Grateful Fast Sunday XXVI

AJP and BLP this past fall at the Washington Monument. They are two of my biggest inspirations.

I need to make my New Year’s resolutions. I just cannot get motivated to think about “rebirth” when our world is cold and covered in ice and snow. I have finally decided that maybe the best plan is to recommit to what I wanted to change last year. I have a lot of work still to do on those goals. I did improve last year but need to improve more. This year I will try and do that. I will pick up from last year and try and make those goals habits.

Last year, I divided my goals into four categories: Spiritual, Social, Intellectual and Physical. For my spiritual goal I once again want to read the Sunday lessons for church. Church-wide this year we are studying the New Testament. Learning about the life of Christ and His apostles is inspiring and I really want to get as much out of it as possible. We are also learning about the basic principles of the gospel. It is always good to go back to the basics so I am excited about that as well. My social goal is to go out with Josiah at least once a month. Life is so busy with so many commitments that this was rather difficult last year. It is not that we did not spend time together without the kids. It is just hard to get a babysitter and actually go out. This year I resolve that we will do a better job of it. Intellectually, I really want to read an average of one book a month. I did well with this goal last year until we moved and then I just could not get back into the rhythm. I have really started this goal in earnest this year and the local public library is making it a pure joy! The only goal I really met (and surpassed) last year was my physical goal. There my progress exceeded my expectations so this year I am going for another difficult goal. I want to be able to do one pull-up at year’s end. Yes, you read that right – one. This will be a challenge since my elbows barely bend at this point. I want to increase my strength and I think this will help me do it.

Some of you may say, “What does this have to do with Fast Sunday?” The answer as you will read is quite simple – everything. This month I am grateful for the following. . .

1. A kind and loving Heavenly Father that sent his only begotten Son so that I may return to live with Him once more. Without Christ’s sacrifice, we really couldn’t change – at least not in any way that really mattered. We would change but would never be able be completely clean. Our efforts would all be fruitless since we would never measure up. Christ gave us that gift – a gift that lets us change and measure up. A gift that takes what we do and makes up the difference. That is something I feel very grateful to know.

2. My part-time job. In mid-December, I started working for a school teaching English as a second language. It has been a crazy ride but I have learned a tremendous amount. It has created a nice tension in my life where I have had to make choices about what is really most important. It has helped me to see that right now the most important thing for me is to be home when AJP and BLP are home as well as providing my time to their school. I am learning how to make sure that happens while fulfilling my personal life purpose.

3. Books. During the final part of last year, I could not seem to make it a priority to read fiction and I missed it. I feel that hole even more now that I have been able to read three fiction books in the past month. It has been pure joy to get lost in a great story.