resolutions

The new year is here, and everyone is working on their resolutions.  I have two this year.  

First, drink more water (note that I haven't made it too hard on myself - such as cutting out sweet tea all together).  I was reminded by someone that doing good things for your body is essential to your whole being, since we have this fleshly body that we're stuck with while on the Earth.  I used to have a love affair with water.  I never even drank soft drinks until I was a junior in high school.  I remember going to the mall in junior high and ordering water at the food court.  The guy taking my order was confused.  Water?  (This was before the bottled water trend ever surfaced.)  And now I am a sweet tea addict, with an occasional diversion of soft drinks.  I have to make myself drink water.  I have to tell myself over and over how good it is.  

My other resolution is to be more patient with my kids and husband.  For two entirely different reasons.  In the hustle and bustle of working full-time and taking care of 4 small kids, I lost sight of what I am actually doing here and the little blessing God has given me.  I long for time to myself to read or to blog or to watch a movie on TV.  And that desire for "me time" gets me more and more focused on myself.  And that takes me to an ugly place - me.  Don't get me wrong - I know I need some R&R sometimes.  But I have been throwing way too many pity parties for myself because I never have time for "me".  Pity parties give me a good reason to focus on all of the things I "miss out" on and therefore I lose focus on the good in my life.  And I have four little GOOD things in my life, and I only get them for a short time. It's easy to lose sight of all of that when I am running around trying to fix dinner while helping my son with his homework, quickly running to the bathroom to check my four-year old's "wipe job"AND nursing a baby all at the same time.  

Two different resolutions, but both the same in that I can't accomplish either goal without God's grace.  I can't do any of this on my own.  I can't have patience with the trials of being a mother without God's grace.  I can't force my flesh to choose water instead of running to McDonalds's for their GIANT sweet tea (and it's only $1!) without God's grace.  So when I crave that sweet tea, I pray for an extra dose of grace.  And when I feel like sending all of the kids up to their rooms so that I can get some peace and quiet, I pray for grace.