Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! 🙂

I always feel somewhat conflicted in this transition time between the snuggly end of 2008, steeped in gifts and sweets and family, and the hard and unrelenting beginning of another year. 2009. It’s here. And it’s starin’ you down…and it’s saying, “Come and git me.” Grrrrrrr.

Or not.

The conflict comes because I am so lethargic after all the sugar and rich food, so lazy from a totally interrupted routine (Cody and I can’t wait to start going to bed at 9 p.m. again…nerd alert…), yet so determined that I will do all these new things this year. It’s too bad we don’t do New Year’s Resolutions in the spring. At spring time, I’m motivated and active and energetic and the great thing is, I actually see the light of day. It’s so tough to start new habits and goals in the dead of winter, when it’s tough enough just to roll out of bed and avoid bumping right into the dresser on my way to the bathroom, let alone learn how to crochet.

Yet again, however, I find myself so convinced that this year, I will become more than what I am. I will be STRONGER. FASTER. AWESOMER.

So my resolutions so far have included running a marathon (running 26 miles just after I turn 26?? It’s MY YEAR!), learning to make blankets (my mother-in-law made us an awesome one for Christmas), learn some new recipes, take more photographs, write more, and create more stories.

I read something this morning that said a New Year’s Resolution is pointless if you don’t know the root of why you are doing those things. So I took a step back, and tried to find the root. Why do I want to run a marathon? I want to be healthy, in shape, and accomplish something challenging. Why do I want to learn to make blankets? I want to learn how to create something with my hands so I can give it to someone else…I want to CREATE more and I want to GIVE more. Why do I want to learn recipes? Take photographs? Write? I want to capture beauty.

Now that I know the root, I can apply those principles to the rest of my day…I can smile more, look around more, help others more, teach and learn more, be honest more, and HAVE MORE FUN. I mean, what else is there? Why else would God set us down here to play? Sure, the world is broken and there’s so much dark stuff and suffering that thinking about it too much makes you want to stick a hot poker in your eye. But we WERE given abilities and resources and tons of gifts. Helping each other can be so simple and easy.

SoHappy New Year’s…really and genuinely happy.

And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. matthew 18:3