Looking forward

I was thinking the other day as I browsed other's pinterest boards with their witty names, and scanned through facebook and the thoughtfully worded status updates turning the mundane into clever, funny quips. Scrolling through blogs and the fascinating images, quotes, ideas, concepts, thoughts and displays of daily life in a manner worth grabbing your attention...which started to overwhelm me. And my attention.
I find myself staring at the keyboard trying to think of the next clever thing to grab at least a few people's attention -- maybe even get a comment! But at the end of the day there is SO much to see, watch, read and so many talented clever people that I felt I needed to step back into stillness and re-evaluate. I prize creativity and want to be inspired and inspire others but am beginning to lose myself in the absolute volume and bombardment of it all.
So. I took this afternoon to spend some time with God, re-evaluate, prioritize and set out some good ol' New Year's Resolutions...what follows are my thoughts and goals in this next year.

I wrote plenty of pages, but for the sake of taking "overwhelmed" out of my current state of mind I'm simplifying so that these 'resolutions' are something I can wake up and remember...not have to re-read a book to figure out where I was headed.

The first one is simple and so far, so good: Journal Every Day of 2012. No requirements of length or words...just simply that something is on the page each day. Really, it's for the sake of exercising my writing muscle which has since grown lax and lazy.

The second: Earlier in a study with my Small Group we had to spend some time on starting our Life Purpose Statement (no small task!) which resulted in this:

Essentially my "tree" represents growing in my faith by: 1) Bearing Fruit (Galatians 5:22-23), 2) Obedience (Psalm 1:1-3), 3) Pruning (Romans 12:1-2), and 4) Growing (Jeremiah 29:11-13)

So working within that...my 2012 resolution are:

1. Pay Attention

Micah 6:8 "...do justice, to love kindness (mercy) and to walk humbly with your God"

2. Act on Compassion

John 15:12 "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you."

3. Show Up (authenticity)

1 Timothy 3:11 "...but set believers an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity." 

And the only way these resolutions will see any fruit is by the strength and encouragement of Christ which met me this morning as I was reading through Psalm 119: "You are my refuge and my shield; your word is my source of hope" (v. 114). 

Here's to 2012!