New Years 2009: A Reading Goal & Resolutions

For 2009, I hope to read through one shelf of about 40 pre-selected books. Normally, I just grab and read whatever I want from whatever source on whatever topic is of interest at the moment. But this year, I've put together a collection of books from a variety of authors on a variety of topics... homeschooling, discipleship, marriage, Puritan classics, homemaking, sex, politics, gender differences, abortion, and more. I put them all on one shelf in our living room, and I'm going to (hopefully) work through the shelf as the year progresses. This way, I hope to be more intentional about the portions I'm "eating" in each area of interest as I read throughout the year.

As for other "resolutions", I have some personal goals I'm striving for (like losing the 15-20 extra pounds that always seems to hang on until I wean the baby, and finishing the novel I started writing in November)... but these really aren't related to the New Year as much as just the extra time I'll have after getting past the busy holidays and my parents' visit here (they're halfway through a 3-week long visit).

And I hope to continue doing my one-book-of-the-Bible-per-month reading plan. I've been doing this for two years now and I really enjoy knowing where I'm reading when I sit down with scripture, but not having to blaze through the Word at a crazy pace to stay on some pre-appointed "one-year" plan. This year, because we visited Ephesus (that picture is of me & our two oldest children in front of the library there last week), I'll start out with Ephesians in January. If you'd like to join me, e-mail me, or comment here, and I'll try to post more about Ephesians. If not, I might share my observations anyway. :)

I'm not one to make very strict resolutions-- at New Years or any other time. Maybe it's a lack of self-discipline; I just like to think of it as honest. :) I don't mean to shame others who do make goals and end up letting them slide over time... I just know before I even start that there are certain things that I just won't follow through on. So, generally, I don't make big sweeping commitments. No fault at all on those who do-- I think it's awesome when people set goals and really pursue them! And don't get me wrong; I do have goals in life that I'm shooting for... I just typically don't try to "start" doing something totally different than what we have been doing in life just because the calendar date changes.

What about you? What are you hoping to accomplish? Do you set goals at each new year?

Regardless, I hope you had a very delightful Christmas holiday, celebrating the miracle and wonder of Christ's birth, and that you have a Happy New Years Day!