Happy New Year!

Well, 2012 is here...not sure where 2011 went, but 2012 has arrived, and of course with it that beautiful feeling at New Years of a clean slate and a fresh start. I am thankful that the Lord's mercies are new each and every morning (Lamentations 3), and though I know a fresh start can happen at any time, there is just something special about New Years. I need to sit and do my yearly "year in review" in my journal, which is always fun and a little eye-opening for me, and to make some goals for the new year. Not really resolutions, per se, but I like to set goals. Jon Acuff tweeted the the other day: "Remeber the book you wanted to write, the race you wanted to run, business you wanted to open? I dare you to do it in 2012". That so goes along with my recurrent theme of "This is your life, are you who you wanna be?".....I have so many things I want to do..so many things I believe that, with the Lord's help, I am capable of. Time to quit being a lazy-butt and JUST DO IT! I am revved and ready...just need to define these goals a little and get an action plan in place and then GO! This is a work in progress, but I will begin by taking a stab at these goals here right now:
1. Physical Health: I NEED to get this body in better condition. It is fat, out-of-shape, and a
lousy Temple for the Lord Who lives in me. I feel like so much of what I am lacking stems
from this. So....
a. LOSE WEIGHT: I am about 100 pounds overweight. Maybe 115 even. Yep, I could stand
to lose an entire person in order to become healthy. How will I do this? Well, my biggest
problem in this area is my penchant for sugar and truck-driver sized portions. Time to
kick this sugar addiction. Need. To. Detox! The Skinny Ms. Facebook page has a
no-sugar challenge going for January. I may try to follow this...I say try, because it
includes fruits and things that I think I probably need to cut out, at least for a time. Sugar
is crack, baby, and I need rehab--BAD! I am also going to try to get my portions down
and better habits established by utilizing Medifast again. I lost 50 pounds on it last year
(yes, I know, only to gain them back because I got lazy), and I still think there is little
better way to jump-start things and get those portions dialed back right than something
like Medifast...especially for a crazy-schedule like mine! I also want to embrace the "clean-
eating" lifestyle in what I eat and also what I feed to my family. That means whole,
natural foods, the way God made em, not a bunch of processed crap. I am sure there will
be exceptions here and there (birthdays, etc) but I will strive to make those exceptions
be excpetions in the truest sense of the word...ie, one-time deal!
b. RUN/BIKE/GET IN SHAPE MORE: This goes hand in hand with a above, but it deserves
its own entry, because I have some specific goals here in mind. I feel so much better when
I am exerting myself physically. Running is something I so want to get back to. Its not
going to happen right away, and it will take some walking to get up to speed, but whatever
it takes, I want so badly to run again. I am signed up for the Surfside Half Marathon in
February. Would love to run it, but even if I walk/run, I will be happy to be able to cover
that distance on my feet again. I want to take more long bike rides too. Some will
inevitably have to be on the trainer, due to scheduling, and thats okay, but I would love to
get in at least one weekend outdoor ride most weeks if I can. I would love to do the LBJ
100 bike ride as my birthday present to myself in March. By the time fall gets here, I
would really love to run the Chosen Half Marathon for Adoption in October...and do it in
less than 3 hours. Totally do-able, just gotta do it!
c. Sleep as much as I am able: My body needs more sleep. A lot of the time I can't help how
little I get. Some of the time I can help it. So....I need to quit farting around when I could
be sleeping and I am doing nothing productive, and go to bed!

2. Financial Health: We are closing in on the end of Baby Step 2, paying off debt on our Total Money Makeover, ala Dave Ramsey. Not sure if 2012 will see us debt-free (apart from our home) or not, but I need to do everything I can to control my money instead of having it control me in this next year, so we can get on with the rest of the baby steps. This means practical steps, like doing the budget at the beginning of each and every month, sticking to the budget each month, using cash for food purchases (envelope system), cooking home instead of going out, etc. I am already signed up for 1-2 overtime shifts each month at work...so, I need to make the most of them and make sure they are not wasted hours.

3. Home Health: Not like as in a nurse comes to your home, but you know, the state of our abode! I really struggle here. I endeavor to not leave dishes in the sink, to fold and put away a load of laundry each day, and to clean out and purge crap whenever possible. I also need to spend time in my kids' rooms more regularly so as to stay on top of the ever-increasing mess-tastic world they live in.

4. Family Health: Put. down. the. iphone. Leave it out of sight, out of mind. Be truly present with my family when I am present with my family! Read to the kids more. Play with the kids more. Use the crockpot more so all of the above can actually stand a chance of happening!

5. Work Health: Do my best. Be on time. Go above and beyond when I can. Make myself a
valued part of the team.

6. Mental Health: Read. A lot. I have done pretty well at this the past year. I have done a ton of reading and have loved it. I want to do more, specifically non-fiction reads. I know there is value in reading fiction too, but I want to read at least 1-2 nonfiction books every 3-4 weeks or so in the mix. Readers are leaders! I wanna be in that category! Also, writing....I really have developed a love for writing. I think it has always been there, but I have just sort of given it a name. I want to write in this blog regularly. Maybe not every stinking day, but at least twice a week. I want to write a book...or two or three. Or at least a handful of short stories. I will become a better writer if I write. So, I need to write!

7. Spiritual Health: This one is the most important of all. I need this one to come together before I can expect anything out of the other goals. (Matthew 6:33). I want to develop the discipline to keep my prayer list prayed over. I want to develop the discipline to be in God's Word each and every day. I want to study harder. I want to commit more of the Word to memory, writing it on my heart. If I say I love His word, I want it to be true, and to manifest that love in my life. I also want to be a better, more giving wife. A better, more present mother. A faithful daughter. And yes, even a better in-law (Lord, help me!).

Cool thing is, I know He will. He will help me. This is the time. I have one life. THIS is my life....am I who I wanna be? Well, as I have said before, not really...but by His help, I can be. The only thing holding me back is me....let's do this!