1. A Deeper Relationship With God – 2012 was a hard year. After being on the mountain-top for so long during an incredible adoption journey, I felt like I tanked to the bottom of the deepest valley. There were days when I was so overwhelmed by a crying baby and so sleep-deprived that I found I didn’t, sometimes even couldn’t, pray.
Colic-induced screams, poop explosions, and sleepless nights kept us from going to church for many months and then hurt feelings and bitterness in my heart kept me from returning. I am wrestling through that with God and John and I are finally getting back into a routine of going to church. My prayer for 2013 is that we find a church home where we finally feel like we belong. My heart yearns for that.
2. Journal Regularly – I used to keep a journal every day. For years I wrote about my deepest feelings and what was happening in my life at the time. When I started blogging, my hand-written journals took a back seat. There are just some things you can’t blog about. I opened a new, empty, journal on January 2nd and began recording my day-to-day. The sweet moments I don’t want to forget – like Jackson learning to drink from a straw 🙂
3. Take A Digital Photography Class – I got a fancy camera for Christmas and I want to make sure I know how to use all the bells and whistles. I love taking photos! I start my class January 23!
4. Grow As A Blogger – This means blogging more, hopefully growing my readership, investing in a new design, etc. I just started reading “31 Days to Build a Better Blog.” I am super excited to see what all I glean from this book. I love writing, I love my bloggy friends, and I love sharing what God is doing in my life. I want to continue promoting adoption and orphan care and encourage others who are struggling with infertility and/or traveling the crazy, overwhelming, and expensive road to adoption.
5. Finish My Book – Most of it is already written, I just need to organize it and put it into chapters. I’m not sure what God’s plan is for this book, but I know I need to finish it, if only for myself. I want our story written for Jackson. I will trust God with the rest. Hoping to set aside one evening a week to write (after I finish my photography class).
6. Read More – I love to read! When you have a baby it’s hard to find the time. I hope to change that this year. I currently have three books started. This is unusual for me. I’m the type of person who usually reads one book at a time. 🙂 If you have any good book recommendations let me know!
7. Attend the Created For Care Adoption Conference – I’m so excited to be traveling to Atlanta with my friend Kathleen in March for this fabulous adoption conference. I will have the opportunity to meet so many adoptive mamas who I’ve “met” through the blog world. It will be a great weekend full of all the things I love…adoption, orphan care, and Jesus!
8. Take a Vacation with John – We are in desperate need of a getaway that is longer than one night 🙂 John just happened to find a killer deal on a seven day trip to Ireland. I’m so hoping we can be a little irresponsible and book that trip. If not, we are definitely going somewhere in the good ol’ US of A!
9. Have Regular Date Nights – We sucked at this last year. It’s really hard to leave a screaming baby with people who are not your family 🙂 It’s hard to schedule regular date nights when you don’t have family living in the same state as you. However, we know this is SO important for our marriage, so I think I have found a sitter who I trust and who can watch Jackson twice a month so we can go on dates. YAY!
10. Don’t Be So Hard On Myself – I am my own worst critic. This is something I’ve been discussing with my counselor a lot. Still trying to figure out how to ease up on myself. Hoping I’ll figure out how in 2013!
11. Go on a Mission Trip to Ethiopia – I’m not sure if this is feasible for this year, but I am putting it on this list anyway. We may not be adopting from Ethiopia anymore, but I still have a huge desire to step foot on Ethiopian soil, visit orphanages there, and serve.
12. Visit Our Friends Justin and Jessica in New Haven – I guess this could end up counting as my vacation with John. 🙂 We miss our friends terribly! They love Jackson so much and became such special people to us. We hate that they live so far away and are looking forward to visiting them and taking advantage of being so close to NYC and Boston.
13. Focus on the Present, Stop Getting Stuck in the Past – I’m really bad about getting an image in my head of how I think things are supposed to be. I thought marriage would be like this, or motherhood would be like that….I dwell on the past way too much, instead of soaking up every minute of the present. I get down when things don’t happen the way I had pictured, instead of trusting that it’s happening exactly like God planned.
What’s your 13 for 2013? What would you like to accomplish this year? What areas in your life would you like to improve? It’s a new year! Anything is possible!
“God can do anything, you know – far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.” (Ephesians 3:20)