My 10 Personal Resolutions for 2010

[kreuzcontrol]

The first time I learned about New Year's resolutions back in my younger years, I initially thought that having a list of something to be doing for an entire year (if not something to be really hopeful for) is just fun to have. I like lists. More than this, I like striking out items on my list, may it be a to-do list, a to-buy list, or a grocery list. I take lists seriously because a lot of things depend on them: my productivity, my efficiency, my time, my budget. I wish I could also be serious when it comes to resolutions.

You see, beloved, I have the same kind of "disease" everyone has when it comes to dealing with longstanding lists-we tend to forget about them. It's a kind of pandemic we like having in our lives (and we rarely admit to this!). Yesterday, I wrote about adding "create a resolution" in my to-do list, which I have accomplished this morning. Actually, I came up with 10, hence the predictable title. I took to heart the sermon of Pastor Roy and his sons last week about this same topic. This year, I want to be serious with my resolutions because, as a follower of Jesus, I want to focus more on Him, not on myself. By our Lord's grace, I know I can do them. Better yet, by our Lord's grace, they are done.

Here is the list of my 2010 resolutions:

1. Start and maintain a life of discipline. Life Management for Busy Women by Elizabeth George has been a good tool that teaches me in this aspect. I started reading this book on New Year's eve and it has been giving me insights about discipline and how to practice it as a believer and follower of Christ ever since. It has verified my practices, cleared my indecision, and reminded me to push forward with the plans I already have for myself without hesitation. Truly I say I can hold on to her words from now on. To conclude this resolution, let me quote another Elizabeth (Elizabeth Elliot) on discipline: Discipline, for a Christian, starts with the body.
2. Grow my knowledge of Christ. I'll devour as much books as the Lord would allow me to, but nothing can replace reading the Bible.
3. Finish reading the Bible in a year. Not a mandatory thing for everyone, I think. I just want to do this for myself because, though I may not understand most of what I read in the Word, I want seeds planted in my heart and mind. I remembered my best friend, calliopem_erato asked me for "A Bible in a Year" guide. Bex, I only got this from CCF's site. It's a downloadable PDF file. You can refer to that.
4. Be more active in my church. I have a vague idea of how to do this as of this writing, but I'll be praying about this more.
5. Regularly fill up my prayer journal. Believe it or not, I think I'm on my way to becoming a prayer warrior. I hardly pray before, and now I love it.
6. Continue accomplishing my list of 101 things to do in 1001 days. I'll be updating the list again to do what I love best: striking out what I have already accomplished before 2009 ended *wink*
7. Finish my studies this year. Normally, my studies only run for two years and now I almost doubled my duration because I hardly find the time to study. It's my fault, though, and it has caused me a lot of money and troubles already. I want to move forward and take up more online courses. What I'm eying next is going under apprenticeship for Jerry Jenkins, but the fees are too expensive for me -_- Anyway, God will find a way. As Captain Janeway had taught me: One problem at a time.
8. Blog daily and consistently. As of now, it's the only way for me to practice actual blog writing. I want to take this seriously, too, in case I would be having my own business online some day. Who knows. I want to be prepared nonetheless. This is another discipline I want to immerse myself into.
9. "[I] Burn myself perfectly." You may find this funny but I got this from watching Sailor Moon - Sailor Stars saga in episode 176. A nun actually said these words because Seiya was being half-hearted in his practices for a play (Actually, half-assed was the term she used). I like the message so much it never left me once it hit me. This resolution means that I want to give my all in everything I do. As a writer, I have messages to convey through my writing, and as an artist, I, too, can convey the same message through any medium of my choice. What I want to say, I say with my actions and not just my words, and what I do and say is always for a greater purpose, no matter how much they can pile up on me. Writers, isn't that the heart of writing? To show more than tell?
10. Start and finish my building fund contributions. I've known about the CCF building fund projects for two years now, and I still haven't decided on how much I'm going to contribute because I'm always confronted with the problem of where to get the money. I find myself sighing a lot when I think about it, but now, it's time to face the music.

I must be losing my mind. This thought came to me after I after writing down this list because for me, these 10 are not easy. Some of them, in fact, are even impossible for me to accomplish since I am not a very good student of following through. No doubt some of them are, but my convictions tell me that I'm not about to run away just because they are. Instead, I'm holding on to God's promise that nothing is impossible with Him. I believe that He already finished these for me.