New Year's Resolutions...

Well, this year, my list had 11 points on it. Of that list, I plan on sharing 7 of them. Some are more related than others, so that is why you will see random numbers of the list, and not see other numbers at all. Also are the super secret 12-14. I should probably kill you for simply knowing of those points. However, I don't forsee any of those actually happening by the dawn of 2012, so you don't have much to worry about.

Well, here goes!

1. Spend more time with God. This is always (well, on the years that I actually bother with resolutions) the first on my list. I realize that it isn't defined by any parameters indicating how I should accomplish this goal, which makes it difficult to grade how well I did on this at the end of the year. However, having it listed every year allows me to reflect on the time I do spend with God, and how I need to address my relationship with Him.

Some things I plan on doing to accomplish this year's goal are as follows. I plan on doing more Bible study than just basic reading and devotional thoughts. Instead of clinging to a single verse or phrase, I hope to supplement Biblical reading with other in depth study material: commentaries, studies, etc. I also would like to increase my time in worship. Last spring, a friend and I began pursuing (in Anchorage) a prayer and worship night that I will be working to establish here. Its going to look a little different than the original model we had in mind, but I feel that it will work well in the community. More on that as it develops! The most dramatic increase I hope to see in this department is prayer. I, and many of my brothers and sisters, do not spend enough time in prayer.


7. Spend more time with the youth. I live in a unique community, as I am sure you understand. There is a good sized group (about 6 girls) of middle schoolers that have decided that I am the best thing since online shopping (ok so online shopping is a pretty recent fad. But let me tell you, its THE thing to do out here!). I know that part of their attention comes from me being new in town. They already know everyone else, but this new person must be SO cool, since she wants to hang out with us! Ok, its maybe not that extreme, but I think that's the basic idea. And I remember being that age. I LOVED the attention of the older girls. I remember putting them on par with all my favorite super heros. Its really neat to be able to be that older girl. But don't worry, I won't be wearing any spandex to prove my super powers.

I realize that this is a very important responsibility. These girls are SO easily influenced, and this is the most important time as they begin exploring life for themselves instead of just what mom and dad say. As they have the opportunity to make their faith there own, they need role models in their life to show them how to live, to give them sound advice, and to keep them accountable as Christian women. One wrong word, one piece of misled advice, and I could be sending these girls into a world of hurt. Goodness, how to I avoid that? Step 1: trust the Lord to speak through me. Step 2: refer to point 1 above. The only way to encourage these girls
to grow in the Lord is to immerse myself in God's word. I want these girls to grow in HIS wisdom and teaching, not mine. I want to encourage them with God's love that they see in me, nothing that I do. And I want them to be the cool Godly super hero to their own group of preteens when they are my age.

busy busy busy...

who would have thought working 6 days in one week would be so crazy? Well, I guess I didn't really think before offering to take a co-worker's shift. In light of not having anything else exciting to share about this week, I will leave you with a few things to do:

-be adventurous in the kitchen
Find a meal you have never made before, find a recipe, and make it. It is liberating. I find myself not making things because I have never made it before. But the recipes tell you what to do.
Or, if you have conquered all the meals you care to eat, go without a recipe. Throw random vegetables in a pasta sauce. It won't alter the flavor enough to keep the family from eating it. Or if it does, its only one meal.
Make something from scratch. Sure I like to buy things all made up in a jar. The best foods come from you controlling what goes into it. If I can't pronounce something on the list of ingredients, I don't know that I want to put it in my body.

-shake up the old 'do
Part your hair differently. Let it air dry instead of blow drying. Find a different product to put in it. Let it go all natural. Or for the truly radical, get it cut. Just find something a little different to do with it.

-pray purposefully and dangerously
A lot of people don't really know what they are asking for when they pray for a virtue, such as patience. God generally gives the petitioner an opportunity to stretch their current level of that virtue. I jokingly say that I don't pray for patience anymore, cause I don't want to have to practice it. Or maybe someone asks for guidance, but doesn't like the direction that they are given. Prayer isn't effective unless you know that it will be answered and you seek the fulfillment of that request. A couple friends of mine have requested prayers for boldness. That is a dangerous request, asking God for an opportunity for them to exhibit their boldness. And I am excited to pray that for them. My current request is for discernment. A line has been drawn with some of my friends, a very clear line between those who are living a life in love with Jesus, and those who are not. I want to know how to encourage the former, and witness to the latter. It's a bold prayer. It's a dangerous prayer. And it's a fulfilling prayer.

Its definitely spring!! Spring is the season of new growth, of things changing. Maybe that's why I feel the need to shake things up a bit!

somewhere between being still and accomplishing the to do list

I have so many things to do. Constantly swirling around my head is a list of things I need to accomplish, things I want to accomplish, and things I dont need to do, but would make me much happier. Then I start stressing about such things, and try to remember to let God be priority in my life. Then comes the voice that says "Be still and know that I AM God." Well, how is that supposed to help with the things I am trying to accomplish? In addition to all the things stressing me out, God is vying for my time. He shouldn't be in the same dimension as my to do lists.

But unlike everything else, He is not one to be multi-tasked. I can make a meal and do dishes at the same time. But I can't be still and vacuum at the same time. I try to put His time into the category of things that I do for enjoyment. I can be still and play cello, right? No. When I am playing cello, it takes a lot of brain power to read music, translate it into fingerings and bowings, and make it sound decent. Not a lot of being still.

So what am I doing when I should be either working on the to do list or being still? Blogging. Hopefully that falls under the category of "dont need to do but makes me much happier."