Resolutions

As we enter the time of year that resolutions are so easily and frequently tossed about and in a couple of weeks forgotten about, I thought it appropriate to share a thought about just that.

Recently when my parents were up to visit before Christmas, my Dad preached the sermon on Sunday morning at church. He preached on a different view of the "resolutions" we toss about this time of year. His encouragement to us was to look back at resolutions of the past and measure how far we got in those areas before we randomly throw out more easily forgotten and/or broken resolutions. If we are looking to make resolutions, we are indeed "resolving" to do whatever that goal is. Webster's dictionary defines "resolve" in several ways but the one that applies to resolutions at New Year's is to reach a firm decision about. That to me reads as a decision made with thought and determination not one made for just something to say.

My challenge to you on this eve of 2009 is to think about prior resolutions and what made those not work and commit yourself and "resolve" to do something you will see through to the end. It takes a person of great character to commit and stick to it! A song we sing at church has the following words that I think are appropriate as we look at the coming new year - "I am resolved no longer to linger, charmed by the world's delights, things taht are higher, things that are nobler, these have allured my sight."

Sunday Morning Food For Thought

As I look out at the snow falling this morning, I had to come up with a thought for my blog this morning. (I am trying to decide how to involve more regular blogging in my New Year's Resolution) As I took my bath, I was reading a bit in the December 29, 2008 People Magazine (one of my vices - guess they could be worse). They were interviewing President Bush on the changes upcoming in his life and his reflections on the past eight years. I know that not all agree with all he has done during his presidency (in fact, I would challenge than anyone totally agrees with ALL he has done). That being said, i had to share this quote as I thought it to be most appropriate for Sunday, a day when we all spend time with God and sharing in our common faith and morals. "I am not going to sacrifice my principles on the altar of political popularity."(George W. Bush) I challenge that we all take this to heart and use it on which to grow in ourselves and our confidence and support of our principles in all facets of our lives.

Happy Veterans Day

As I sat at church on Sunday, I reached into my new purse to find a scrap of paper to take a few notes on our excellent sermon on Hope (a welcome message after the elections), no scraps were found as I only move useful things to the new purse and leave all the scraps (trash) in the old purse. What I did run across was a little composition book (the little one that is like less than 3 Inches by 5 inches) that I had covered with cute paper and recorded thought-provoking things in exactly 2 years ago. I cannot tell you what the challenge was in life at that time but my mother had emailed me a couple of things that I felt strong enough about that I created a place to keep them (even hand writing them in it, not just printing and pasting).

Today, on a day we have our thoughts on the veterans that have given tirelessly to keep this country the free one that it is, I thought I would share one of these things from my Thought-provoking Notes book.

"How often do we say we are involved in a project or commited to a project? We may say it about our religious life, our home life, etc. The analogy I came across was both humorous & yet thought provoking. Next time you sit down to an old fashioned breakast of hand and eggs, remember this thought. When you look at the eggs, the hen practiced involvement. When you look at the ham, the pig practiced total commitment!! Are you involved or commited?" (email from Mom 11/9/06)

Wishing you all a thought provoking day as we remember the veterans in the world and those in our families as well.