The New Year Is Upon Us

Since 2015 is now upon us, I thought I would put together a list of goals for the new year. I’m writing these down mainly for my sake, but feel free to read them too.

Here they are, in no particular order.

1. Run a half-marathon. This one is coming too quickly. January 10th, to be exact. Why did I sign up for this again? Bleh…

2. Memorize Scripture. I’ve done this two different times with Beth Moore and Living Proof Ministries and I’m doing it again this year. It’s a great way to meditate on and memorize 24 Scripture passages.

3. Pray diligently for my kids. Brie is 11 years old and will be exposed to so much over the next few years. I want her to know Christ in such a way that everything she does reflects her relationship with Him. My prayers for Jonah include continued healing from autism, school success, and becoming more social. And for Vivienne, I’m praying for obedience as well as for wisdom so I can help her use her “powers” for good and not for evil.

4. Act and look younger. Brienne still comments on the “crinkles” around my eyes and I really need to fix that, if possible. (Can you say “eye cream?”) (Also, every time she says “crinkles,” I want to punch her in her young, youthful-looking line-free face. Ah. I jest.) But more than looking younger, I need to act younger. I’ve always thought that having young children was supposed to make you feel younger, but that has yet to happen for me. I guess I need to be more intentional about playing and being silly with my kids.

5. And to go along with #4: Laugh more, yell less. This particularly applies to bedtime. No matter how impossible that may seem…

6. Try not to kill my dog. And I’m not even joking. This resolution entered the list because Mikey just peed all over my kitchen and dining room. For the ten millionth time. And Vivi was splashing in it because, “puddles!” I’m over his uncontrollable bladder. Ain’t nobody got time for this.

7. Study God’s Word consistently and read the Bible with my kids often. This seems self explanatory, but it’s unbelievably difficult to get up before everyone else and study the Bible. Mainly because if Vivienne hears the coffee pot or sees the glow from my iPhone, she thinks it’s wake-up time. (I swear she has supersonic hearing and can see through walls.) And as far as reading with the kids, my little ones have a really hard time sitting still for any length of time. I think the South Georgia gnats have a longer attention span than they do.

8. Eat more whole, unprocessed foods. This is a biggie. Did you know a recent study suggests that by 2025, 1 in 2 kids born will have autism because of all the crap that’s in our foods? Speaking as a mother of a child with autism, I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. Plus, whole foods help cure a variety of illnesses, so why wouldn’t we want to eat more of them? I know, I know. Easier said than done. And I’m pretty sure Nutella isn’t considered a whole food. Darn it.

9. Serve and open our home to others more. We have a tendency to come home from school, work, activities, etc. and shut ourselves in our house, not wanting to be “bothered” by others. But Christ never said to huddle inside our homes. He instructed us to open our homes to those around us. This is a goal of mine, even when our kids are running around like monkeys. I also want to find more opportunities to serve as a family in our community. This has been especially difficult here in Georgia for a variety of reasons, but I’m keeping my eyes open for ways to serve.

10. Potty train Vivienne and convince Jonah to poop in the potty. (Too much info for you?) I would love for both kids to be completely potty-trained before we move this summer. Vivi loves to wear panties but she also loves to pee in them. She does it on purpose and then smiles when I discover her puddles everywhere. Did I mention that she’s delightful? And Jonah – for some reason he is terrified of pooping in the potty. I’ve tried everything. Candy bribes, iPad bribes, threats. All to no avail. My next step is to bribe with presents. That’s how desperate I am.

So, these are my goals for 2015. I’d be curious to hear your suggestions and some of your goals, too.

Happy New Year!