A New Year

As this year ends, a new year begins. In the past, I haven't been much for new year resolutions, but I decided I did wanted to set some goals for myself for 2013.

1) Deactivate my Facebook account! I deactivated my account for a couple weeks several months ago and felt so much better after doing so. I never realized how much time I spent checking status updates posted by people, most of whom I haven't spoken to in over a decade. It suddenly occurred to me that I don't need to know everything about my "friends" and vice versa. I want to make sure that my extra time is being spent focusing on my relationships with God, my husband, and my family.

2) Be a helpmate to my husband. I am so fortunate that God has put me here to help my husband. My job is not simply to cook, clean, and do laundry. God has given me a greater calling. I have just recently discovered how rewarding it is to help my husband by supporting and encouraging him. With each act of kindness I bestow on my husband, I can see him strengthened and his spirit lifted. I want to make an effort to display my love and appreciation to my husband on a daily basis.  

3) Improve my self-control. We women will often talk about how badly we need to go on a diet or that we just want to lose some weight, but I believe the root problem has little to do with food and eating and more to do with a lack of self-control. I have been on yo-yo diets and gained and lost weight multiple times, but when it came down to the real source of the success or failure it was always based on self-control. My goal is to be mindful of both the words that come out of my mouth and the food I put in my body.

Lord, please help me to acknowledge and be reminded of these things every day. I pray that You will guide my thoughts and provide me with the motivation that I need to continue to improve in these areas of my life.