Happy New Year! Welcome, 2009!

Welcome 2009!
(Does it take everyone else months to write that year correctly?)

First off, I'm going to just rip that bandaid off fast, step straight into the path of your potential scorn, mocking, and derision, and bring up last year's resolutions... Be gentle.

That's right. You guessed it. I profoundly and immeasurably stink at resolutions. Some I didn't completely bomb out in, but I must admit that sometime in the fall I started wondering, "Now what were all those resolutions again?" because I could only remember the easier ones like The Year of Living Thankfully (which I did complete. Yea me.). Bad bad bad!

Have I quit making resolutions, though? Noooooo. I sat right on down and wrote some more. I'm wild and crazy that way.

All humbling admissions aside, I know you're itching to hear the new list, so here goes:

I hereby declare 2009 to be
THE YEAR OF GIVING DANGEROUSLY!

1. GIVE like there's no tomorrow. My time, finances, possessions, energy, service, friendship, prayer, confession, forgiveness, grace... Absolutely everything God has given me in His abundance I want to give away like it's a hot potato.

Just so you know, so far, so good. I started off by giving away my stomach flu to everyone within a five mile radius!

2. Turn thankfulness into reciprocation and service. When the Lord, my family, friends, or others bless me I want to not just receive that gift/ service/ love with thanks, but return it thoughtfully and meaningfully. I need to get creative here.

3. Patience, patience, patience. That translates to: be less of a crusty, fractious, old bag.

4. Pick Michael's brain for all the ways I can serve him better. That shouldn't be a stretch. I think he might just have a few thoughts.

5. "Think on these things." Focus on God and His many blessings... Let the junky stuff go. No dwelling on old baggage, old sins, the old self for which Christ has already paid the price. Say farewell to the negative thinking that only brings discouragement and distracts me from Jesus, goodbye to the bad feelings and any upset towards others, sayonara to selfish reasoning.

6. Be teachable, learn the first time around, be easily corrected by Jesus, by my husband, by others whom I trust. Stop being a stubborn mule.

7. As a family, go on at least one mission trip this year! Serve our hearts out in ministry. Save money every month for a service trip to Ethiopia! (Our family is so excited about this goal.)

8. Follow in my sister's elliptical machine steps and exercise more (although I draw the line at 2 hours. She's insanely unstoppable.)! Have you seen that girl?! She's The Incredible Shrinking Woman! Come on and do the wave with me now. Go Lisa! Go Lisa! Woot-woot! Go Lisa!

There ya go. The new 2009 resolution list. Is it overly ideal? Yes. Is it accomplishable? Well, a girl can dream.

What am I saying? What about #5? Shall I break it already? No!

This year is THE YEAR! In Christ Jesus, all things are possible! So, in Him, I shall be victorious! Take THAT, negative thinking!

See? I'm half way there already.