resolved.

as we do every january 1st, the mister and i sat down together and deliberately thought through, prayed over, and jotted down our plans and goals and resolutions for the fresh year. 2014, i can already tell that you are going to be a good one. first and foremost, i want our life to bear the marks of a true Christian.  and what does that look like? well, thanks be to God that He spells it out in Scripture. and so, we have selected this passage to serve as the polestar of 2014.  the model for our life.

romans 12:9-21

let love be genuine.  abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.  love one another with brotherly affection.  outdo one another in showing honor.  do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.  rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.  bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.  rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.  live in harmony with one another.  do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly.  never be wise in your own sight.  repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.  if possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.  beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written,“vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”  to the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.”  do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

sheesh.  tall order, eh?  but for the grace of God...

pretty sure i could split that up with tiny boxes next to each and have my checklist for the year {and my life}.  but, to show that i put some additional thought to the matter, i am expounding and listing our personalized list, a mishmash of his and hers and ours:

morning devotional time as a couple.

personal time of meditation to pore over the Scripture and fill the cup to pour into others.

memorize the book of romans.

live graciously. be intentional.

yoga. every. day. even if it is simply some corpse pose.

weekend run.

dance more. in my home. at a class. with my hubby. partying with elinor.

drink more water.

eat for pleasure. eat for health.

slow down and savor.

engage in deliberate and meaningful conversations.

create sweet memories in elinor's nook.

read a book a month. or 12 for the year, whatever it takes.

take up french.

be respectful of time. be early. plan ahead.

bake croissants every so often.

practice unplugged sabbaths.

{his} professional: complete two more certification exams.

{hers} professional: take on more projects and architect my days wisely.

donate more time/treasure/talents to meaningful ministries.

designate a benevolent fund for random acts of generosity.

date my husband.

declutter and live simply.

deepen relationships.

go on more family adventures.

bring out the fancy stuff, just because. carpe the sparkly. make a memory. 

speak sweetly in our home. mind our manners. live by example.

need more reading?  here's more for ya.

happy new year, folks. and thanks for following along.

xo, us