Resolutions

The Sunday evening after Christmas, the DiMares came over for a visit. Pictured here is Roe and Mark, my son Mark is now 7 months old, and Roe is his godmommmy,and also my doula. She helped me bring both my children into this world and I am forever grateful.

Some of my Facebook friends and blog friends have stated that they will not make resolutions for the new year, and I can totally understand why. It is discouraging to make a resolution and come to find out that a few weeks in you might have already failed, but I'm a firm believer that each day is a brand-new fresh start, and even though you might have missed a day working out, or didn't have time to do your devotions as long as you would have liked, or you drank too many cups of coffee, God knows all our weaknesses. I believe that through His strength and power (Phil 4:13) we can dust ourselves off, stop feeling guilty and press on! God doesn't want us dwelling on past failures or mistakes, He has too much in store for this day, and this moment!

This year John and I have made a resolution and commitment to eachother and the Lord to read our Joyce Meyer devotional (Starting and Ending your Day: Devotions for Each Day of the Year) every day, and so far it has been great. We have found that when it was just he and I it was so much easier to pray every night together and share what we are learning in our devotions, but now with two little ones and tyranny of the urgent we have really missed those times together in the Word.

It has also made a huge difference in our day and our marriage when we pray together. I don't just mean at meal times. I mean praying when we wake up and praying before bed. It's amazing how much you learn about a person's heart through their prayers. It makes you fall in love all over again with your spouse when you hear their heart's desires being prayed aloud to the Lord.

My own resolution is to move on! I spent a lot of the latter part of 2009 in a lot of stress and with hurt feelings over things that are totally out of my control. I don't know about you, but being a teacher, and the type of personality I have, control is a major issue for me. I like things to be neat and tidy and I am learning each day that sometimes life is not always neat and tidy. I can either wallow in self pity or MOVE ON! JOyce Meyer's book The Confident Woman is also helping me with this. Starting next week on thursdays I will be sharing my thoughts on her book chapter by chapter. I have really learned a lot from Joyce...she is an amazing gift from God...John comments every day when we do our devotional (a day and night version) how impressed he is with her teaching. (thanks Suzette wink, wink) I've learned that you can't control people. You can't stop people from sinning or hurting you. God is working on me to focus on my own sin and not be Miss Critical. I am really trying to be the woman of God He wants me to be.

So, I am asking God to help me to leave the past behind me and to press on and live in the moment of all of God's richest blessings.

What has God been putting on your heart for the New Year? I am anxious to hear from you!!!