Reader? :)

What Kind of Reader Are You? Your Result: Dedicated Reader   You are always trying to find the time to get back to your book. You are convinced that the world would be a much better place if only everyone read more.
Obsessive-Compulsive Bookworm
Literate Good Citizen
Book Snob
Fad Reader
Non-Reader
What Kind of Reader Are You? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

3 guides for resolutions

I read on LifeWay the following 3 things that we should be using as our guide for making resolutions: 

1. "For the body, assume you have had a heart attack; now live accordingly."
2. "For the heart, assume everything you say about another, they can overhear; now speak accordingly."
3. "For the spirit, assume you have a one-on-one visit with your Creator every quarter; now live accordingly." 
   As a believer, we don't have to wait three months to visit with God. we can, and should meet with Him constantly. However, the thought of scheduling a regular "performance review" with the Lord could and should have an impact on my daily decisions and thus my life.

Kind of interesting - eh?

The author of that artical also said: Once a person reaches the point that he or she sees no value in seeking to become better by resolving to change, that person has given up on living life and has settled on simply existing. This, if you think about it, is in and of itself a resolution –- a resolution to settle for mediocrity.

Let's not settle for mediocrity - but always strive to change and to become more like Christ.  Which also reminds me of this Oswald Chamber's 12/2 entry - thanks Kate for pointing it out to me - and it was from my birthday! ;) 
"Christian perfection is not, and never can be, human perfection. Christian perfection is the perfection of a relationship with God that shows itself to be true even amid the seemingly unimportant aspects of human life... I am called to live in such a perfect relationship with God that my life produces a yearning for God in the lives of others, not admiration for myself. Thoughts about myself hinder my usefulness to God. God’s purpose is not to perfect me to make me a trophy in His showcase; He is getting me to the place where He can use me. Let Him do what He wants!

This is the opposite of mediocrity - and it's what we are called to. So lets make our resolutions - consistant with what we are called to - and lets stand by them! No small task but we are able - in our weekness He is strong.

New Year's Resolutions

I know it's dangerous... thinking that is.

New Year's resolutions... everyone does them - how many keep them? The research I've read say about half of us keep them past the 2 month point. Kinda interesting - but probably not surprising. So I made a few - just like always, one of them is that I've started trying to take a picture of everything I eat... could be entertaining - probably will be very dull to most...  The other has to do with my relationship with God, I am going to read from God's Word every day. In the past I do well with this for a bit - but in the end - it usually slips away, don't get me wrong, I read it - when I have time... or when something comes to me... or at church... or when I know I'm going to talk to someone that will require me to have some scriptural backing... you know what I mean. But one thing that I struggle with is having a routine - getting in the habit of doing things - mostly doing things that are good for me. Going to be on time, getting up in time to actually have a morning routine and not just getting up and rushing to work, eating right - naturally as well as spiritually - and lets face it - it takes more time to do that, you have to plan and actually work to eat right, you can't forget and "just grab something somewhere..." and you can't just sit on the couch and watch whatever is on. You have to prepare food ahead and you have to put effort into reading instead of watching TV. My friend Joie does much better at this than I do, but she is a good example for me.

So here is one of the things that I'm working on to keep myself on task, I've started reading Oswald Chamber's My Utmost for His Highest and actually reading the scripture and praying and thinking about what it's talking about, not just reading it every once in a while when I'm bored... That's the hope for my morning routine.