My Many Goals

The Reading Room

I didn't write earlier about New Year's Resolutions because there's something about them that I don't care for. I've tried to keep resolutions in the past but all too frequently fell short. It doesn't help that I'm a perfectionist always struggling against unrealistic expectations in my life.

Some failed resolutions from my past: (No, I'm not trying to do all these this year!)

1. BE ON TIME (hahahaha, this one's a real knee slapper! My family knows just how much I struggle with timeliness...)

2. Read my Bible every day. I have tried more than once to read the Bible in a year but haven't succeeded YET. However, I am an optimist and am trying to do it again this year. So far, so good.

3. Eat better/lose weight. Yeah, right. Read my earlier post to see how well I'm doing with that this year. However, this is more a lifestyle choice, not a resolution.

4. Live a genuine life. Actually, I try to do this every day, I don't need a resolution for that.

5. Create more art. I'm working on this one.

6. Spend less, save more. I'm working on that right now, too.

7. Go to bed earlier, get up earlier.

8. Exercise every day.

9. Begin taking vitamins. I got going again with the vitamin regime last summer and surprisingly have kept it up!

I have more but can't recall them right now. You get the idea. Somewhat unrealistic and idealistic. Yep, I know. I can dream, can't I?

So, here's my goals for 2010: The first I mentioned above, reading through the Bible in a year. I am enjoying that one and am happy to be on track. The other goal is to read a book a week. I am an eclectic reader, meaning I like to read all sorts of stuff. I used to be a major speed reader but for some reason find that I can't read as fast as I used to. I need to slow down and savor books more now. Anyway, I thought maybe I'd post maybe once a week letting you know what I'm reading and give a short book review.

I've got a lot of books I'm working on right now. Don't ask me why I start more than one book at a time but I do. I'm currently reading My Life in France by Julia Child, Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome (reading aloud for our homeschool), The Garden of Grace by Jill Briscoe, The Prodigal God by Timothy Keller for our Life Group at church, The Busy Mom's Guide to Bible Study by Lisa Whelchel (a Christmas gift from my daughter), Shopping for Time by Carolyn Mahaney and her daughters, Jumping Ship by Michael Pearl, Helen Keller, a Life, by Dorothy Herrmann, Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe, 31 Days of Prayer by Ruth Myers and more.

I used to be a big reader. Somehow, over the years, I have found less and less time to read. It makes me sad that I have a library full of books that I have not read. What a pity! So, in an effort to claim more reading time I have decided to make it a priority, hence the resolution to read a book a week.

So far this year I've read Drops Like Stars by Rob Bell, a great book even though a lot of conservative Christians think he's somewhat of a heretic, or so I've read. Silent Night, a child's picture book by Will Moses. I love his paintings. Surviving Hitler, A Boy in the Nazi Death Camps by Andrea Warren, a very moving book. Great American Presidents: Harry S. Truman by Michael Foley. A young person's biography of Truman. We are studying the time period when Truman was President and I wanted to brush up on his presidency. None of these books were very lengthy but when you couple them with my daily Bible and devotional reading, I don't have as much time to read as I would like. I really have been getting to bed earlier and that cuts into my reading time. Ah well, choices, choices...

So, have any of you made any New Year's Resolutions you'd be willing to share? I really am pumped about the two I've made. Hopefully you'll be hearing from me soon about the latest book I've read. Time to go - can't have my blogging interfering with my reading time!