Irresolute

It's 2010. It's 2010? It's 2010! How can that be?

2009 was a only a brief flash, but it was a wonderful flash. I'm excited to see what this next year brings...what life changes will we experience, truths will we discover, decisions will we make, places will we see, moments will we enjoy?

I am going to laugh in the face of goal setting experts far and wide and create no specific, measurable resolutions for the new year, but there are a number of things that I'm vowing to work on. The only point of listing them here is so I will remember them later...so here goes:

• Be more purposeful about things - live each day with less of a "to-do" list and more of a focus on experiencing my life. My life is happening now. It's not something that's about to start after I get a few more things done. Maybe if I'm living each day instead of just getting through it, I'll experience life, faith, work, people differently. Let's just see, shall we?
• Lose my fear of baking (as pertains to anything other than chocolate chip cookies and baking powder biscuits). Having recently received a lovely assortment of new cookbooks and a sparkling new Kitchen Aid stand mixer, I am now well equipped for this adventure. The greatest obstacle will be overcoming my fear of the precision and chemistry that are required for successful baking. Apron on, chilled butter and pastry flour at hand, I march into battle.
• Be hospitable, or at least ready to be hospitable. Why should it take a day for me to prepare for company? Why can't my house always be in such a state that an unexpected guest could walk in and be fed without me feeling embarrassed about the state of my floors, bathrooms, or kitchen counters? Why shouldn't I leave for church on Sunday morning with something in the crockpot so I could invite guests for dinner? Why should everything take so much planning and preparation? I was not raised this way! I was raised among people for whom hospitality was a constant state of being. That is something to admire!

There will be more specific ways that I will attempt to tackle these sweeping changes, but I'm going to be flexible, change my approach and expectations as needed, and not set myself up for failure. I'm not looking forward to year of stressing out about a to-do list of goals. I'm looking forward to a year of thinking happy thoughts about all the wonderful possibilities of change.

Here's wishing a blessed year to you all!