Happy New Year!

Most people make resolutions as a New Year's tradition. There have been years where I tried to act the snob and not make resolutions, but strangely, I felt bad about it. Setting goals for ourselves is a good thing, and not something to be avoided. Of course, you can set new goals for yourself in many ways. It doesn't have to be at the beginning of the year or even the beginning of the week! But beginnings are often when people are the most optimistic, so it can be a good time to do so.

One way of keeping yourself on track with these goals is to tell them to someone else. This keeps you accountable! So I'm going to write them out on the blog for the world to see. Hopefully that keeps me going. In the past, even when I really want something, I don't do well with self motivation. I've thought a lot about it, and decided to just keep going with external motivation for the time being. I've broken down my goals into section. I love making list! And this was fun to make, even if I did have to reign myself in a bit. I tend to list WAY more than is actually needed. So without further ado, my New Year's Resolutions:

Blog

1. Decide on a specific direction.
2. Post 3x a week.
3. Join a blog ring.
4. Participate in a link up.
5. Change the design to something a little more personal.
6. Do another series, but shorter this time!
7. Hopefully increase readership!

Financial

1. Stop paying for my storage unit.
2. Set a budget.
3. Figure out how to bring in money from home.
4. Save for a down payment.
5. Pay off debts.

Personal

1. Clean out my storage unit. :)
2. Finish my book.
3. Have memory quilts made or make them myself.
4. Get to my ideal weight by August (my son's 1st birthday).
5. Start attending archery practice again.
6. Start crafting again.
7. Join a class of some sort with my son.

I'm sure there is more I should be doing, but right now this seems like enough. So there you have it. That is hopefully my year in a nutshell.

The Aftermath of Christmas

Well, the Thankfulness series is finished. I promise to update with what our Christmas was like, how thankfulness helped, and the internal battles that were raged. After all, that's why I started writing! To give those waging that internal war the comfort that they are not alone, and to see how someone else does it. But all of that will be in another post. Right now I'm recovering from the holidays! And moving my mother to a new house, which must be completely done by Saturday. If my son cooperates, I will write as he eats. More to come soon, I promise!

25 Days of Thankfulness: Day 25. Merry Christmas!

A little strange to be posting on Christmas, I know. But I assure you I am at my in law's house opening presents right now. :) I scheduled this one ahead of time when I realized I'd started the 25 days on the 1st and not November 30th, as would have been prudent. Today I know I will be thankful for everything I've been given. Not just the goods I receive today, but everything in the past year.

I am especially grateful for the gift of my son. My husband and I waited what felt like a long time to welcome him to our family. I'm grateful for his smile and his beautiful laugh and the fact that he looks pretty much exactly like my husband. I love his adoring face in the morning and the way he is happy with everyone, but really prefers his mama.

I am grateful for my husband, who takes out the trash and puts up with my nonsense. Who likes to be able to order for me at restaurants because he know what I like. Who can pick out books for me and likes to take me to Disneyland for dates. Who plays with our son and isn't afraid to be the bad guy when necessary. Who likes everyone, but really prefers his wife.

And for everything that has happened in the past year. It has been a bit of a bumpy road. But God has blessed me so much, way beyond anything I have ever known. I am still finding little blessings everywhere that I never noticed! So here's to Christmas, because without it, I would truly have nothing at all. None of us would.

May you have a merry and blessed Christmas!

25 Days of Thankfulness: Day 24. The Reason for the Season!

Let's reflect a bit. I've been encouraging you to do so. To reflect on your life, and be thankful for what you have. I went looking for reflections on thankfulness, specifically at Christmas. They were a bit difficult to find, so I'm making do with one meant for Thanksgiving. I'll give you the link here, but I wanted to say why it struck me first.

Firstly is the section on Jesus. Obviously, He's the reason for the season. I'm sure you've heard that saying. A bit hokey, but to the point. Without the birth of Jesus, you would have no grace, no forgiveness. You would have the chance of a snowball in Hell and a life filled with quiet desperation and little hope. So you can be grateful for his birth. The reflection talks about the story of the 10 lepers. All of them were faithful and obedient. I'm not perfect, but I like to think of myself as MOSTLY faithful and obedient  and working on doing better in that area. I think many of us can work on this. :) But only ONE was thankful. Only ONE came back to throw himself at Jesus's feet and be properly grateful. You should be that one. I know many have thought of the other 9 as being uncouth and ungrateful. Make sure you are not considered among their number!

