Savouring Grace

Simple Mom posted this great list of 20 questions to reflect on and process the past year.  With any luck, I’ll answer them all by the end of this year.  It may take me that long just to put away all the rest of the Christmas stuff…

I don’t make resolutions, but I always like a fresh start, be it a new day or a new year, so here are my off-the-top-of-my-head aspirations for 2009.  I’ve divided them by tenses (present, past, and future) since they are interconnected.

Present:

-remember to cut the children’s nails on a regular basis so I am not frightened by them
-cut back on sweets (somehow find a way to make all the accumulated candy disappear)
-go to bed on time (10pm, so lights out by 11pm)
-get up on time (7am)
-cook and eat this way
-make the bed every morning
-fold and put away the clothes as soon as they are dry
-keep a journal of the kids’ memorable phrases and phases
-start PraiseMoves
-blog/write at least twice a week
-have a 30 minute quiet time 5 days a week
-reading daily

Past (one hour a day):

-set up filing system
-file everything
-weed through digital photos from the last four years and get best ones printed or made into photo books
-install external hard drive for back-up
-weed through and organize computer files
-revisit old writing projects and ideas
-dust

I’m not listing my future aspirations because I’m in a season of my life where I really need to deal with the past (get caught up) while living very presently (raising children ages 2,4,6).  However, the process of weeding through older stuff actually gets my visionary juices flowing, so picking up where I left off, and getting order into my external surroundings will facilitate the process of carrying out future projects.  Living in the present and getting a routine going will also help carve out time for planning ahead.

I also have personal goals for my character as a person, wife, mother, and writer, but those are lifelong.  Life is made up of moments, and being the big picture person that I am, I’m not going to blog those minute details…that said, one of my aspirations is to pay more attention to the tangible details that matter–like not letting the kids’ fingernails grow into claws or the furniture be constantly coated in a film of dust…