Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! I hope that you've all had a wonderful holiday celebrating with family and friends. I hope that it was safe. I've realized this past New Year's Eve how silly and responsible we can be. We left our friends' house early, were home by 10 and then started putting away laundry. I know you're jealous of how crazy we can get! It's almost like we're adults....oh wait, that already happened.

So Happy New Year. New Year. New Beginning. But is it really a new beginning? Or do we just make it out to be. It always seems to give us this feeling of a fresh start from our "old ways". A fresh start from the day-to-day routine we fall into that may or may not become monotonous and boring and just plain uninteresting. I feel like it shouldn't be a new beginning, and yet I woke up this morning feeling fresh and ready to conquer. Conquer the laundry that never ends (and we don't even have kids yet!), conquer the dishes, conquer my laziness, conquer my insecurities, conquer the job hunt, conquer the world... Ok - maybe not the world (I may be ambitious, but that's a little too ambitious if you ask me).

Before I go on and make a public declaration of what I intend to do (with God's guidance, mercy, grace, help, and re-direction if He doesn't want them to happen), here's a quick "top 10" things that we experienced in 2012. (well, more like the first 10 happy things I could think of that happened in 2012).

1. We bought our first house!
2. And we learned that appliances break...most of them.
3. We adopted Hershey, our second bunny.
4. Anthony went back to school :)
5. We learned how to balance a pool without a pool guy (thanks to procrastination AND impatience)
6. I made it to my annual ER visit (don't worry - nothing was serious... but I'm getting a good track record on this "once a year ER visit" deal).
7. We learned we will be welcoming another niece into the world in 2013!
8. A's parents moved out here.
9. My momma moved out here.
10. We learned a lot about God's blessings, humility, mercy, love, abundance, care, protection and provision...and that is precious.

And as for the things I intend on doing this year that can only be accomplished WITH God's help, because I am far too lazy and get far too distracted way too easily (oh look, there goes a bunny running up our stairs!).

1. Get closer to God//develop a stronger relationship with my Savior.
2. Read my bible daily//read the entire bible this year
3. Work hard to be a more Proverbs 21 wife//friend/daughter/sister/woman
4. Pray more
5. Love more
6. Finish painting the house
7. Read all 7 HP's.
8. Read more.
9. Make an effort to exercise.
10. Find a job since I'm out of one come Saturday.
11. Visit Ken, Maya, Ryan and Megan.
12. Organize the house.
13. Be more disciplined in ALL areas of my life.
14. See opportunities to serve others more AND be grateful for them.
15. Keep a positive attitude regardless of how I feel.

SO there are serious and important things (like #1 -5) and fun things (#6,11) and things that really don't matter other than they seem fun (#7).  The most important things are at the top, cause let's face it - there's always room for more Jesus and having my life centered on Him more and more will make all other areas that much more attainable; it'll make all other areas that much better, that much sweeter, that much more rewarding, that much more joyful.

SO here's to a fresh start - to a year of focusing on getting close to my Jesus and growing in Him and becoming a better wife for my husband, a better daughter for my moms, a better sister for my siblings, a better friend for my friends, a better woman for anyone I may come in contact with - that they will see Jesus in me and not me in me; that they will see His purpose and not mine; that they will see me and want to get closer to Him. That my life would be just for Him more and more this year. SO here's to a year of new beginnings, that you will be disciplined and work hard to accomplish the things you're working towards, that you would have a year of love and learning and laughter and accomplishments, that you would look back and not think that you've wasted your year, that you would look back and rejoice in the things that occurred. Happy fresh start.
May your joy be found in Jesus, the one who gave His life that we may have a relationship with God and live eternally.
Love to you all,
S