New Dawn, New Day, New Year

It's a new year. In case you weren't aware.

It's 2010 and I don't know how to pronounce it. Do we say two thousand ten, twenty ten, or just ten? That's my predicament right about now.

Just three days into the new year and I'm just now compiling my list of "new year's resolutions." Please don't laugh at my feeble attempts at keeping them.

So here they are...I would appreciate a drum roll please...

Sabrina's New Year's Resolutions for the year 2010:

1. properly and consistently train for a marathon like I have never done before. I have a lofty aspiration to run three marathons in three states in one month. The month is October. The states are Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Virginia.

2. write one electronic newsletter per month.

3. Write the equivalent of one letter per day, which means I can write 30 in one day and be done for the month. Doesn't seem fair, but it is.

4. Change my eating habits. Which means I'm no longer allowed to eat 37 pieces of candy a day. It will be hard, but I'm praying that I can manage.

5. Hold tight to my budget. Canceled a credit card today. I'm feeling accomplished.

6. Work on being emotionally healthy. Haven't figured out all the parameters of that yet.

7. Adhere to the intern contract I signed at the beginning of this year. Even the things I don't necessarily agree with. I signed it. I guess I should follow it. So that includes memorizing John 1:1-18. Hold me accountable.

8. Mastering the balance between time for myself and time for others.

9. Perhaps make an effort to actually answer my landline once in awhile when it rings, and maybe even call people back when they leave messages on it.

10. Staying in hot pursuit of the Lord. Dwelling in His presence throughout my days and not only in my "quiet times." Challenging myself and others in this faith I hold so dear.

And that's all I got for now.

Here are the steps I've taken towards meeting them:

1. in training for the marathon I've yet to run this year, but I blame that solely on the weather. There's ice out there man. And I ain't got no yaktracks yet. But I did go on an eight mile run and a six mile run while I was home for Christmas.

2. I just sent out January's newsletter about 20 minutes ago. Did you get it?

3. I wrote 6 letters so far today.

4. Haven't had one piece of candy today, though I did eat a chocolate chip cookie and 6 fig newtons.

5. Like I said, I canceled a credit card today. I don't have any scissors handy or I would have cut it up by now.

6. Emotional health..3 of the 6 hand-written letters were to my bio dad, my step-dad, and my brother.

7. I'm on verse 13 of John 1 and I finished the allotted intern reading for the week. Go me.

8. I spent all of today on myself and all of yesterday on others. Good balance?

9. I'll answer my landline when it rings next time. Promise.

10. Today, I actually felt like I was hanging out with Jesus. It's been a few days since I could say that.

A resolution is a firm decision.

Firm decisions made. Firm steps taken.

Now it's your turn. What do you have to say for yourself?

Go make a resolution or something. It's a new year for goodness' sake.