Ready for 2010!

Happy New Year everybody! Are you ready for 2010? I am. I've been thinking about the last year and looking at what's ahead, and I'm ready! A couple of thoughts as we begin this fresh start of a new year...

I'm generally not a fan of resolutions. They are easily made and easily broken, and I tend not to put much stock in them. But for 2010, I do have a few changes I'd like to commit to, whether they are called resolutions or not. In a few words, I intend to:

*Scrapbook more. I enjoy scrapbooking, both the process and the result. I love being the historian for our family. And I'm not sure I made a single scrapbook page in 2009. That's going to change! No pressure to make a scrapbook page of every photo and event in our lives. Instead, I want to focus on the important things and the things that tell the story of our lives in this moment. (I'm also bringing back my scrapbook blog, so I can share all of my creations with those who are interested. A new link is in the list to the right!)

*Do more yoga. If you know me, you know I am not athletic by any means. (Well, other than the sport of chasing Jonathan around, of course!) But yoga has been the one physical exercise I enjoy and it's good for me, so there will be more of it in 2010.

*Complete daily devotionals and a gratitude journal. I'm realistic about this, knowing I don't have a lot of "quiet time" to devote on a daily basis. But I need more of this in my life and I can feel it makes a difference. I also plan to keep a gratitude journal, writing down at least one thing I'm thankful for each day. (You can read more about this awesome idea right here.)

Finally, something I discovered last year is the idea of "one little word." It's the concept of choosing one word that you want to focus on, embrace, and define you for the year. (Here's a great article that can describe the concept much better than I can.) Last year, I chose the word surrender. It may sound odd, but it fit at the time. I was thinking of the disappointments I had faced in 2008, not knowing what I would experience in 2009, and wanting to surrender to all that God had for me, without fighting it, complaining, or worrying. But 2010 is a new day. I asked God to show me a word for 2010 and this instantly came to mind: THRIVE. I immediately thought of the verse in John 10:10, in which Jesus tells us that He came so we may have life, and have it to the FULL. Abundant life. So much of daily living with little ones focuses on survival, on just getting through each day (or each moment). I'm done with that. I don't want to just survive, I want to thrive. Thank you, God, for showing me this word for the coming year. I can't wait to see all that it holds!

And thanks to each of you that read this little blog. I write here for two main reasons: (1) To share about our lives with friends and family who are far away; (2) To keep a record of the story of our family. So mostly I focus on our everyday events, milestones, and special moments. But every once in a while, I like to record my thoughts and feelings at the time. It's mostly for my own benefit, so thanks for indulging me and reading along. Here's to an abundant 2010!