New Beginnings

Don't worry. I'm not going to ask you what your New Year's Resolution is. I'm afraid to make one myself.

I could say "lose weight," but I understand that I need to consume an additional 1,000 calories a day to make enough milk for my boys. Plus, I'm enjoying it. So that one's out.

I could say, "exercise more," but let's get real. The only exercise I'm able to do right now is managing two 20-pound babies in my arms at the same time. Moving in different directions. That is a workout, though. Trust me.

I could say, "get organized" but that's something I have to do with two babies in transition all the time! We are now in the "creeper" stage; they're not on all fours, but they are both doing one mean army crawl across the floor. You would now find everything in my house about 2-3 feet higher than normal.

People can easily get stressed out about making (and then keeping) their resolutions. But I'd like to encourage you not to be too hard on yourself. I have a feeling that you're already doing a pretty good job being wife, mother, friend, and daughter as well as all of the other roles you fill on a daily basis.

If you do have a new goal, make it a realistic one. Make a plan that will fit within your (already demanding) schedule and then be flexible when and if things don't go exactly as planned. It may take some time for your new goals to fit into your lifestyle. Even if you make a positive change for just a week, that's one more week than you would have normally had!

I am so grateful for new beginnings. Second chances... and third and fourth chances. This is a good time for us to evaluate where we have come and where we want to be. A time for us to redefine our goals and align ourselves up with our ideal. To refocus. Reconnect. SUCCEED!

And the other piece of good news is the fact that even if we fail miserably, we don't have to wait for next New Year's Day to make a new resolution. The Bible tells us that God's mercies are new EVERY morning. Not bad. Not bad at all.

Here's to a happy and healthy 2010!