a year with no mistakes in it...yet

It's taken me 36 years to see the value in making resolutions at the new year's advent. I resisted in the past because it seemed so...so...pedestrian (I had to look up a good word to capture my attitude toward this new year trend). And making resolutions simply for the sake of making them, but without realty caring whether I broke them or not seemed disingenuous.

But now...

Now I'm beginning to see the wisdom and blessing in dreaming up goals for the new year...one with no mistakes in it - yet (to loosely quote L.M. Montgomery). I certainly made plenty of mistakes in 2012, so the potential of a mistake free year in 2013 is rather appealing. Do I really think I will go an entire year without making one mistake?

No, but there is hope and God's mercies are new every morning and with each rising of sun in sky comes the invitation to embrace the day the Lord has made and to try. my. best. to live the dreams He places on my heart.

And then, of course, there's the fun of looking back from December 31 to see which resolutions stuck, which ones faded away and those not fully realized but the summit is nearer now than 365 days ago.

So here are a few of mine for 2013:
1. Memorize one Bible verse a week with my family.

2. Read the Old Testament in one year to my children. 

3. Get back into exercising on a regular basis and minimize the times when that plan becomes derailed. I finally went for a run again yesterday, snow covered sidewalks and all because I'd finally had enough of not doing any cardio beyond carrying laundry baskets up and down stairs.



4. Continue to press into what it means to love God fully and fully love others as I love myself.



5. Cultivate a habit of holy thanksgiving. I took Ann's joy dare last year...

...and will do so again this year, but with the goal of writing thanksgivings every day and especially in the hard times.

6. Prepare for birthdays and special events at least one month before they happen. Lately, I've developed a habit of throwing things together within a few days before the event which doesn't leave much time for really giving it my all or savoring the event itself.



7. For Advent (because I felt this year's was a total fail): meditate on an aspect of the nativity and/or a Scripture verse and write a devotional for each day of advent. I'm hoping this resolution will help prepare my heart for celebrating Christ's birth and receive God's greatest gift to us.