The New Year Starts Now...

Okay, so once again I'm a little behind, or so it may seem...

I feel like I don't get to enjoy Christmas until the 'hype' is over, so I usually spend the week after Christmas just relaxing, looking at the tree, savoring the last of the Holy Day. Then New Year's hits... more food, more fun, and little time to contemplate the past and the future until its over. So, traditionally speaking, I take the first week after New Years (I love that about homeschooling!) and spend that time getting my house in order, both physically and spiritually. So, that's where I'm at now... a week behind, but right on schedule!

I for the most part don't do resolutions... the one thing I did resolve to do this year, I already didn't do, need I say more? We have in the past made 'dream sheets' for our family; What do we want to learn this year? What do we want to do this year? How do we want to be better next year? What are we praying for, etc... It is amazing to look back at those and see how many of those dreams were accomplished and how those prayers were and are still being answered. I hate to admit that as my children have grown older, many of the things we intentionally did have fallen by the wayside... I wonder if they (especially Rian) even remember those 'dream sheets'...

So... what's in store for the New Year? Well, I may have to re-instate the dream sheet, but until then I'll share what my personal thoughts are for the New Year... The verse that will be my 'theme' so to speak, is an odd one for me, ...I prefer Proverbs, Psalms...something about who God's is, or something about his love or care, etc... but when I started thinking about the coming year what came to my mind was Luke 2:52...

"And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man."

I need to grow first in wisdom, to be more diligent in presenting myself approved to God, a workman who is not ashamed (2 Timothy 2;15). To do this I need to be in and with The Word more and consistently, I need to be in prayer more. My second goal, while this might stretch the original intent of the verse, is to work on my 'stature.'

"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit...and that you are not your own. You have been bought with a price, therefore, glorify God in your body."

I have fallen into a very lazy life style in the last year, not only physically, but spiritually and mentally as well. Does any one want to repeat this with me.... "My name is......... and I'm a blogaholic." We won't even talk about Facebook, my 'drug of choice'. I don't believe God is calling me to give those up, but He is certainly calling me to some moderation in those areas! I don't think this will affect my blogging... it just means I need to be more intentional in the time I spend on the computer (i.e. like creating a blog header instead of watching for 'changes in status' on Facebook.) AND to get a life outside of my house and my computer... those changes are in the works, I'm sure you'll hear about them as they progress.

Although I can't say I have a great outlook for the coming year... I think it's possible that it's going to be a pretty rough year for a lot of people. However, I think I have a more positive attitude towards the coming year than I have had in several years and am excited to see the the things God has in store for 2009.

So... Happy New Year to all of you! I pray that God will bless you with peace, no matter what the year brings! For those of you who are missing the pictures in this blog... check out the slide show at the bottom... We have had some bitterly cold temperatures (like 21 below zero this morning when I dropped Rick off at the hospital)...but they make for beautiful scenery... enjoy!