bring it on.

Mmhmm.

It's almost here. 

Already.

January always seems to catch me off guard-- 

another year...over... already.

My baby girl turns one on Sunday and we open up a brand new year. 

A fresh start.

2011 was good. 

Full. Busy. Overwhelming. Full of change. Exciting.

We added and expanded our lives with the birth of Nora James. We road-tripped 20 hours with a 6 week old, 2 year old, and 3.5 year old. We left the country for two weeks with 30 something high schoolers. We sent Corban to school. We broke Cate of her paci. Started a legal business. Photographed four weddings, seven engagements,  fifteen seniors and thirty one families. Learned a lot about mis-management of time. Re-floored the kitchen, gutted the master bath, and destroyed all major storage from our upstairs. (Just kidding. Sort of). We watched kids fall in love with Jesus and lives change as a result. We watched lives and marriages go from broken to restored. We fell more in love, grew more as a family, and recognized our need for mercy new every morning.

A good year, in all.

So... now what?

I'm not big on New Year's resolutions. 

They don't work. At least for me.

Goals, however... that I can do. 

As I mentioned last post-- intentional seems to be the word for the year.

I want... no, need, to be much much much more intentional.

With my time, money, effort, service, prayer, so on and so forth.

But on a more specific note...

some random and small, some more life-altering note, here are some

Things I'd like to do in 2012:

drink more water. and less pop.

make and keep a flexible cleaning schedule.

budget. and stick to it. 

be a runner.

give more.

buy less.

make my bed daily.

sell our house.

read more.

meal plan.

Follow Jesus. And help others do the same.

And a few quotes for thought, to bring in the new year:

"The question isn't, Should I give ten percent? Rather, Can I justify a life that consumes ninety percent of my paycheck?"

"Therefore go and make disciples..." -Jesus (matt 28:19)

"Things that matter most must never be at the mercy of things that matter least."

"No one need fear the voice of God unless he has already made up his mind to resist it." -Tozer

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

Oh God, be my everything.

Be my delight.

Be Jesus, my Glory, my soul satisfied...

Praying this year will be one of more prayer, growth, love and following after Jesus than ever before.

Happy New Year!

:)