Hooray! It's a Resolution Renewal Sale!

Hi friends! I hope all is well with you! The other day I wrote about trading a "Read the Bible in a Year" plan for a more moderate approach, and it made me start thinking about those of you who may have committed to spending more time in God's word this year than you have in the past, but find yourself losing steam as time goes on. 

If that about sums up your current position, then let me encourage you for just a few minutes.

The quality of time that you spend in the Word is far more important than the quantity of Scripture that you're able to digest in one sitting. Maybe, just maybe, it's time to slow down and savor your time in the Word each day rather than trying to speed through it just to check it off the list.

Some days, you might read three or four chapters at a time. Others you may only make it through a couple of verses before the Lord stops you in your tracks. Neither way is better than the other. They're both a valuable and necessary part of growing in your knowledge of the Bible and the God who reveals Himself to us through it.

My heart's desire for you is that you will fall so deeply in love with the Word of God that you look forward to reading it each day. That it would be a constant source of life flowing through your heart. That you would come to really know the Lord whose love is spilled over the pages.

Rather than throwing in the towel because you've failed to keep up with "the plan," why not renew your resolution to spend time in the Word? It's OK to reassess and change your approach. There are no resolution police here! 

To help, I've marked down all items in the LAJ Shop for a Resolution Renewal sale. No coupon code is necessary, but the sale prices will expire at 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, January 26. Maybe you'll find something that will give you that extra little push you need to keep on keeping on. Until next time, grace and peace.

Oh, my Aching Bones

(image credit here).

Operation Disciplined and Intentional is in full swing, and I just need to tell you that my body is in protest. Seriously. Apparently, it forgot what it feels like to be exercised.

I, apparently, forgot how uncoordinated I am. Yesterday morning, I woke with full intentions of starting the day with my Pilates DVD. I lasted about two minutes before I remembered why I stopped using the video in the first place: I'm terrible at getting all my parts moving in the right direction at the right time. I spent most of the two minutes craning my neck up at the TV from the floor wondering how on earth I was going to get my body to do that.

So I quit.

I picked up my hand weights and did some arm and ab exercises, then I did crunches and called it a morning.

Better than nothing, right?

Those 250 crunches did a number on my belly. It's been screaming at me ever since.

After Micah woke up and ate breakfast, we packed up and headed to town to pick up a few essential items, including a new workout DVD. I tried it this morning, and although it was difficult, it's at least doable for me.

Last night when Dennis got home, I laced up my running shoes and hit the road. I'm following a simple 5K running plan, and I'm hoping that this time it sticks. I haven't run in over two years. My last semester at Beeson, back in 2008, is the last time I remember running. Then I got pregnant, had a baby, and couldn't figure out when running was supposed to happen anymore.

After the failure of yesterday morning, I thought there was no hope for the running adventure, but then I surprised myself by completing all 10 minutes of running without too much trouble. It felt good to run again.

Have I mentioned that I'm out of shape??

The plan is to work out each morning at home, either with my weights or with a DVD. When Dennis gets home in the evenings, I'm headed out the door for 30 minutes of running/walking. My goal is to do the videos 5 days a week and run 4-5 days a week. At the end of 10 weeks, I should be able to run for 30 minutes without stopping, which will put me on track for running a 5K sometime in the spring. I've just got to find one.

So that's my workout plan. What about you? How are you working out these days?

Until next time, grace and peace.

I am Resolved: Disciplined & Intentional Edition

I don't generally make New Year's resolutions. I usually have a vague sense of a goal or two that I would like to accomplish during the year, but this year is different. I've been living a bit haphazardly lately, letting schedules slide and allowing situations dictate my days. Last week, I read a post about resolutions on Bloom that helped me clarify a theme for 2011. In the post, Danielle chose one word to define the upcoming year. Her word was gumption. As I mulled over all the different goals I have for this year, two words came to mind: disciplined and intentional.

Since I graduated from seminary and became a working from home staying at home mommy, I've lost a lot of the discipline that defined my life when I had four papers and three books to read each week. That lack of discipline has filtered into all sorts of areas of my life, and I'm ready to reclaim it. That explains why I chose disciplined as one of my theme words.

My reasons for choosing intentional are a bit different. Being a mother has forced me to question why I do the things I do. I want to raise a daughter who is thoughtful and mindful, which has forced me to become more thoughtful and mindful about how we do life in this household. I want to be intentional about the things we watch, the books we read, and the traditions we practice. I'm not interested in living haphazardly any longer, but I am interested in intentionally cultivating a sense of wonder and faith in my baby girl. That process starts with me.

Those words are my themes, and I've got lots of ways I'd like to see the words define this year. My list of goals runs from losing 25 pounds to paying off student loans to rising each morning with Dennis. I want to read the Bible using M’Cheyne's Bible Reading Plan and start a bit of Bible-reading with Micah. I plan to post more frequently, run a 5K, and sign up for more writing projects. I also want to read more books (which should be easy since this year I only finished one) and live more generously. Being disciplined and intentional will help me accomplish all of these things.

I am resolved to be a disciplined and intentional woman this year.

What have you resolved?

Until next time, grace and peace.