New Years Hopelutions!

January 4, 2010 I wrote the following resolutions:

1. Read the Bible regularly.

Things were pretty good January-Feb. Unclear about what happened from March to November.  Bible reading is resuming again thanks to my new Bible Reading Plan – 30 Stories You’ve probably Never Heard Of (Totally hilarious, entertaining and inspiring)

2. Pray with Tim every night.

Fail fail fail.  100% on me for turning into a pumpkin at 8:00pm on school nights.

3.  Learn to cook Korean and Chinese food.

I made amazing Bul Gogi one day in February and called it a year.

4. Read a book a month.

Try 16.  Yeah UH!  Runaway favorite – The Help.  Most Haunting – Under the Banner of Heaven.  Most Overrated – The Tipping Point.  Guilty Pleasure – He’s Just Not That Into You.

5. Figure out how to use my camera.

I’m about 50% there.  I’m learning how to control my exposure and white balance a little better… but still not getting exactly what I imagine in my head.

6. Post pictures.

Total fail.

7. Blog twice a month.

Epic fail.

I used to make resolutions every January.  On a good year, I would make new ones the next year.  If it was a normal year, I would keep remake the same resolutions.  Last year, my pastor shared something that radically changed my view of resolutions.  He said “Resolutions are great in some ways.  They are also very self-centered because it is the belief that we can manipulate our world in order to have significance, accomplishment, and joy.  Jesus needs to be our deepest joy and all of our significance.”  I often think that discipline is the secret to success.  If only I can discipline myself and lesson plan sooner, work out more often, and communicate more with my friends… I will be a better <teacher/wife/daughter/sister/friend>.  Though wanting to be a good teacher/wife/daughter/sister/friend is a good thing, it is not the ultimate thing.  Sometimes resolutions can shuffle and magnify priorities in a skewed way.  I admit that sometimes, a lot of times, I get obsessed with being a good homemaker.  If my home is messy, if we have to eat out because I didn’t plan ahead enough to cook dinner, if things aren’t organized, I feel like a failure.  How pathetic that I let my significance get wrapped up in these things!   This year I want to call myself out on these things sooner.  Feel free to punch me when you see me getting wrapped up in litte things.