Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Goals and Resolutions




I’m sitting in front of a blank canvas and I’m afraid to paint on it.
I have a couple of yards of a beautiful batik fabric and I can’t decide what to do with it.
I have fifteen empty journals on my shelf and I’m afraid to write anything.
IF I CHANGE MY MIND I’LL HAVE SPOILED THEM!
I read a book once that made a statement that I have never forgotten. I haven’t changed the way I think about things. However, I know what my problem is. The book said that some people can’t make a decision, because having made a choice you have eliminated the chance of doing the other choices.
So for my New Year’s resolution this year, I am going to paint that picture, I am going to choose a journal and start writing in it. I am going to take that fun fabric, make a quilt, and give it away. Also, I’m going to read Bleak House by Charles Dickens because
I’ve only read 49 of the “1001 Books You Should Read Before You Die”

My son has a childhood friend, who is one of my face book friends. Every week he says “I Hate Mondays!” I replied that I loved Mondays because then I have a whole, fresh, new week to mess up. Now, Monday, January 4, 2010, I not only have a whole new day, week, and year to mess up, I have a whole new decade. And if I do, I will go buy a new canvas, pick out a new journal, and forgive myself. I hope you will too. I’ll be reporting my success or failure to you so that we’ll make sure I do it

What are you going to do this year? In our Relief Society lesson yesterday we decided we should make our resolutions or goals, short, quick and doable. In a book I’m reading, GETTING THINGS DONE, the author says, “ Make a list of things you want to do in your life. Then you should make a list of things you want to accomplish in your career. Be specific, and make them short, quick, and doable. Choose three on each list that you really can begin this week and start doing them.

My husband’s lesson at his church talks about Spiritual goals
The lesson encourages us to place our goals and hopes for the New Year on a more spiritual basis. For example to strive to be more loving and thoughtful and less centered on our personal desires. We treat the New Year as a signal for renewed hope and dedication to God’s plan. Two of his chosen scriptures are,

Ps. 33: 1-3 Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous; for praise is comely for the upright. Praise the Lord with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings. Sing unto him a new song; play skillfully with a loud noise.
Doesn’t this sound like we should increase our God given talents?

Isa. 61:1-3 The spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified,

“As we live providently and increase our gifts and talents, we become more self-reliant. Self- reliance is taking responsibility for our own spiritual and temporal welfare and for those whom Heavenly Father has entrusted to our care. Only when we are self-reliant can we truly emulate the Savior in serving and blessing others. “It is important to understand that self-reliance is a means to an end. Our ultimate goal is to become like the Savior, and that goal is enhanced by our unselfish service to others. Our ability to serve is increased or diminished by the level of our self- reliance". Elder Robert D. Hales.

This month I hope you will plan some goals that are short, specific, and doable. I hope you will take a spiritual look at your goals. I hope you will give unselfish service to others.
I hope you will have a very good and blessed New Year.

Monday, January 4, 2010

WOW!2010




Hear the wind blow
Watch out for snow
It’s January
Run through the cold
Dream thoughts so bold
It’s January.
Do something new
That you’ve wanted to do
Since last January!