this pilgrim's progress

2011. A new year. Well, five days into that new year. Obviously, I didn't make any resolutions for overcoming procrastination or being more consistent with my blogging. To be honest, I didn't want to make any resolutions this year despite my sparkling success at the only resolution I made last year: to read 100 books in one year. I read 102 - booyah!

Still, with the new year, I couldn't help but make a mental list of all the things I wanted to change and/or improve. Lose some weight. Eat healthier. Exercise more. Read more in my Bible. Pray more often and with my husband. Attend Bible study/church regularly. Talk to my mom and mother-in-law more frequently. Visit my grandparents more often.

In the midst of my mind buzzing with all the things I could do better, all the ways that I just didn't feel quite adequate, God told me one simple thing: rest. He reminded me that I strive too hard to accomplish what I simply cannot do on my own. And when I'm too busy running after my own accomplishments, not only do I not glorify Him, I end up ignoring Him all together.

So this year I've set simple, more Christ-centric goals. 1) To read through the four Gospels and really study them. 2) To read one spiritually-enriching book a month, whether it's a Christian classic or a modern Christian living book. Through these resolutions I hope to keep bringing my focus back to God and His glory. So this year I'll be praying Psalm 51:10: "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." I can't wait to see where God leads me from here.