Resolution Check-in

It's time again. February is behind us and March is a welcome sight! Bring on the sunshine and higher temperatures (to an extent...)!

Here's how I'm fairing so far.

1. Read the bible through this year. Eh. Not doing great. I am reading A LOT of books and doing several discussions/studies, but not a lot of dedicated Bible reading. I need to pick this up. I don't think the goal of reading the whole thing through this year is out of reach, but I just plain need to spend more time in the Word. 
2. I want to lose weight. I work out 5-6 days a week still. I'm pretty proud of that, but no weight loss so far. I've been working out for two months and not lost a single pound. I've mentioned that I have a few bad eating habits, so I'm working on it, but it's not really anything to get excited about, because I've just adopted them as of March 1. So far so good! I have to purchase my bridesmaids dress by the end of the month, so if no weight loss, then it's just what it is. At least I have the great by-product of being healthier!
3. Be a better letter writer. No progress just yet, but I've been thinking about this a lot. I'm leaning towards a goal of one a week or more. I owe some people some letters and it's time to get them out of my head and on to paper.
4. Meal plan. Doing fair on this. The last week or so we've been right on track and I've got next week's meals all planned out too.
5. Manage our money well. This is going pretty good. We have saved enough for several large, upcoming expenses, and we're using our tax return to build a fence (should our homeowners association approve it, come on!). 
6. Make fun a priority. My biggest place to work on this is with Addy. We are in a place where she needs a lot of correction, and balancing that out takes work. Who knew fun could be work? Sometimes, not always. I'm also working on being ok with allowing her to have fun without me and allowing myself to feel like that counts too. For example, she LOVES going to the library and playing in the children's section where they have a play kitchen and lots of kid oriented toys and books, but I just sit there and watch her. She's still having fun! I don't have to entertain her and participate in everything. Sometimes I have to cut myself some slack.
7. Re-start a journal for Addy. Fail. No journaling just yet. 
8. Pray more. Getting better. I'm reading a great book on prayer and it has me thinking about prayer more. Most recently I was reading about how you can just pray a few words when you really need them. Like, help me, help me, help me. God totally knows what you need help with. You don't have to say it all eloquently for Him to know your heart.
9. Serve more. I've had a few things come up that have helped me serve more and they are things that make me feel like they really impact someone's life in a simple way. Taking meals to new mom's is a great way to do that, especially if the new baby is sick and still in the hospital. Sometimes I forget that not every new baby has an immediate coming home happy story. 
10. Read more. Yes! I'm currently reading A Praying Life, Respectable Sins, and doing my John bible study. I'm also about to start a fiction book, because Pete encouraged me to find some balance, and I'm going to do Jesus + Nothing = Everything for a book discussion.
11. Educate myself on politics. Politics really turns me off. I suppose because it's hard to find articles, news, people, etc that can talk about politics without getting really emotional. That and I can't figure out if there is any news source that really gives it to me straight. The fact is, it's really hard to take people's emotions out of things, so politics are inevitably slanted, even in the news.
12. Finish what I start. The bathroom is still no closer to done; I still have to hang a large graphic print project for the house, which has been sitting out so long it now needs some touch up work. I made one of several Handmade Homemade gifts for some friends. I have 3 unfinished projects (not counting the bathroom) in my house and ideas for a bunch more. If only I had the follow through. How about I promise to finish everything except the bathroom by the end of the month. Hold me to it!


Thanks for bearing with me on these posts. It's good for me to think through these goals and revisit them each month. And even better to think there are a few people reading that might ask me about these things throughout the month as a way of encouraging me. :)