2012

The last photo I took in 2011

Twenty-twelve is going to be a very special year. In all my years of life, I cannot think of a more exciting and significant year than this year. In the next five months alone I will be: turning 25, finishing graduate school, moving to the South, becoming a Mrs., and nesting in my first big-girl place with a boy.

All this excitement means oodles and oodles of stress...if I let it succumb me. Instead, I decided to counteract the craziness that is about to happen with a couple of new years resolutions. I have never actually made new years resolutions, and if I had in the past, I clearly failed at them because I can't even remember them!

There are some obvious things on my "to-do" list that I restart every year, but this year there is something about sticking to them that I am really passionate about. Maybe it's my realization that I am going to need far more than my own strength to get me through the next couple of months. Whatever it is, I'm ready, and I'm excited. Relevant Magazine posted an article yesterday of 10 ways to make your resolutions/new determinations for this year last longer than they did last year. Following their suggestions, specifically tip #10, I am making these resolutions public so you can keep me accountable! From this day forward I give you all authority to ask me if I am doing any one of the these things, and have all the right to publicly shame me if I confess that I am not.

Go to bed earlier so that I can wake up earlier. I always seem to find an excuse for not having enough time. However, on the times I have too much time, I always manage to waste it and stay up too late. I want to be in bed early enough so that my alarm at 5:30AM does not come like a thief in the night. I want to be in bed early enough so that I have the time, body, mind, and spirit for the Lord before the craziness of the day becomes my idol.

Find a Bible reading plan and stick to it. My church provided us with a link to a bunch of Bible reading plans. I did some research and picked a plan that peaked my interest; M'Cheyne One-Year reading plan. Why did I pick it? New Testament twice, Psalms twice, the Gospels twice, and the Old Testament once. Not gonna lie to you, the majority of the Old Testament makes me zzzzzzzz. NT, Psalms and Gospels twice throughout the year? Yes please.

Pray intentionally and fervently for my man. I prayed fervently for the Lord to provide a God-fearing and God-loving man in my life, if nun-hood was not His will for me. Once the fiance was in my life, I kind of stopped praying for him. The older I get, and the more I learned (I went to a workshop about Biblical Womanhood offered at my church based off of Sharon Jaymes' book and it rocked my world), the more I realized that my role as a wife and a help-mate is to, among other things, support my husband. What does support look like? Prayer, prayer, prayer. I don't know how I came across this 31-day prayer guide, but I'm glad I did!

Less snacking, more doing. I was inspired by one of the uncles on the fiance's side when he gave up snacking for lent. I was definitely straight-up judging and probably stuffing my face when I heard that. But now that I'm older, and getting fatter faster/easier (and preparing for a particular "wedding day" approaching), I want to get my body in gear. But not too much in gear -- I already bought a dress.

Four goals for the year. Let's do this thing!