Be it hereby resolved

Happy New Year! I love new beginnings! Not only do we have a new year to celebrate, but a new DECADE!!!!

I'm a New Year's Resolution junkie. Well, I'm a goal-making, planning, type-A junkie, period. Last year, my Resolutions spanned two pages, typed. It was basically a comprehensive plan of how to make my life perfect. No wonder I didn't accomplish more than a fraction of what I had set out to do over the past year!

This year, I've got a better plan! Instead of making an exhaustive list of everything that needed to be worked on in my life, I decided to focus on three. That's a tad more digestible, no? I looked at my life, and tried to figure out what three changes would make the biggest impact on improving my life.

First, I decided that getting into shape would probably make the single biggest improvement. I would have more energy, focus, stamina, and confidence!

Second, I decided that I needed to schedule time with God every day. Up until now, I only read the Bible or wrote in my prayer journal whenever an opportunity conveniently arose. Well, you all know how often opportunity and intention so perfectly come into convergence... I know that by focusing on my spiritual health, I will be renewed and refilled daily. That will outpour into every other area of my life!

Third, I will launch my own business this year, in conjunction with my two business partners. Early last year, I came up with an amazingly clever idea for a product that will benefit every mom! Even better, my partners and I could pretty much design and create this product completely from our (and our amazing hubbies') own resources and talents! There really is no excuse for not getting this business off the ground and running! So, this year, I will make it happen! Having the extra income from what I know will be a thunderously successful business would definitely help in so many ways! (By the way, I'm purposely not divulging the details of the business just yet. Rest ye assured, you will be the first ones to know and sample the goods when we're ready to launch!).

But, making goals is only the start. It doesn't do much good unless you actually execute them! Borrowing from Tony Robbins (one of my favorite motivational speakers!), I created a MAP - a Massive Action Plan. First, you clearly define the goal with specificity. Then you create a plan - every step, big or small, that I need to take to accomplish that goal and when I am going to complete each step. Here are my MAPs:

Resolution 1: Get in shape - 120 lbs by my birthday! (April 13)
* I scheduled all my workouts through April on my calendar.
* I am committed to getting up early in the morning to workout. I've learned that if I don't do it first thing, it just doesn't get done!
* I took my measurements and before photos so I can measure and track my progress.
* I have a program on my iPhone where I can journal my workouts and eating so I can see how well I'm doing over time.
* I've defined healthy eating limits and have made meal plans full of healthy foods. Every Sunday, I will go to the grocery and do all the prep work for all my meals and snacks so there are NO EXCUSES.
* I've established prizes to reward myself when I hit each goal - New tennis shoes after I've lost the first 5 lbs; a "Girls' Night" at the Melting Pot after the first 10 lbs; a trip to the salon for a new hairdo and manicure and pedicure after I've lost 15 lbs, and after I've hit my goal of losing 20 lbs - I'm going to buy myself a new spring/summer wardrobe! Now if that doesn't motivate me...

Resolution 2 - Grow Spiritually.
* After I finish my workout each morning, I will spend 20 minutes reading the Bible and doing my Bible Study program, and praying.
* I loaded up my iPod with new spiritual music!
* Each day while I eat lunch, I will read my daily passage (they are super short) from Joel Osteen's Your Best Life Now Devotions which I have loaded on my iPhone Kindle to make it super easy!
* I bought Ace the Love Dare Couples' Daily Devotions book (based on the movie Fireproof) for Christmas, and each night before bed, we are reading through that day's devotion and discussing. This is not just great for me personally, but also for us as a couple!

Resolution 3 - Launch my business by June!
* I made up a step-by-step process for developing the product and a time table for doing so.
* I have scheduled two hours each week where I will completely devote myself to this project!

I have also scheduled on my calendar a time each month where I sit down and review my progress on my resolutions and track my progress. I know that unless I keep this in constant focus, I will gradually lose steam over the year! I've very excited for 2010 and for the BIG changes I am making this year!

What are YOUR resolutions?????

My Heart is Heavy

Please pray today for the family of Kayleigh Freeman. She passed away last night at just 11 months old.

