I love the opportunity to start again. At the start of each new year, I have a list of “must dos” that usually include “must shed those wibbly wobbly bits, must improve my fitness…” I start bravely, with much determination but have generally lost all resolve by the end of the month.  I blow it again and again and am left feeling a little disappointed.   This is one of the truly remarkable things about forgiveness and grace – no matter how many times I stuff up, I can start again.

I had avoided making any commitments to forming any resolutions for this new year until one of my friends shared one of her highlights for 2011 – to watch more television and she had.  This friend had been particularly busy, so this was a way to make her slow down, but I laughed – don’t we all watch too much TV?  What an achievable goal!

It got me thinking about what I would like to achieve this year.  2012 has the potential to be different for me in many ways.  Keith has study leave in the second half of the year and we both have long service leave – I am planning on taking six months off work – to do different stuff.  It is one of those golden opportunities to spend time doing different things.  Here are some of my hopes and dreams for this coming year:

1. Spend time writing.  At the moment I am doing an online writing course and having a ball – I do a lot of writing but it is not the sort of writing that I really want to write – ever since I was in High School, I have wanted to write and haven’t.  I never knew that I could have done a course in writing after High School and developed skills and confidence – it has simply lain dormant and buried.
2. National year of reading – I would like to write about the books I read and the books I would love to read with children if still had small children – I spend a lot of time with my nose buried in a book – I would love to encourage others to read – this can be my effort towards this year of reading.  I read a most inspiring article about a new book written by Nicholas Carr, author of a book called The Shallows: what the internet is doing to our brains – “Don’t let technology stultify your brain – download a book” by Gail Rebuck, SMH, 2 January 2012.  One of the wonderful things about reading books is its ability to teach the reader about empathy.  Anyway, you can read the article for yourself if you are interested.  This goal means that I will spend time reading too.  So here’s to regular posts about what to read with your children and what you could read too – in all those spare moments.
3. Marriage stuff – this is the year that Keith and I are planning on coming up with “something” to do with marriage.  It won’t be a book – three books have just been published about marriage in the last year, but a “package” that Pastors or educators can use locally with their community.  I have won a small scholarship that will pay for my airfare to England – we plan to spend some time away and read, think, brainstorm and come up with that magic “something” that can be used by others.
4. Delighting in the Lord – I will share more about this in another post.  2008 was a year in which I spent time figuring out what this meant and what it looked like.  My resolve this year is to continue in this – it was a rich and deepening experience as I also battled with health related issues and delight did not come easily or naturally.
5. Of course I would like to be fitter and trimmer – but this usually does not happen.  As Keith says “no pain, no gain”.
6. In keeping with my friend’s resolve of a year ago about TV – I would love to watch more boxed DVD series.  I fell in love with Larkrise to Candleford and am now working my way through (dare I admit it The Waltons) and Mad Men.  This goal looks pretty achievable!