Happy New Year!

Hello out there!  Anyone remember me?  I'm that girl who writes a bunch of posts all at one time ... and then nothing more for a couple of months.  Oh well.

I want to do something new and different here on the ol' blog, but I have no idea what.  I guess the first thing is to actually write something.  Somewhere along the way on Pinterest, I discovered this plan for a 5-year journal.  The idea is to answer one question a day, and repeat the questions for 5 years, comparing your answers.  Saying today that I will do this for 5 years is a little too ambitious, but I thought it would at least give me a jump-start on blogging more.  Some questions look like one-sentence answers, while others will require a bit more.  Either way, I'll jump in and see what happens.

January 1st - What is your number one goal this year?

This is kind of a big year for me because I will be turning 40 in November.  Yikes!  How on earth did that happen?  My brain is convinced that I'm still somewhere around 32.

Turning 30 threw me into a bit of a tailspin, and I don't want that to happen again.  So here's my goal:

Fabulous by Forty: Faith, Fitness, Finances

I feel like, if I can make good progress in all three of those areas over the next 10 months, 40 won't seem quite so daunting.  I don't really have a specific plan for Faith yet.  I'll continue with daily Bible reading, plus I will likely participate in another Good Morning Girls study in a couple of weeks.  Obviously, God is the main One working in my faith development, so we will see what He has in store.

As for Fitness, my "new year" started right after Thanksgiving.  (I wanted to be a "regular" at the gym by the time the new year's crowd arrived.)  Thanks to My Fitness Pal and some really mean Muscle Pump instructors (Love you, Catrina!), I've already lost 6 pounds.  (Still quite a few to go, but it's a reachable goal.)  Believe it or not, once upon a time I was in shape.  Here I am the day I turned 34.  (Those jeans are still in my closet.  Waiting.)

And here's what I looked like this past November, roughly 25 pounds heavier.  (Since that little princess is now 4, I can't really call it baby weight anymore.)

Anyway.

As for finances, that's not something I can share in detail on the blog, but we're making some changes there, as well.  Remember all that gallivanting around, looking for a job for David?  Those trips weren't free.

So those are my main areas of focus for this year.  Of course, there are always improvements to be made in other areas of life, but those are the biggies right now.

What about you?  Got any goals for 2013?  I'd love to hear about them.



 This post may be linked up to one or more of the following blog parties.  Check them out! Monday: Menu Plan Monday on I'm an Organizing Junkie Wednesday: Works for Me Wednesday at We are THAT Family Friday: 5 Minute Friday at The Gypsy Mama, Company Girl Coffee at Home Sanctuary, Pieces of Amy Other days: A Wise Woman Builds Her Home

Today

Ah, the start of a new year!  A time of retrospection.  A time of projection.  A time of big plans for the future.

I had considered writing a post about my New Years' Resolutions/Goals/Aspirations, and I may still do that in the next few days.  But instead I'm going to include a poem that my kids and I are going to begin memorizing this week.  It's about today.  It's about not letting dreams of the future or regrets of the past keep you from living today.  Appropriate, no?

Now by Adelaide Anne Procter

Rise! for the day is passing,
And you lie dreaming on;
The others have buckled their armour,
And forth to the fight are gone:
A place in the ranks awaits you,
Each man has some part to play;
The Past and the Future are nothing,
In the face of the stern To-day.

Rise from your dreams of the Future --
Of gaining some hard-fought field;
Of storming some airy fortress,
Or bidding some giant yield;
Your Future has deeds of glory,
Of honour (God grant it may!)
But your arm will never be stronger,
Or the need so great as To-day.

Rise! if the Past detains you,
Her sunshine and storms forget;
No chains so unworthy to hold you
As those of a vain regret:
Sad or bright, she is lifeless ever,
Cast her phantom arms away,
Nor look back, save to learn the lesson
Of a nobler strife To-day.

Rise! for the day is passing:
The sound that you scarcely hear
Is the enemy marching to battle --
Arise! for the foe is here!
Stay not to sharpen your weapons,
Or the hour will strike at last,
When, from dreams of a coming battle,
You may wake to find it past!

Don't you just love that?  I need to find some way to make that play on my alarm.  I think it would be hard to hit the snooze after hearing that.  :)

I think it's Biblical, too.  (No, not from the Bible itself, but in keeping with it's precepts.)  Yes, God is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.  But He told Moses that His name is I AM.  Today.  Right now.  He is.  Let's learn from Him today.