Goals for the year

With the New Year comes the urge to begin upon the soon forgotten "New Year's Resolutions", but also the chance to look over the past year and contemplate goals and priorities for the new. I know the first of January has come and gone, but the rest of the year lies ahead and these are a few of my goals in it.

Finish my degree: After Rosalind was born and we decided not to go to China right away (though hopefully we will someday :), I lost the impetus for completing the last few classes and decided just to enjoy the time with Rosalind. But with only three classes left, Joshua really wanted me to finish. I'm on my last one now and, unless I flunk out, will finish the beginning of March. I can hardly wait!

Write more: There is something so thrilling about putting the pen to the paper, or rather the fingers to the keyboard, but I am so slow at writing. My goal this year is to spend at least two hours a week writing with a timer and forcing myself to get something on the screen.

Read at least two books a month: Reading. I am either so engrossed in a book that every spare moment is spent devouring it, or else I lag and let it slide. Neither extreme is good. I certainly don't want to neglect more important things just for the sake of a book, but also shouldn't stop reading. Much of the problem has been not having a set time for reading, but I realized the perfect opportunity has been staring me in the face: while I rock Rosalind to sleep. I just love cuddling up with her and feeling her succumb to sleep and it's a perfect time to relax and read myself.

Focus on memorizing and studying the Word: By beholding we do become changed and that is my prayer for this year.

Of course, there are many other things that I want to do like have a successful garden and potty train Rosalind, but hopefully these won't take all year...especially not the latter. : ) But no matter what the year holds, I am looking forward to the delights, challenges and unexpected twists ahead.

photo by Cempey