A New Year

I am so excited about this new year! Usually I go through a little post-holiday blues, but this year I am anxious to see what God has in store for our family in 2012. The first event is sure to be a life-changer. See, my husband is leaving for a mission trip to Haiti in a couple weeks. It's something we have talked about, prayed about, and thought about for years. I know it will change his life forever, and I am a little jealous that I won't be with him. I know that this is not the year for both of us to go, so I am thrilled that he gets the opportunity to go and serve God like this. But I do look forward to the day when we can go together and experience a mission trip as husband and wife. 
Fortunately for me, my mom is going to come stay with me and the kiddos while he's gone. But I've ever gone more than a day without speaking to Brian. It's going to be extremely weird not speaking or seeing each other for almost 5 days. It makes me miss him just thinking about it! But I know this trip is going to really set the pace for our family for the year. Which brings me to my next topic... New Year's Resolutions!
I'm not a big resolution fan. I usually don't even think about them, much less make them. Maybe it's because I have a fear of failure and I don't want to publicize something that I might not even continue for 3 months, let alone a whole year. But this year, I've given it a lot of thought and decided that I am going to resolve to be content this year.

What? "Be content"? What does that mean anyhow?

Well, it's very counter-culture for the U.S. We are taught to want more, to buy more, to envy our neighbor and desire everything we don't have. Get the latest, the greatest and the fanciest everything. Update our technology. Spruce up our wardrobe. WANT what you don't have.

Well, I'm bucking the system... or at least that is my goal. :)

I'm going to be content with what I have. Where I am in life. Who I am. 

Oh sure, I want to improve my self, my spirituality, my marriage, my mothering. I don't ever want to stop improving. But I am resolving to stop WANTING what I don't have. Stop listening to the marketing machine of America. Stop coveting. BE CONTENT.

So, if you hear me complaining about wanting something frivolous this year, please give me a gentle reminder of my resolution. And remember, I'm far from perfect, so I will fail at this. Probably many times. But I'm going to do my best. And that's good enough for me.

Happy New Year Everyone!