New Year's

Happy New Year!  What's that you say?  I'm a little late with my greetings?  Bummer.  Well, that's how things go.  I still hope your are having a happy new year.  We are.  We welcomed the year in with a great group of friends from church.  There was lots of food, lots of laugh, and an all around great time.  Instead of counting down and screaming and yelling and kissing or whatever, we always pray in the new year.  Which is exactly what we did.  As the clock turned midnight, we were dedicating our coming year - with all its unknowns - to the Lord.

New Years is like turning the page to a book.  Except that nothing has been written on that page yet.  Its a blank slate.  We can make what we want of it.  I think that is why so many people make "resolutions."  They aim to do better in certain areas of their lives.   A lot of the resolutions have to do with losing weight, getting fit and healthy, changing eating habits (why else do you think the t.v. commercials and billboards, etc. are filled with Weight Watcher adds and exercise equipment promos?).  Some resolutions have to do with life goals - like making a certain amount of money, get a promotion, retire, go on a dream vacation, etc.

I guess that as we look at the blank page before us, we make these resolutions to become a better version of ourselves.  Or, more accurately, better versions of the person we wish or want to be.  I don't necessarily think there is anything wrong with that.

I, for one, don't really make official "resolutions."  I never have.  I don't exactly know why.  I guess its because I don't like always doing what "everyone else is doing."  Or something like that.  But I do, however, look back on my previous year and see what sticks out as the main thing that I may "regret" or be unhappy with how I was and pray and work on attempting to do a little better.  Maybe you may be thinking, "Uh, Honey, that is exactly a resolution."  Well, okay, maybe it is.  I just don't personally call it that.  I just think of them as a goal.

So, what's my goal for 2014?  Two words: Make Time.

When I look back on the previous year, the main thing that comes to my mind is how busy I was.  I think of how I was always saying, "We are so busy.  I don't have time for such-and-such."  And to an extent, that is true.  We were (and still are) busy.  But here's the thing.  I don't know one person who is NOT busy.  We all have our agenda.  We all have our lists (whether physically written or mentally written) of things we have to do in a day/week/month.  We all are busy.  I want to stop using that as an excuse for not doing things that I really want to be doing.

I remember there being times that I was too "busy" to call and talk with my family on the phone or Facetime.  There were times that I was too "busy" to sit down and play Barbies with my girls or hockey with my son.  There were times when I was too "busy" to blog.  There were times when I was too "busy" to make a special treat for Mr. Handsome.  There were times when I was too "busy" to sit down in the afternoon or whenever and read a little bit of a book - for myself!  There were times, unfortunately, when I was too "busy" to read my Bible or pray.  There were times when I was just too "busy."

Did you catch what I did there?  Did you see that I started putting "busy" in quotes? Here's the reason.  I have come to the conclusion that we really aren't as "busy" as we think we are or need to be.  We don't have to be that "busy."  I've heard it said and I've said it myself: we make time for what is important to us.

Now, obviously we have work and school that we have to go to.  But beyond that, really, we are our own rule makers.  We decide what we can and cannot do.  So I have decided that everything I stated above that I was too "busy" for last year, I am not going to be too "busy" for this year.

I am going to MAKE TIME to call my family and friends more often.  If I've learned anything recently, its that life is so short and you never know when the Lord will take someone home.  I want to look back and be able to say, "I loved all our good chats and visits" rather than have to look back and say, "I wish I had made more time to keep in touch with them."

I am going to MAKE TIME to sit down and play Barbies or Doc McStuffins or hockey with my children.  The laundry, dishes, and vacuuming can wait.  I want my kids to look back and say, "Mom was always there for me and was never too busy to listen to what I had to say" rather than, "I had a very clean house growing up but Mom was always so busy she never took time for me."

I am going to MAKE TIME to blog more.  I don't even know if anyone besides my husband and sometimes mom reads this.  Its not really my goal to have a post go viral or anything.  I just love to write and it is an output for me  And I love to look back and read about what funny things the kids may have done or what important lesson the Lord was teaching me.

I am going to MAKE TIME to make special treats that Mr. Handsome loves to eat.  I am not big on sweets (I love the salty!), but Mr. Handsome loves to munch on something sweet every once in a while.  I want him to know that he is important to me and I care about what he likes and dislikes.

I am going to MAKE TIME to read a book - for myself.  Apart from writing, reading is my favorite thing to do.  I LOVE TO READ!!!!  But I find that with kids, homeschooling, church, etc., I just don't make the time to read anything above a Grade 2 level.  So I am going to find some time each week (probably won't happen every day - gotta be realistic here! :-) ) to just read some book that I want.  I have stacks of books in boxes (we don't have a bookshelf!) and lots on my Kindle that are just waiting for me to read!

I am going to MAKE TIME to, no matter what, read and pray more.  There is so much more about the Bible that I want to read and find out.  I want my walk with the Lord to be so much deeper than it is now.  I know so many people with burdens and struggles and hurts.  I want to make more time to dedicate to reading the Bible and praying for them.

So, this year, I aim to just plain MAKE TIME.  I no longer want to be too "busy" for what is really important.  So if it means saying no to some of the other things that just aren't as important, then so be it.

And now I ask you.  What's your goal for 2014?

Until next time....