New Years Resolutions

I don't usually make a lot of resolutions. Over the years I've found that I usually forget them all by the end of January. And they're always the same - work out, eat better, go to bed earlier. I never am successful so I tend to start to feel added guilt by February.

Last year, instead of making resolutions, I went with a Word: Simple. I tried to focus on this word throughout the year. I'm not sure I did a great job of making life more Simple. My general idea was to downsize our stuff and get organized and then be better about what I bought - try to live more simply. My idea worked for a while, but then we ended up moving and life got crazy - the opposite of simple. And in an effort to just get stuff out of boxes - most of my closets and drawers in our new house are a mess. I still have some simple work to catch up on.

But now that it's a new year, I need a new word.

Patience.

It fell into my head the last night we were in Maryville for Christmas break. Maybe because the kids were driving me crazy... but whatever it was - there it was. Patience. The next day on our long drive back, I was driving while everyone else was sleeping. In the quietness of the car, I started to think about my word and how I really needed to work on this virtue. And then, on the radio, as if in a movie, "Patience" by Guns and Roses came on. I think it's been a decade since I've heard that song. It was meant to be - meant to be my word and my theme song for the year.

I feel like I'm a good person, but I can become terribly impatient at times - with the kids, with Adam, with myself, with life, with other drivers, with the lady in front of me in the express lane at Wal-Mart who is writing a check - seriously - who writes checks in the express lane - it's 2011- get a debit card already!!! See. No patience.

So, this year I will be focusing on breathing more and taking more time to think before I react.

In an effort to stay focused on my word, I'm going to put Patience in front of me whenever possible. I'll be writing scripture on my chalk board related to patience. I'll hang my word on the wall above my computer screen. And I've also purchased this fun thing to help me keep my focus.

Wish me luck.

And Happy New Year.