two thousand and ten

-

Resolutions:

-
1. Go to bed early and wake up early.
2. Strive to become familiar with and structure my devotions around the church calendar, particularly by using the material in Living the Christian Year by Bobby Gross.
3. Read one book each week for a total of 52 books.
4. Take Sabbath rests by completing all homework by Saturday night, visiting a local coffeeshop after church for reflection and reading, and using the extra free time for prayer, reading, and nurturing relationships.
5. Journal daily.
6. Seek out three mentors and spend intentional time with them, learning from them.
7. Spend one full hour in prayer daily.
8. Be intentional about seeking out others rather than waiting to be sought out.
9. Blog more regularly--at least three times a week.
10. Exercise more--dance twice weekly, pilates three times a week, and jogging twice a week.
11. Eat fruit for breakfast. And strive to replace any processed foods I eat with more natural foods. Also, less sugar and more fruits and vegetables.
12. Read through the New Testament throughout the year.
-
Some notes on some particular resolutions:
-
Three: This is the resolution that I'm probably most excited about. This week's book is Till We Have Faces and it's reminding me just how much I love fiction and C.S. Lewis.
-
Four: This is something I decided I needed to do. Sunday afternoons used to be my time to rest, reflect, and prepare for the week ahead. But this past semester, my quiet afternoons were usurped by rushing around and frantically doing AP Statistics tests at 11pm. Not having any time to rest or any day without school wore me down. And I am realizing how natural rest is to our nature, how much we need it. So I am not allowing myself to make to-do lists for Sundays, not even in my head. I want to have a day when I can just focus on being rather than doing.
-
Eight: This resolution was especially college-intended. I know from college friends that this is a realization that they came to in their own college careers, and I want to learn from them. Mainly, my goal is that I should not selfishly expect people to be pursuing friendships with me. Rather I need to be intentional about seeking others out and pursuing relationships. It sounds a lot easier than it really is, me thinks. But I suppose I'll see for myself come August.
-
Nine: This post is the realization of this goal. Two more posts by Sunday, I promise. Megan tells me she will hold me accountable. Please do.
-
Twelve: As I am also trying to follow the daily scripture readings in Living the Christian Year, I decided to just read through the New Testament this year rather than the entire Bible. I think it will also provide more time for careful reflection as the reading itself won't take so long. Sometimes the amount of reading required for a full read-through-the-Bible-in-a-year plan has me reading too quickly while not really meditating on what I am reading. And it's been a long time since I lingered awhile in the New Testament (the Psalms have been carrying me through this crazy past semester), so I'm looking forward to that.
-
I have lots of other goals that didn't quite make it to the list. I want to cook more. Spend more time with my Mom. Spend more time outside. Strive to get past those ever-present selfish insecurities. Be more consistent about posting on the bloom! blog. Be kinder. Reply to e-mails faster. Write long letters weekly to my college siblings and friends. Spend more time being creative and using my hands. Be more spontaneous. Light candles more often. Memorize more scripture. Use my summer doing something useful. Take more pictures and learn more about my NikonD40. Trust God more fully. Read more poetry.
-
And, ultimately, stop making goals and start actually working towards them.
-