I asked Jon this morning what his new year’s resolutions were. He did not yet know. I was surprised. I always know mine well in advance of January 1st! (What does that say about me?!)

In the last few months of any given year, I plan my route towards change so that I can manage it as effectively as I can. I’ll spill the beans of my list in a bit. But first, I wanted to share with you
what the most popular resolutions on the internet appear to be:

1. Spend More Time with Family & Friends
2. Get Fit
3. Lose weight
4. Give up a bad habit – like smoking or drinking
5. Enjoy Life More
6. Get Out of Debt
7. Learn Something New
8. Get organised

I understand why these make the most popular lists. They are all very ‘human’ concerns. On the face of it they look to be fairly worthy goals. But read them again… All of them are about making oneself ‘feel’ better. I guess some of them have an impact on other people, but mainly they are highly self-referencial. They are also all about external and temporary change. Most of them are very hard to quantify and measure.

So what are my resolutions?
Well, here goes…
1. To finish reading my BIble so that I can write blogs more accurately and teach truth more competently
2. To have a ‘date night’ once a week with Jon where we either go out or spend some time together alone.
3. To establish a proper place in my house where I pray and intercede for others. At the moment, I am ‘nomadic’ and that is not working for me. In our last house I had the privilege of a whole prayer room pretty much to myself. (I have the same in this house, but it is in the cellar, has no window, floor, or walls to speak of and is cold and damp. Perhaps I should pray warmth in and not let that bother me??!)
4. To teach my children a bible verse a week. At the moment, they are on one a month… not really helping them to learn scripture enough. I am also going to help them to establish their own little devotional time. There are some great things on the market now. (Go to IntegrityEurope.com and type in Children to see whats available.)
5. To establish a routine of fasting that is in line with what Father is asking of me.

That is it.
I don’t have a goal to see more people or lose some weight. I am not setting myself up to ‘achieve’ another album, write a book, or learn a new skill. Those things may come of course, but they are not actually of much eternal significance.

I am learning (very slowly) that pleasing God first is always the best resolution to make. Others things come from that. Seek first His kingdom and everything else will be added.

Isn’t that a pip? (as they say in The Night Garden)