So excited for 2007 - in typical anna-fashion. I love the New Year, it may actually be my favorite holiday (but don't tell Christmas and Thanksgiving!). Why? It's certainly not because Rob and I spend it together in some far-off romantic getaway. ha ha! Hardly. We generally spend it with students and generally we have a youth-event hangover the next day, but it's always worth it.
No, I love New Years because it symbolizes yet another fresh start. It reminds me a lot of how we have a fresh start in Jesus, and how it's never too late to change - eating habits, thought patterns, spending habits, whatever!! I love that, everyone needs a fresh start once in a while, and for me once a year is just the pattern that works.
So every year, about December or so, I start thinking about the past year, what worked and didn't work. And I start planning (as planners love to do) and thinking about what I'd like to make different in the coming year. I try not to make my goals too unachievable, mostly because I get a distinct thrill from crossing out that to-do list. But I think it's a great opportunity for life change, and I've been successful in the past, so that doesn't limit my future!!
So, hunting around, I found last years 'resolve' and I think I did pretty well with about half of it. :) I usually over-extend myself and over-achieve, so half is something. I did exercise a lot for the first half of last year, but gave it up when Lori and Jay moved in and never picked it up when they moved out, so that's making it back on my list this year. Unfortunately, I'm still averaging two days a week on my Bible reading, but my prayer life has skyrocketed this year. Again, I plan on making improvements in this department. In the area of publishing, God and I have had many words and I am realizing (and understanding) that this is not His will for me for right now and I'm ok with that. I truly love to scrapbook, but it is not taking over my life anymore. We did start a savings account, and made some progress for the first half of the year until life happened. I have found a better savings option for this year and we are implementing this into our lifestyle again. I did spend many hours on the floor with my children this year, focusing on the relationships with them, I feel like I've really achieved that goal and also the goal of investing in HAG. And, not on my goal list, oddly enough, was remodeling the house, which I completed in full by July. Cool. Definitely a good year. But 2007 can be better.
So in light of all that, and after considerable deliberation and prayer...
Be it resolved on January 1, 2007....
1) Rob and I will pray together nightly. We've actually restarted this old habit recently and I love it and want to continue it. We'd really like to prioritize our relationship with each other a bit more.
2) Resume exercise 3x a week. I'd ideally like to lose (or rearrange) about five pounds. I know I'm not overweight, but everything didn't go back like it should after Sarah was born, and if I could tone up a bit I'd feel about a thousand times better about me. (which is always a good thing)
3) Commit and follow through with a daily bible study. And a non-fiction christian book. Maybe five-five-five. Bible study, christian growth book, and prayer. Hey, I'm at least a third of the way there!
4) Eat better as a family. Less fast food, more planned meals. Less junk.
5) Sit up straight!! I'm realizing I look a million times less dorky if I just straighten my back. So if you see me slouching, tell me to sit up! I'll thank you!!
6) Prioritize some 'me' time each day. Seems like I'm constantly falling to the bottom of the list. I need to keep myself charged in order to fully function as a mom. Doing my bible study definitely counts as 'me' time.
7) Make a daily (or hourly, moment by moment) decision to love people. Reading purpose driven again, it just reminds me how loving I need to be and what love looks like. When I get frustrated lately, I just remind myself of the command to be loving.
So, that's where we are at. I should remind myself to come back to this post to refresh my memory, to check in on myself. There should be a half-year day or something, where people revisit their resolutions, maybe they would last longer then!
About Me
- antho
- Every shoot is different. Every family is unique and special. Every couple has their own interpretation of their relationship. There is no cookie cutter session with me. I think if I get to that point, it's time to put the camera down, don't you? We've all seen those photographers - you know the underpaid hourlys at Sears, or the over-paid wedding photographer that you can tell is simply putting their time in to get the same images - just different folks than they did at the last setting or event. I pray before each shoot to be freshly inspired by the people in front of my lens, that I see what God sees in them. He loves each of us as His precious children and delights in our personalities and quirks. I feel like my calling is to witness that special something in you and capture it in an image. The day that I stop feeling that way about it is the day I need to close up shop.
Visitors Since April 2008
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