The New Year

  

“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” ~Albert Einstein


I don't even know if there is anything else to say about resolutions than this.  I tend to make the same ones, year in, year out, and I do see some progress but obviously not enough.


So, this year I changed things up a bit.  I did a post here, about my goals and expectations for my New Year which began on September 1, 2010.  I thought by starting in the fall, and just working a bit at a time I might do a little better.   I have made some progress in the 4 areas I targeted, but lots of room for more.  But I guess that is how it is with life ~ it won't be perfect until we get to heaven! 


 So I decided to take my 4 goals for the first 4 days of the New Year and see how I could continue to improve.


Here was my first and most important goal.


1. Spiritual ~ I will be beginning my bible study for fall on Isaiah and I want to remain faithful and complete each lesson each week and even a little early if possible.


~get back into the groove of my morning quiet time.

~be more faithful in my church attendance, a little slack this summer.

I am in the BSF study of Isaiah, and I have done all of my lessons.  It has been a challenging study for me and if you are familiar with BSF at all, these lessons are a little different in the style of questions.  We have been on a little holiday break but will begin again in a week or so.  I need to continue to be faithful until May.

I have gotten back into my morning quiet time ~ not every day, but most.  Spending time with the Lord first thing in the morning is really important to me, and it blesses me in so many ways.  There are many ways and materials to use, and these are the ones that I have found to help me start my day on the right foot.  I took a picture of my basket, mostly because I don't want a post without a picture!

The pictures aren't in any particular order, but I do read them in a particular order.  First I begin with the Bible, and I like the NRSV version for my morning time.  I use the NIV for Bible Study and have a few other versions I refer to, but those are my main 2.  The little green booklet is my readings, it has a small devotional and lists an old testament reading, a new testament reading, a few psalms, and a gospel reading for every day of the year.  {it doesn't contain the bible readings, just the addresses, and I read the scriptures from my bible}  The readings follow the schedule of my church and take you pretty much through the Bible in a year.  I always have a devotional book, and a book of prayers too.  I just read a page or 2 out of each.

The other 2 things my basket contains are a current classic book and my little tablet of scripture memory verses.  I never memorized scripture as a child, or young adult, and have just recently begun this discipline.  I keep the verses on this little tablet, although I am looking for a better system. 

As for the classic book, I am reading through a list found in the book The Well - Educated Mind by Susan Wise Bauer.  I love to read, and have neglected many of the classics.  She suggests to read just a short time each day, and it really works.  I have read many books that I wouldn't have read otherwise.  At the time I took these pictures, I was reading Uncle Tom's Cabin, and you can see in my basket below the paperback on top is Moby Dick.  {which I had attempted to read many times, and I am so proud that I finished it, and it wasn't too bad!}  I am currently reading Madame Bovary, and then next up is Crime and Punishment!  I may never get through that one!!

My little basket lives on my nightstand, but I do my reading at the kitchen table in cold weather, {nearer to the coffee pot:-) } or in nice weather I go outside in my robe and do my reading outside.

So I think the biggest change for me here is just to get up at a more consistent time in the morning.  I have been lazy ~ and then sometimes that rushes me and I don't get to spend the time I want.  I really need to get up at 6 ~ for so many reasons, which means earlier to bed, which means less time on the computer.....and so on. Today, the first day of the year, was a late morning, because we were out late last night!  But I am setting the alarm a little earlier tomorrow!


The last part of my goal, getting back to church, has been easy...we go!


I think I have learned, after MANY New Year's, that it's all about improving!  Baby steps, and I think I can do that!  


I have a few house projects that I want to accomplish this year, that'll be fodder for some future posts!  We really didn't do anything to the inside of the house last year, so I am anxious to tweak a little:-)


I pray that all of us that set some goals for the new year, will find success!