Resolutions

As unbelievable as it may seem, 2008 is here. We are three days into the year! I feel relatively certain that I am not the only person who draws their year to a close with a promise or resolution that "next year I will ... " and sure enough, I ended 2007 with a few of those. One thing I've found is that the more people you tell about your plans, the more accountable you tend to be (you have lots of folks to help you out!). Having said that, I'd like to share a couple of them with you. (written 3 Jan 2008)

I ended 2007 with a doctor's visit, and as usual, had to do that thing most of us dread ... step on the scale. Once I picked myself up off the floor from the shock of the numbers I read, I determined that 2008 would be the year that those excess pounds would come off and stay off! For those of you who see me frequently, feel free to remind me of that fact. A telephone call from my doctor on New Year's Day (yes, some doctors DO call their patients) only served to reinforce my determination to drop pounds ... only this time, the loss is not purely for vanity reasons, but also for health ones.

Another resolution I made was to live each day as Christ would have me do. What will that entail? Some soul searching, questioning, and giving more thought to the feelings and needs of others. I believe that in considering someone else's needs before my own will cause my needs to be met in a more fulfilling way. I can preach, talk, or write about how Christ affects my life, but to LIVE for Him will be more effective than any words I possess. I cannot promise that I will never do, say, or think anything wrong - simply that I will take each day and turn it over to Him. Only through Him can I be what He has planned for me to be.

Lastly, but no less important, I have resolved to take each day that I am given as the gift that God intended it to be, and to live life to the fullest extent possible. I want to take the time to smell the roses, to never lose sight of the knowledge that my very existence is due to the fact that God has a plan for me that I have yet to fulfill. I want to make sure that my family, loved ones, and friends know without doubt how very much they mean to me. From the oxygen loss in my incubator after birth to the car accident Nikki and I virtually walked from, God's hand has been there. As I take His hand and walk forward, I invite you to join me. Through prayer, study, and fellowship with friends, 2008 has the potential to be the best year yet, and I am determined to make it so with God's help and guidance.

"... for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight; for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair; for giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young- let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance-for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline."~Proverbs 1:2-7 NIV