WHOO! WHOO!

Tonight I am going to let you in on another resolution.  Part of me doesn't want to tell you, because then I feel like I will have some accountability--but accountability is a good thing!  If I tell you, then maybe I will ACTUALLY follow through on this resolution which I can't really imagine myself doing.  Tonight is the night I am going to start!  Tonight, I am going to.....GO TO BED EARLY!  Well, earli-ER than I usually do.  And I am going to continue going to bed early every night.  Except maybe Friday nights. : )  You want to know what my new bedtime is going to be?  12:00!  I know, that doesn't sound early.  But trust me, our family is an entire family of night owls.  We basically coined the term.  Hubby and I don't normally hit the hay until around 1 or 2, and honestly, sometimes it is 3!!!  I know, it's terrible.  This is true confessions, right here.  Just keeping it real.  And I am going to get up earlier too.  I really really need to!

And this goes along with another resolution--a much more important one.  I've been so focused this year on Sarah, of course, but also on what this Christian life is all about.  In the back of my mind, I think, I had it a little confused, even though I knew better.  When I have been considering what God wants from us this year, I kept focusing on people.  My mind was always buzzing with thoughts of how I can reach out to people, how can we as a family show love and share Christ, how can we help orphans and the poor...  God gave me a great idea that I will share with you soon.  All of these things are important and right, but I missed something even more important.  I realized the other day that I spend so much more time thinking and planning about how to impact OTHERS, and less on how to grow my OWN relationship with Jesus, and on my children's spiritual lives.  I get up too late each day, and then I'm forced to scramble to fit in all the necessary stuff like appointments, school, laundry, meals, and family fun.  Real, quality personal time with God often hasn't made the "cut", and unfortunately, my perpetually tired state from lack of sleep has left me too weary sometimes to really spend that time teaching and training my children correctly.  Too often we have taken the easy road in disciplining our kids that doesn't necessarily reach their hearts.  Does that make sense? I know, I'm probably the only one who struggles with this kind of stuff, but bear with me.  ; )

Sooo...here's to new beginnings!  Don't you love how gracious God is?  I can just hear Him cheering me on! 

Oh dear.  It's already getting close to that bedtime hour.  Ugh--this might not be easy!