I think the new year is a great time to make some resolutions. Sure, it’s overdone and typical, but a fresh start is just that – a fresh start. I read an article recently about giving God the first of everything. Our day, our week, our money, and even our year. So why not make some resolutions that reflect that? Here are mine:
1. I was inspired this morning by our pastor to pray more. “Lack of prayer is your declaration of independence from God.”
James 4:6 “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” A proud person doesn’t pray because he doesn’t need God. Well, I know I need God, so my prayer life had better get going! I asked a dear friend recently who has an amazing prayer life about the ins and outs of how to do it. She simply said, “Sit and talk with God until you feel loved.” I like that.
So practically what will this look like? I’d started praying before bed with the kids and writing our requests in a notebook. We take turns each night who reads the requests. This fell by the wayside about a month ago, and I’d like it to pick back up.
Also, since Kevin is older and I’m now getting a wonderfully full night’s sleep again, I am going to get up earlier and spend time in prayer before the kids get up. Give God the FIRST of my day, get it? Even Jesus did it. “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” Mark 1:35 Lately it has been getting squeezed in between bottles, breakfast, and babyfood.
2. I want to spend the FIRST part of our school day in God’s word with the kids. This is more important than any history or science lesson. For some reason, this usually gets shoved to the end or not at all. I want to show my children that it should be our number one priority.
What will this look like, practically? I think we’ll start where we left off after our Jesse tree and the Christmas story in Luke 2 and continue to go through the life of Jesus. (This might help clear up some confusion in Nate’s mind when he asked at the Christmas Eve Service, “Mommy, is Jesus still a baby?” Ha!) We’ll just take a chapter or less at a time, read it, talk about it, and I’ll have the kids write or draw something about it.
3. I want to spend more time focused on teaching Bible Verses to my kids. Psalm 119:11 “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”
So, practically, what will we do to accomplish this? I finally went ahead and set up this system: Scripture Memory System. I’ve been procrastinating for over a year to do this, and I finally went ahead and made my own system on New Year’s Day. I didn’t have the right box or tabs, but I made my own out of labels and note cards, and I found a box around the house that will work.
These are the main thoughts God placed on my heart. And in closing, here’s the verse that inspired the name of my blog, “Reaching Ahead.”
“But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Phil 3:14
Happy New Year!
