Happy New Year. A bit late.

New year, new goals. Resolutions are made, only to be broken within hours of the turning of the year. Seems like a new year ought to be a good time for a fresh start, no matter what your goals, but it's understandably difficult in the middle of winter, which is where most of us are at this present moment. Nothing says "wrap up in a blanket and watch Netflix" like cold and snow. But I digress.

Have you made a list of goals for 2015? Is it actually doable? Lists are great, but if they aren't actually achievable, then you'd probably be better off without a list. I have generally made a list of goals that ends up being on the unattainable side, so this year I'm taking a bit of a different approach. I do have a few year-long goals, but I also intend to assess separate goals for each month. This breaks the year down, and also I think it'll be easier to have season-specific goals listed during that season. Writing about summer plans and/or goals in the dead of winter is just not how I roll. I appreciate each season for what it is, and besides I actually like winter.

That being said, here are my January goals/plans, in no particular order.

• Conquer clutter and put away Christmas decorations.
• Bake a cranberry pie.
• Learn a new piano piece.
• Watch all ten seasons of Friends. (I'm on season 4, so this really is plausible haha.)
• Sew a tree skirt (to use next year and beyond) from leftover wedding dress fabric.

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As for my year-long goals, here are a couple.

• Read at least 25 books. (I know I can read more than that, but more about my reading plans will be on my book blog soon.)
• Train to be able to run a 5K. (I was doing this last year but stress fractures ruin things.)
• BLOG BLOG BLOG
• Sew at least one project a month on my new sewing machine.

end of the year and all that

Since getting a job back in April, all my plans/ideas/personal life kind of went haywire. It took a long time for me to acclimate, as it generally does when something is new. Seems like I'm on track now, though, and I'm definitely enjoying what I do. (Mostly because I have a few very good friends there now. That's always helpful. And fun!) Of course the holiday season tends to throw a wrench into everything because though it's the most wonderful time of the year, it's also the busiest and craziest. Plus, it's not over yet -- New Year's and Epiphany are yet to come. I hope to do something small to celebrate Epiphany.

Anywho -- it is nearly a new year. What a crazy thought. I have a hard time believing 2013 has mere hours left to live. That's not a bad thing. A new year always prompts resolutions/goals/long lists, whatever you call them. And those lists are always a good thing. Following through on them is a different story. I am long guilty of writing resolutions and then not following through on any of them. Sound familiar?

Well, I turned 25 a month ago, and it's long past time for me to progress on some of my resolutions and goals further than a few steps. Getting started is the easy part; staying on the path is way more difficult. Besides, there is so much that life has to offer, and (as I have said before), I thrive on new experiences. It's hard not to, honestly.

I'm not going to post any of my goals and resolutions just yet -- that gives me a topic for another blog post. Okay, just kidding, I already mentioned one...blogging regularly. I can't let things get in the way anymore. I'm a writer, darn it! And I can't always be writing in private, though there is nothing wrong with that. But seriously, how am I going to get the courage to even attempt publishing a novel if I can't keep up with writing a blog??

So, creativity is definitely coming into play in 2014, that much I will tell you.
And please, my dear readers, keep me accountable.
Let me know that you do in fact enjoy my posts, and want to see more. :)

reading the Bible in one year

Yes, January 2012 is behind us and February is well under way. This is a year that I have promised to myself will be a year of good things and a healthy body, mind, and soul. I'm working on the healthy body by working out, doing some yoga, and eating right. My mind is always nourished by reading books, especially those that fall under the classification of Great Books. My soul is nourished every Sunday morning when I attend church, but during the week I have been guilty of not paying attention to it. My soul, that is.

Thus, I have decided that it will be this year that I read the entire Bible. I have read most of it in the past, yes, but never the entire thing. At least I don't think so. The point is that I need to read it more often, and in a studious kind of way, not just opening the book and reading the first pages I come to. That method is not terrible, because everything in the Holy Scriptures is important and can be applied to my life; however, I need a way to focus better. So, beginning in Genesis, at the beginning, I am going to read the whole book!

Perhaps I will be through the Old Testament by July or August.

Many individuals meditate when they do yoga. Meditation is not all bad; you have to know what to meditate on. I choose to meditate on the Holy Word of God, to further enrich my soul on this earth.

If I can keep up with this blog in a more regular fashion *coughcough*maybe impossible*coughcough*, I shall update as I read, giving you my thoughts.

Also, any encouragement is greatly welcomed!

musings no. 4 [a new year has dawned]

Yay for 2011! Another year, another chapter in the life of God's green earth.

Another chapter in my life has begun, too. Though if I spent the end of 2010 watching Ghostbusters 2 with my boyfriend...eh, it was fun. And the end of that movie takes place on New Year's Eve, so I think it was appropriate. And we did see the Harlem Globetrotters at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, which turned out to be awesome.

But now it's 2011.

The year I graduate from college.
The year my life changes forever.

Am I ready to take hold of the future?
Am I ready to leave behind some of what I've known my whole life?
Am I ready?

God must believe I am ready, and therefore, I am.

[Jeremiah 29:11]