Here's why: If you are not grateful, your life is being robbed of joy. Without thankfulness, you let discontent enter your life, and with it a host of other problems. They make you focus on what you don't have. They blind you to goodness and beauty. There is so much in this world to be grateful for. Thankfulness lets joy into your life! It allows you to see past your own existence and peer into the lives of others. Without thanks, you have anger and resentment. Don't let those cheat you of joy! Be thankful, and allow gratitude to enrich your life with joy.

25 Days of Thankfulness: Day 23. Center yourself!

Hopefully you have been able to use some of the tips and tricks I've talked about to incorporate more thankfulness into your life during this Christmas season. You may have started but then realized as you go to bed that you have petered out, or you could have been more thankful during your day. Then you feel ashamed and guilty. At least that's how it goes for me. :) As we get closer and closer to Christmas I feel all that thankfulness slipping away. I am overwhelmed with stress and feeling physically sick. I feel guilty as I realize I don't WANT to put in the time required to keep up with family and friends and keep the peace and carry my son every minute of every day. He doesn't like to be put down.

But this is when you need thankfulness most. It's time to recenter yourself. Tomorrow and the day after will be crazy. You will be tired and harried and frazzled.( If you're not, could you please not tell me? I feel bad enough already.) So today, take that one minute I recommended. Give thanks for Christmas. Specifically for Christmas. Without it, we wouldn't have this wonderful season every year. Without it we wouldn't really have a concept of forgiveness, or grace, or love. Think about it. A parent gave their only child to save millions of other children. And they know many will never know or appreciate it.

Honestly, becoming a parent put me FARTHER from understanding the sacrifice involved. So instead of trying to wrap my brain around it, I give thanks. And you know what that brings? Peace, contentment, and joy. I don't need to understand, but I do need to give thanks. I feel protection settle over me when I do. Protection from stress, from fear, from extra guilt I don't need to carry. I'd like you to have that too! Take that one minute and give thanks. It will recenter your life on Christmas and focus your mind on the beauty of the holiday. Don't let anything try to weasel its way between you and joy.

25 Days of Thankfulness: Day 22. Look for Thankfulness!

In this season of giving, many are thankful. There are horrible things happening in the world and it's easy to be overwhelmed by them. The TV tells us what will bring in ratings, not what will nourish our souls. You'll have to look for it. But you can always find simple stories that will help your heart back into the holiday season. Stories like this one:

Military Family Thankful For Christmas Light Gift

I would encourage you to find a source of good news. I do know there is a Twitter feed with nothing but links to uplifting news. I'll link that for you as soon as I find it again. These stories almost always include someone being thankful, and generous givers. You and I can be thankful that there are people out there that provide that love and beauty for us to read about.

*Edit*
I found a source of good news! This is the site, and here and here are the Twitter feeds!

25 Days of Thankfulness: Day 21. We're Still Here!

Hah! I have recently become more interested in Survivalism, but I was fairly confident we would still be here today. And I'm grateful for that. I know where to attribute my time on this earth. I know what I'm basically supposed to be doing with it, and I'm grateful for more chances to get it right.

There are so many people who agonize over their purpose in life. Guess what? If you'd like a really clear cut answer you're probably not going to get it. But you've probably said or done something in your life that felt quietly right. Start weeding out the things you know are wrong. The stuff that is bad for you. Don't immediately refill it. Take a good look at what's left. Be grateful for those things and the chance to concentrate on them and get them right!

That's what every day is! A chance to stop doing the wrong things, a chance to weed the things that are bad for you out of your life. Eventually you can refill it with good things. They usually come into your life softly. Like Christmas. We tend to think of Christmas as a big occasion, full of parties and lights and lots of noise and fury. But underneath, if you pay attention and make room for it, it is a small, good thing softly trying to make it's way into your heart. I'm grateful for each day because Christmas never stops trying to come into your heart and bring you joy.