Being More Intentional in 2012

I'm kind of tired of floating through life. Sometimes it works for me, sometimes it doesn't. So I've decided to become more intentional in the things I do this year. One of the areas I plan to do this is in my reading. I spend way more time reading online that I should. I look at the books on my bookshelf and think....someday. Someday never comes. So this year, I will be picking out 24 books to read- 2 a month. Most of them will be non-fiction. I want things that are going to help me grow as a person and in my relationship with God. One of the ways I can do that is by becoming intentional about the media that I am putting into my head. So, without further ado. Here is this year's reading list.

January

- Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman (I've read 5 chapters today and already feel myself being stretched)! Finished Jan. 9, 2012

-168 Hours- You Have More Time Than You Think by Laura Vanderkam Decided not to read this book after starting it. Substituted a book from April.

February

-Simple Steps: 10 Weeks to Getting Control of Your Life by Lisa Lelas and others

-Give Them Grace: Dazzling Your Kids with the Love of Jesus by Elyse M. Fitzpatrick

March

-The Resolution for Women by Priscilla Shirer

-Becoming a Woman of Simplicity by Cynthia Heald

April

-Simple Hospitality by Jane Jarrell Finished Jan. 31, 2012

-Stop Dating the Church! Fall in Love with the Family of God by Joshua Harris

May

-Radical by David Platt

-Forgotten God by Francis Chan

June

-Shaping Ordinary Boys into Extraordinary Men by William Beausay II

-A Shepherd looks at Psalm 23 by Phillip Keller

July

-Making Life an Adventure by Dustin Beal

-A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller

August

-Love is a Verb by Gary Chapman

-I Sold My Soul on Ebay by Hemant Mehta

September

-Jesus Freaks compiled by DC Talk and The Voice of the Martyrs

-A Woman and Her God by Beth Moore (and others)

October

-The Hole in the Gospel by Richard Stearns

-Miserly Moms by Jonni McCoy

November

-Passionate Housewives Desperate for God by Jennie Chancey and Stacy McDonald

-One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp

December

-American Idols: The Worship of the American Dream by Bob Hostetler

-Open Heart Open Home by Karen Mains

New Year...New Thinking

I did not make any resolutions this year. No diets, no reading the Bible daily (or through in a year), no keeping up with the housework daily. Every resolution I can ever remember making has ended in what I perceived as "failure" after a few weeks or a few days.

Instead, I'm just trying, every day, to do better. I'm thankful that God's grace is new every morning. I don't have to follow the world's standards, guidelines, or lies anymore. Time and again they have not worked for me...and have usually worked against me. God has a better plan for me and I'm excited to see what that is.

Welcome 2009! I think you and I are going to be good friends.

In my next post, I'll tell you how I'm "not dieting" and how that has worked for me so far this year.

Christmas is over...

and not a moment too soon since today is New Year's Eve. Last night we had our last family Christmas at my grandpa's house. It was bittersweet without grandma there, but we still had a really good time. I will post pictures of that Christmas some time next year!

Tonight we are having people over for a party. I've been busy trying to get the house cleaned up a little. I do think I need a nap this afternoon though. We don't really have a theme this year, just lots of junk food and game playing. We are going to make Oreo shakes after seeing Cheryl's pictures from last year. Mm mm.

I have a lot of ideas floating around in my head for things I'd like to do in the next year. I really would like to see a radical change in myself and in my family. Like last year I want more action and less talk.

I haven't got anything down definite yet, but these are some of the things I've been thinking about.

As always, I want to spend time daily in God's word. Without doing that, everything else is in vain. Without him, I am nothing and I will accomplish nothing, no matter how worthy the goal.

I want my family (me included) to eat healthier in the new year. Less fast food, pizza, and boxed foods. I'm not talking about over the edge eating, just taking more steps in the right direction.

I want to do more preschool stuff with the boys.

I want to do less shopping. I want to save more money. I want to be a better financial steward of what God has blessed us with. I want to reduce our debt.

I want to be more open to others. More considerate, more encouraging. I had an encounter the other night at Aldi's and it's really got me thinking. I will post on that in a separate post. Basically, it's about opening my eyes to the people around me (strangers and those close to me) and really seeing deep inside to their needs and then showing them God and his love.

I've been thinking about not buying any books next year. We have so many I could spend years reading them. I don't need to spend the money. This would be radical for me because I love books! 365 days seems to go really fast though, and I know I would survive.

I know there are more, but for now that is all I can think of. I know that I need to take a day by day approach in order to reach my goals. As a mother of three young boys, I may need to take a moment by moment approach.

I want to live in the moment and live in light of eternity.