I have been following Kayleighs inspirational blog for many many months now. She was born two months after my Bennett was born. She suffered from severe intrauterine growth restriction and was born at 28 weeks weighing only 1 lb. The doctors never thought that she would live, but she did. Not only did Kayleigh survive, but she thrived despite many many obstacles. Kayleigh was the smallest person to ever undergo open heart surgery and survive. She had to have surgery for an infection of her bowels and survived that too. Her parents thought the end was near when she began to experience pulmonary hypertension that the doctors just could not seem to control, no matter what they tried. But she did. She survived and she was on her way home! All she needed to do before she came home was to have a gastrointestinal feeding tube placed so that she could start taking full feedings. But that surgery, a relatively minor procedure in comparison to what she had been through, changed the course. The operation itself went well, but something happened during the procedure that caused Kayleigh to lose all function of her frontal lobe in her brain. The part of her brain that controled her memories, personality, everything that made her who she is, was gone. Her parents never lost faith, always praying for yet another miracle. When it looked like that miracle would not come, her parents began to pray that Kayleigh would be able to come home to the nursery they had prepared for her nearly a year ago to pass away in peace with her parents, brother and sister.

But that was not to be. Last night, the swelling in Kayleigh's brain became too much and she passed away. I am thankful that Kayleigh is no longer in pain, no longer living in the confines of a NICU, no longer attached to so many wires and tubes. She is in God's arms now, where she is perfect and at complete and total peace. But I mourn for her family. There were so many times when Kayleigh beat all impossible odds and they were so hopeful that she would come home and thrive and go on to live a normal life. That this story should end this way, to me, seems so nonsensical.

But I remember back to something very beautiful my friend Veronica said at the funeral of her father, who died very suddenly when we were in college. She said that God must have thought her father was a very special person, and must have a very special plan for him in his heavenly kingdom to take him from her at that time. That is how I feel about Kayleigh. God must have a very special plan for Kayleigh. In the smallest of packages, God was able to show his grace and mercy and power to so many who read her blog. But, lest we not forget that God is not only great when things go well. God is also showing himself to us through her parents. They are in unbelievable pain right now, yet they are still praising God. That is inspirational to see a faith so solid.

Please pray for peace for the Freeman family.

Patience (With Yourself) Is a Virtue

So...I declare this "T-shirt Week"!! I've come across a few fun t-shirts lately that have inspired some blog topics, so each of my blogs this week will feature a new t-shirt. Go ahead, tell me how corney that is - I can take it!

I recently discovered an online store called Faith Baby that sells Christian-inspired clothing for kids and babies, and saw this t-shirt, which I think would be PERFECT for Carter:

If you can't see the writing, it says "be patient. God is not finished with me yet!" Of course, this t-shirt is intended for toddlers, but I could sure use one adult-sized for me!!!

So, I last left you all gloating about my grand plans to clean my house top to bottom. Oh boy did I have big plans! I arranged for Ace to take the boys and leave me in peace and serenity for SIX straight hours Saturday. Surely, that is long enough don't you think? Back in the day before frugality hit me, I had a cleaning lady come once every two weeks and it took her like 3-4 hours to clean the house. If she could do it, so can I! Right? WRONG.

In six hours, all I managed to get done was the family room (but boy was it disgusting), the exterior of the kitchen (didn't get inside the fridge, cabinets or pantry), the half bath, and the foyer. PATHETIC. I swear I only took one 10-minute break the entire time to pump too. What the heck is wrong with me??? Even when I have all time in the world (i.e. 6 hours when you are a mom of two), I can't manage to keep my house clean! I'm just falling apart people!

After getting over my initial disappointment (err...devastation), I decided to give myself a break. I'm always plunging in expecting that I can whip things into shape and get things "perfect" again. I have this long list of goals that I wrote up for 2009, which if accomplished probably would resemble something along the lines of a Stepford Wife, but with a full-time career added on top. And I'm always so frustrated that I can't seem to make any headway on this list. I keep declaring "This will be THE week when I get my life in order!" Yet, it just never happens. Alas, I am not superwoman. Maybe back in the day I was, but that was before two kids, a law career and chronic sleep deprivation descended on me. I just may never accomplish that entire list of goals. I'm a work in progress after all!!!

So, the moral of the story here is - baby steps. I've realized that the only way any of my goals will ever come close to being met is to gradually work toward achieving them (or achieving the steps it takes to achieve them, lol!). I just need to be patient with myself! God doesn't give up on me because I am not perfect (yet), now does he? So, I can't keep giving up on myself. Maybe my house will achieve model-home status one day, and maybe it won't. As long as I view it as a work in progress, then I'll be one step closer. And a lot less frazzled and stressed about it.