2010

New Years is hours away and soon there will be lists of resolutions floating about…

What a great way to begin a year: by making lists of things that probably won’t be achieved and a schedule we won’t stick to. Sounds rather depressing to me. Sure, there are some who are determined enough to finally kick the discipline into gear, change their lifestyle and hold to their resolutions, but for the majority of America’s population that just doesn’t happen. I sure know it doesn’t for me!

So now what?

What if our “list” contains only one item and we focus on that: Seek God.
Instead of lists of things that we deem necessary to achieve in order to live a complete and fulfilled life, what if we strive to pursue a deeper walk with God, trusting Him to help us change the things that need to be changed and give us the courage and faith to persevere thru life.

Not that other things aren’t important, but if you're spending more time focusing on God, other things begin falling into place. If you’re unhappy with the way your life is headed, perhaps it’s time to reevaluate your relationship with Him and take an inventory of what’s inside your heart & mind. It’s never too late for a fresh beginning and January seems like as good a time as any.

Everyday is a bank account, And time is our currency
So no one’s rich, nobody’s poor,
We have twenty-four hours each
So how are you gonna spend, Will you invest or squander
Try to get ahead, Or help someone who’s under
Teach us to count the days, Teach us to make the days count
Lead us in better ways, Somehow our souls forgot
Life means so much, Life means so much
Has anybody lived who knew the value of a life?
And didn’t He give His own
to show the worth of yours and mine?
Everyday is a gift you’ve been given,
Make the most of the time every minute you’re living. . .

Happy New Year’s, my friends.
I hope 2010 holds many exciting adventures for us all.

Precious Sleep, Where Art Thou?

Last night I woke up at 2 AM and was completely unable to go back to sleep. A superfluous amount of topics were flying through my brain and I was helpless to quiet them. Ideas for blog posts, random song lyrics, projects to complete, interesting words (like superfluous), books I need to finish, menu plans, the laundry I need to catch up on, birthday gifts to buy, errands to run, the exercise I have been neglecting, the list went on and on. And it wasn’t like I was trying to think about stuff…it was just a jumble of useless information that had overtaken my brain and was depriving me of my very precious sleep.

In the midst of all this nonsense, I was also bothered by the fact I wasn’t able to sleep and began to worry that the cycle of insomnia from the previous winter-summer was going to plague me again. Which I’m sure did even more to prevent my slumber.

What happened to the little girl that use to sleep through thunder storms and didn’t even stir when being carried into the basement during tornado warnings in the middle of the night? I’m afraid she’s long gone, and in her place is a young woman craving a solid eight hours of sleep without dreams, thrashing about, or alertness or any sort.

There is next-to-no caffeine in my diet, and I know that I need to “unwind” before I’m able to sleep, so over the past year I’ve tried: medications, teas, TV, music, reading, praying, doctor visits, sleep study…

…and I’m running out of ideas.

What else is there?

By morning I am completely exhausted and can barely drag myself out of bed.  It just seems so messed up to me.
Any suggestions on how to get a better night’s sleep?

Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la

Christmas busyness is over and now it’s time to gear-up for our January busyness, which I’m sure ya’ll will be hearing more about in future posts.

Christmas day for us was filled with family festivities, food and fun. Lots of food. My food contributions were sickeningly-sweet White Chocolate Gingerbread bars and Hummus w/ wheat chips. The hummus turned out so good that I’ve been longing for a taste of it ever since. It was my first time making it but now I’m totally hooked and plan on never buying it from the store again.

Mom surprised me “The Pioneer Woman” cookbook, about which I was very excited! Especially since I bought the same cookbook for her birthday back in November and coveted it from the day I ordered it until I unwrapped my very own copy on Friday! I have been pouring over the pretty pages and tantalizing recipes…I can't wait to start cooking!

Ashamedly I must admit, we did not get a single picture on Christmas day (or eve), which will make for a pretty boring page in our 2009 scrapbook. …not that I’ve started our 2009 scrapbook yet, but I will. Really, it’s on my list of things to do…in 2010…and I’m already envisioning how pathetic the holiday section will look because there are no pictures. Maybe I’ll have to resort to buying some cute elf stickers and doodling ribbons and holly around the edges and writing a little poem about how lame it is that we couldn’t manage to get a picture of ourselves around Christmastime that even remotely resembled the look of something festive.

It was a lovely day, and as I recall, I even managed to stay awake for all of it. It was wonderful to have a couple days off from work, spend time with family and just enjoy each other’s company. I am so blessed.

Did you have a good Christmas?