Better Late Than Never

I don't know about you, but I'm not that big on making New Year's Resolutions.

I think because my kids are in school, I tend to follow the school calendar.  For me, the beginning of a new school year often feels like a "new year" to me, even more so than the first of January.  So my resolutions for the year are more likely to be made in September.

For the past several years, we've put a different spin on the resolutions and turned them into predictions.  It goes a little something like this:

Each New Year's Eve, our family sits down in the living room with pens and a big pile of paper strips.  We make predictions about the upcoming year - one per slip of paper - then sign our name to each.  For example, "The Spurs will win the NBA Championship", "We will meet someone famous", or "The girls will get all A's on their report cards".  Then we seal the predictions in an envelope and store them in a box with our Christmas decorations.  The following New Year's Eve, we open the envelope and read the predictions to see which ones actually happened.  Then we get out new strips of paper and start all over again for the next year.

I'm thinking I probably should've told you about this back in late December but you really could still do this.  We're not too far along in 2012 for this to be a total bust if you want to try it.

Also, most of you know that I'm a big reader.  As in, anytime I have a few free minutes, you can bet I am going to spend it reading.

So the only resolution I'm 100% willing to commit to is to read even more in 2012. 

Thankfully, there are several reading lists floating around the internet to get me going.

Bloom (in)courage has their winter reading list up and it's a good one!

The Nester tells us the books she read in 2011 and the ones she hopes to read in 2012.

Sandra Peoples (author of Speechless, a book about her first year's journey with autism) has a list of what she read in 2011 and several of them look really good.

And check out the School Library Journal's Best Books of 2011 for some great reads for your kiddos.

Now, one more thing that I'm a little behind on.... the Joy Dare 2012.  But this is my only other 2012 resolution - to be more intentional about looking for the gifts and blessings in my life. To try to find at least 1000 of them.  And to write them down.  I hope to have a lovely notebook to show you this time next year, a beautiful visual reminder of my grateful thanks to a loving and good God.

Ann Voskamp, the author of One Thousand Gifts has even created monthly "guides" to help in the search.  

Here's January's:

Will you join me in this?

Obviously, you don't need to be strict about this guide.  It's simply some suggestions to get your creative juices flowing.  The goal is to be looking for blessings, not going thorough a checklist.  Use it only if it makes it easier for you to get started.

So, let's chat now.

1.  What's the best book you read in 2011?

2.  What was your biggest blessing in 2011?

3.  Will you dare to join me in the Joy Dare 2012?

Your turn.  Leave a comment.  Ready.... Set...... Go!