Adios 2009

I wish I could say I am sad to see you go, but alas, I am not.

This year was overall pretty stinky.

I've been doing a lot of thinking about what role I played in the down parts of this year and how I can make 2010 better.

And after reading this post I've decided that a theme word for 2010 would help keep me focused on what I want for the new year.

In 2009, I was a bad friend.

I didn't call when I knew friends were having a hard time. I left people out. I trash talked and gossiped and was not kind.

I did not follow God's prompting.

I can recall numerous times that I felt God asking me to go out of my way for others, to write or call certain people just to say hello.

And I didn't.

There were times I was an absent mother.

I neglected to play when she asked. I told her, "just a second, Mommy's busy," when what I was doing was of zero importance. I raised my voice, I scolded, and I missed teaching opportunities.

I had moments that I chose to not support Andrew.

We all know he had a rough year, and while I tell myself I did my best to support him, there were times I did not. My role as his wife calls me to support and encourage, to lift him up when he needs it. And I got lazy about it.

So when I was thinking about what my word for 2010 needs to be I knew it had to be something that would remind me to put others first, to use encouraging words, and to put first things first.

My word:

PRIORITIZE

In 2010, I will turn off technology, let the dishes wait. I will rock my baby and hold my husband. I will pray for friends and then be God's hands in any way I can. I will purposefully go out of my way to encourage, lift up.
It will take work, but I'm determined to be the best me I can be in 2010.

Finances will rise and fall. Temper tantrums will be had and lessons will be learned.
I can't change the weather and I can't control what other people say and do.

But I can control how I react. The words I use. What I use my time for.

So Adios 2009, Hello 2010!

The Best Is Yet To Come.