New Year Resolutions

       Do you make resolutions? I think they're great if you're able to make small attainable goals and focus on progress instead of perfection. I stopped doing resolutions years ago. I'm not sure when, but I'm guessing it was probably when I was pregnant with Little Toughie. I knew there was no way I could commit to anything just a few months away from giving birth.

     When I think about resolutions for myself I try to think of something that's a little out of my comfort zone. I've made exercise and eating healthy (as much as I can...see below) part of my lifestyle since I enjoy both. I can't resolve to read more (I read 43 books last year...how much more can I read?) I declutter and clean on a regular basis (I have donation boxes sitting in my hallway).

     So, I try to do something different and creative. In 2020, since Little Toughie missed out on all the baking I used to do, I decided to bake a cake once a month. That became slightly challenging when everyone started stocking up on flour (I hope you're all expert bread bakers now)! Despite the empty shelves I was able to bake twelve cakes that year.

     Last year, I was going to do a Filipino dish every month, but if access to flour was troublesome in 2020, access to Filipino ingredients coupled with a shut down here and a shut down there made it practically impossible. Perhaps this year I'll try to post on the blog every couple of weeks. Or I'll actually edit one of the books I wrote for NaNoWrimo. Maybe I'll take an idea out of my Year of Prompts book once a week and let the creative writing juices flow. 

     I haven't decided on anything like that for this year but I can tell you that we've started 2022 diving into the New Testament as a family. Normally, I would purchase a devotional for each of us to start in the New Year but there was a disconnect that didn't sit well with me. If we're all reading different devotionals it makes it hard to discuss, share and dig deeper. We're starting with the NT because it always seems to fall by the wayside toward the end of the year once the holidays approach. I know mine and my family's weaknesses and our focus starts to slowly dwindle as soon as Thanksgiving dinner has been consumed.

     We're using the Bible Recap as our guide. We love it! Everyone does their reading on their own time, usually in the morning. We then make a point to listen to the corresponding podcast together either during or immediately after dinner. We're all enjoying it and The Principal and I love the commentary from the podcast. Very insightful!

     It's not too late to start. It never is. I once heard someone say that there a lot of Christians who are Biblically illiterate. They've either never read their Bible or they've only read bits and pieces. Or they've relied solely on their pastor, minister or priest to tell them what's in it and what it's about. As followers of Christ we need to understand His word in order to respond properly. We can't do that if we don't even read it! We won't know if what we're being taught is Biblical truth or someone pushing an agenda under the guise of God's word. Everyone wants their way, not God's way. If you read your Bible you'd know that God's ways are much, MUCH better.

So, start reading it. Especially now, when there is so much divisiveness...everywhere and in everything. Strive for progress, not perfection.