1. I wanna be a better listener...
A I read through my journal I found these verses in one of my entries... "A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his own opinion." (proverbs 18:2)... "If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame." (Proverbs 18:13)... "A fools lips walk right into a fight and his mouth invites a beating." (Proverbs 18:6)... "The ear of the wise seeks knowledge." (Proverbs 18:15)... I find that with my children I am often so anxious to correct them that I forget to listen to them. I must confess that there have been times that i have disciplined them for things that they didn't even do simply because I did not take the time to listen BEFORE I corrected. This year Lord, please make me aware of my folly each and every time that I am forgetting to be a good listener!!!


2. I want to feed my body healthy food...
I just want to make the effort to put more good stuff into my body and less oreos...


3. I want to be more intentional about exercising...
Thank goodness for my precious neighbor Milly!!! It's so hard to do this exercise thing alone and I am grateful for her friendship and her willingness to spur me on in this area... Thanks friend... Will I have a six pack by 2010???? J/K


4. I want to be the best lover that I can be... Lover of my Jesus, lover of my husband, of my children, of my friends, of my family...
"His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn't love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that." (Ephesians 5) Lord , this year, in your grace, help me to love like you love.


5. I want to be in The Word daily, even if it's just one little verse...


6. I want to be on my knees daily for my children... I want to daily tell them about the extravagant love that their Savior has for them...
7x7 (Check out the icon in the sidebar)... Precious Tara, thanks for my prayer cards... I have posted them all over the house and today was my first day of praying them over the kids!!! Lord please, please, please, help me to stay committed to this... I eagerly await to see the ways that you are going to work in my children's lives this year!!!

Finally...
7. I want to learn how to use my new camera
Considering that I am extremely intimidated by technology, this is a very real and serious prayer for the new year... I do not want my fear or my lack of patience to prevent me from trying to figure out how to use this thing...
By the way... Thank you to my WHOLE family who pitched in this Christmas to help me get this camera... Some of my favorite things in the whole world are pictures!!! Especially those of my three little treasures...Thank you!!!


So, I know it's not quite New Years Day, but I thought I would get started on #7... tonight Joey showed me a few things with my camera.. How to turn it off and on (Silly I know, but I've got to start somewhere right? :) I took my first picture of my treasures...



My little Reesie is a woman of many faces!!!! Josiah was making her laugh in some of these pictures... She still lights up every time that she sees Siah.





Siah... what can I say about Siah... he's just handsome isn't he?


And my Hal... She was sad about Mommy taking her picture... is that a sad face or what?

Well, Happy New Year!! I'm praying that maybe the Lord will put on your heart some New Years prayers for 2009!!! Have a blessed year my sweet friends!!!

Blessing upon Blessing...