Welcome 2011!

The time between Christmas and New Year's is a pretty quiet time around our home, usually.  This year it seems to have been a bit more full with family visiting, Christmasing with friends, and even a few illnesses.

I like to spend that week reflecting on my goals for the past year and set new goals for the new one which lay ahead.  I did not get to do very much of that, at least not as much as I think something so important would require until yesterday.  After my 12 miler, during which I felt great, I stopped in to the restroom and almost passed out from a weird headache and unexpected bout of throwing up.  I'm sure the folks at Kroger love seeing that situation!  I spent the rest of the day in and out of bed (and the bathroom) which gave me lots of time to reflect on things.

I did decide to adopt the Advent Conspiracy's Philosophy of :

Spend Less
Give More
Love All
Worship Fully

Some of these seem fairly straight-forward, but leave it to me to complicate them a bit.  It's my specialty.

Spend Less... most people would probably think financially with this one.  I do intend to spend less this year and what I do buy will be bought only because it is needed.  I will buy second-hand when possible and shop for the lowest prices possible.  I will also be more dutiful in my pledge to donate one item for every item brought in, with the exception of food. 

Some other ways in which I will Spend Less...

Spend less time worrying about things I have no control over.  This bad habit demonstrates a lack of faith. It is a symptom of trying to always be in control of everything and never really trusting in God. 

Spend less time being critical of others, especially my children.  I will look for the good in people.  I will try to see things from their point of view and act out of love rather than discontent.

Spend less energy on things that do not grow me spiritually.  OK, so I can't give up grocery shopping, but I can make grocery shopping a means by which I serve my family and in doing that, I grow in virtue and hopefully learn to do it joyfully. 

Give more...
Time to developing my relationship with God.
Time to my family and friends.  Real time.  Face to face.
Time to those who need someone to care for them.
Learn to give presence instead of giving presents

Love All
Even when it isn't convenient, easy, or pleasant. 
To love others more than myself.  To love God above all.  To show that love by being His hands and feet.

Worship Fully
With my whole heart, my whole mind, my whole soul. 
To yearn for Him constantly, consistently. 
To find Him in the tabernacle as I sit in Adoration.
To seek Him in others.
To serve others until they know His love and mercy.

I have a few other "of this world" goals pertaining to eating, running, and organization, but they are pretty much the same every year... eat better, run more, be better organized.  It's not that I fail at these, but I seem to make baby steps towards a better version of myself and I now understand that I will never be right where I want to be because I will never be perfect!  Only took me 45 years to figure that one out!

I look forward to putting these goals into practice this year and enjoying life at a new level of peace with someone other than myself at the center...