Newness!

When the New Year begins, there is always all this talk about what goals we are going to set for this year- resolutions, resolutions. 

Resolution is defined as- a mental quality or state of having a firmness of purpose. 

I like that. I like the idea of having a purpose and having it be firm. I am attracted to people who live purposefully, with strength. Aren't we all?

After having gone through a very trying year last year and surviving it and moving to an entirely different state with an entirely different climate and enjoying it, I am in place now where I feel it is time to live with more of a firm purpose. 

In many areas...

Before I lay myself bare about these areas, I want to share something I read just last night. It seems that as mother's we have the tendency to put ourselves last. We will sacrifice our time, give up things we had planned to do, for the sake of our families. I don't mean this on a large scale per se, but rather in the dailyness of things. For example, we might realize our child has forgotten his snow pants and drive them to school for him rather than taking that walk we had planned on. This is okay, but sometimes these little things pile on one another and then any time we had planned for ourselves disappears. And we say.. tomorrow... but then we sacrifice again.

The article compared this idea to that of being on an airplane. You know how they tell you to put your mask on first and then your child's? Shouldn't we do that in life also? Shouldn't we make sure we are nourished in body and spirit, healthy physically and shouldn't we take the time to make sure those things happen? 

After all, if we run out of oxygen, who then will be there to put the mask on our child?

If we are depleted in energy and health and joy, who then will take care of our families?

So here's the thing- how? 

Well, other mom's do it. I see them. I know it is possible. It is all about choices. 

Will you wake up a little earlier to be nourished in spirit and read the Word you are craving?

Will you get that  exercise your body desperately needs?

Will you choose not to eat your children's leftovers and rather choose foods that nourish your cells and fight disease?

These are pieces of my firm purpose for this new year. 

Others include-

• Keeping this blog going because the relationships that have been created, renewed and nourished from it are life to me. You are all delightful to me.
• Writing all the thank you notes that I still need to write from Little Bear's birth. Pathetic right? But it has been a busy year. 
• Getting baby books done for my boys. Mister Luke is the only one who has one. I just can't bear it. 
• Finish my novel. I just want to know that I didn't give up, that I persevered and actually put a period at the end of the last sentence.
• My final firm purpose and I really like the wording of firm purpose for this one is to lose all the weight I gained over these four pregnancies. I will not be pregnant again so it is time to take this fat belly and make it a flat belly.

 I started the Flat Belly Diet yesterday. Wooo Hooo! I just love the idea that I have gone off the Fat Belly diet of cheeseburgers, ice cream, cookies, pizza, etc. and now I am on the flat belly diet of lean proteins, monounsaturated fats, whole grains and fruit smoothies. It is yummy actually. I feel like I am eating real food that is feeding my cells. 

So that is where my newness begins. 

It is so much more exciting to live with a firm purpose than just trying to make it through the day.

Do you have any firm purposes for this new year?