A New Year

2010!  I can't believe it's a new year!  So many things have happened in the last year...Annaliese was born, Craig starting his ministry, a new year of homeschooling a 3rd grader, reuniting with my sister...and then some scary things-our home on the brink of foreclosure, not having food stamps a couple times to buy food, cat having seizures, Annaliese's anisocoria and Grandma dieing.  I look back and think how faithful God has been and I pray he will bless us this year. 

My devotional this week asked some questions and I wanted to post them:

How real has the Lord Jesus Christ been to me?
Did I seek His will when making decisions?
Was my life a good example to others?
Did I help anyone come to Christ?
How many prayers did I have answered?
If I could do it over, would I live the same way?

I know I didn't do many of these...with a new baby and my diseases I usually clam myself in my home and use it all as an excuse not to push myself harder to get out and serve Christ.  This year I promise to do it differently.  I want to be more involved with my kids and their activities, I want to be a better mother, wife, daughter, sister, and friend.  I want to be more open about my faith in a gentle loving way not a judgmental way.  I want to make more time spent with Christ in prayer and meditation.  I too often get up in the morning running and taking care of kids, animals, then school and dishes and you get the idea.  I lose sight of my time with the Lord. 

I also want to be different in how I speak about myself and see myself.  I put myself down so often in front of my kids and Craig and I look back and think is that really necessary?  How can I give my kids the idea that God made them wonderfully when I am modeling how not to treat themselves?  This year I will make sure those comments are smaller in quantity and at least slower before coming out of my mouth.  I am also going to get a handle on my sugar addiction and obsession with food.  With my diseases and my grandmother dieing of breast cancer I have to get a handle on what I eat and working out each day and getting my kids more active.  I hope during this year I can start training for a mini marathon or some kind of physical challenge.

I want to be a better listener and take time to really enjoy my kids not just hurry them to do the next assignment, chore, or extracurricular activity.  I want to go on date nights with Craig.  We may not have any money to go anywhere but a stroll around the neighborhood without kids interrupting is still considered a date to me (as long as there's some hand holding). 

And I'm praying and hope you'll pray with me that this year will be better for every person out there struggling without a job or a home or any kind of hardship.  I'm praying God will have mercy on our nation and things will start to change for our family (and many others) and we will not lose our home to foreclosure and that Craig's ministry will really get off to a running start with funding and helping widows in our community.

May you all have a blessed New Year!