ringing in the new

i guess you could say i'm a new year's junkie.  not that i do the big party thing or ever have any grand plans on this night.  nope, pizza and a movie for the hubs and me tonight.  it's just that i love the idea of taking time to reflect on the past year.  taking inventory of all the good, bad and ugly.  and then deciding what you want to bring with you into the new year.  and what stays behind in the old year.  what needs to change?  what needs to be added?  what needs to be dropped?

i haven't come up with any official resolutions, but i do have some hopes and intentions for the new year.  here's what i've come up with so far

1.  i want to be a more faithful blogger.  notice i didn't stick a number to that?  yeah, not gonna commit to a definite number, but i truly love sharing my journey with whoever decides to read this- i'm just not good at doing it faithfully.  but the new year means that i can start clean and try this bloggging thing anew

2.  i want to be a better steward of our money.  the hubs and i set our budget last night and i got a little testy over the whole issue... ok, i got defensive and mean and then i said sorry.  it's not that i have wild, crazy spending sprees- i truly do not buy much beyond the necessities.  but i DO buy non-necessities more often than i should.  it's a very dangerous downward spiral for me: i see what someone else has --> i want what someone else has --> i think i deserve what someone else has -->  i am not satisfied until i have what someone else has -->  i look for what someone else has and hope that it is on sale -->  i buy what someone else has and am still not satisfied.  please tell me that this happens to you too.  i'm tired of being unsatisfied with what i have.  i am BLESSED BEYOND BLESSED with all my junk.  i do not need anything else.  my kids do not need anything else.  my house does not need anything else.  i want to be satisfied with what i have.  and i think that starts with spending our money more wisely.  which, i guess, means not spending our money at all.

3.  i want to be more intentional with my kids.  lots and lots to say about that, but if i follow through with my first "resolution" then you will hear more about that later.

4.  i want to be nicer to the check-out people at walmart and target.  it's not (usually) their fault that the line is long.  and slow.  and my kids are going crazy.  and i have to pee.  and dinner needed to start 10 minutes ago.  and i forgot to get milk.  they deserve a smile.  and eye contact.  and niceness.  i can show them Jesus in those small ways, right?

5.  i want to love and serve and honor my husband better.  right now i'm not totally sure what that looks like, but i want this to be my goal for every day.  every year.

ok, i keep thinking of more, but i'll start with these.  overall, i want this next year to be a year that i live on purpose.  i want to be intentional about each day.  listening to the Spirit and obedient to His promptings.  i want to recognize that each person in my life is there for a reason, a divine reason and i have the blessing of living my life alongside them.

"be very careful, the, how you live- not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity... always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" ephesians 5.15-16, 20