There is such a feeling of newness and freshness about a new year. January first. First day of the first month. I know I’m not the only one to feel this…people have probably been making resolutions for the new year for centuries, if not millennia. But there is validity to living life intentionally, determining what you want to strive for and going after it. And a new year naturally causes one to assess one’s life. Where have I gone? Where am I going? “Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”  (Psalm 90:12)

I shared last year on the blog what goals I set for 2010. Most memorable was the goal of digging for gold in the Bible, rather than raking leaves. It was great to go through most of John with some neighbors, as well as 1 Peter with OneWay friends. God taught me much this year about His sovereignty, grace and wrath.

Stepping into 2011, these are some of the goals I’ve written out:

1. Prayer – continues to be challenging for me. I committed to daily logging my prayers on the computer this year. I had to get over the fear of someone reading my confessions and intimate prayers to God and realize that by writing out what I’m praying, my mind remains focused and disciplined. Two days into it, and I am really enjoying this method.

2. Bible – reading through the Bible this year, Genesis to Revelation. Also, will continue studying more deeply the passages God puts before me to teach.

3. Memorize – one verse every week.

4. Relationships – basically just be more intentional. I’d like to encourage at least one person every week (I know that sounds cheesy, but that’s what I wrote down. And if it’s recorded, then I’m more apt to do it.)

5. Character – self-control with food. Specifically, one sweet per day. This would be easy for many of you, for me it is not. I will say no more on this subject. And I continue to strive toward temperance of speech. Since naming this character trait as a weakness of mine, God has surely grown me in this area, but it still must remain on the front burner because when I get in a slump it’s one of the first disciplines to go (Jesus even said “out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks”).