Observations

I hate to eavesdrop, but sometimes you can't help it. The people next to you are just too loud, or too intriguing - like the aftermath of a bad car accident on the freeway.

Observation #1:
Last Sunday, hubs and I were eating at a local fast food Mexican place after church - Qdoba. Ok, really - we do this every single Sunday. I love, love, love Qdoba. There are never enough tables there, and the tables that ARE there, are always super squished together. There was a family of four (two adolescent children) sitting next to us. We were so distracted by their conversation; our table ended up being a pretty quiet one. They were a sad train wreck. Their conversation represented all that is wrong with our culture and with marriage today. First, they spent a long time talking about their family schedule for the week. Well, the wife did (ok, she really dominated the conversation the entire time). She had her electronic device out, and proceeded to inform the husband of all of the things she had scheduled for each day of the week. It took a long time. Then the discussion turned to their schedule for that afternoon. She needed to get some things at the grocery store, but forgot the list at home. She wanted them to go up the hill to their house, go get the list, then go back out to do their errands, though she was NOT happy about it. The kicker here was her reasoning - she absolutely refused to use her day off with the kids (Vets day) to do "family errands." No way. The family errands had to get done on Sunday so that she could spend Monday however she wanted.

It was just sad. The husband was so quiet, so beaten down. What a wife! There was no joy at their table. The family wasn't enjoying being together at all - they just sat there and listened to mom rant and rave. Sad.

Observation #2:
Hubs went to the grocery store for me last night (he is my hero!!!) and called to ask about a particular item. He also had to share a sad observation. He was watching a family of 4 or 5 in the frozen food aisle. All of them - parents and kids - were all extremely overweight. They were carrying their food items with them, which included several kinds on (non-diet) soda, and some other junk food items that I can remember right now (chips or something). They were standing in the aisle arguing over which FOUR kinds of ice cream to get. It was yet another representative picture of many problems in our culture.

Obviously they don't, but I always wonder if these people realize how much of a stereotypical picture (of bad things!) they have created. If they realized it, would it make them sad? Would they be ashamed, make excuses, think it's funny? I wonder what sad stereotypical pictures other people see me in that I don't recognize. Oh, I pray for eyes to see them, whether they are in public or private.

2007 - New Year Prayers

Laurel Wreath is asking about our new years meditations - our prayers, with an encouragement to dream big and lay it all out on the table before God.

I typically don't really make new years resolutions that are set in stone. I do think it should be more of our prayers for the year. Who am I to make resolutions for what my year shall entail? But like Laurel, I'm also hesitant to declare in prayer what I'd like to see happen this year. Of course, in the end, I want God's will more than anything, and if I never verbalize what I wanted to begin with, then I can't really have it taken away from me if it isn't His plan. I recognize that that seems a bit silly and childish now (since God knows my heart anyway), so I guess I will go ahead and memorialize my prayers for 2007.

Faith
I want to continue in BSF leadership, but with better preparation. If this is a task God has called me to, then I should do it to the fullest, with a joyful and grateful heart.

I want to mediate on one chapter in proverbs every day, repeating them every month. I'm sadly unfamiliar with most of the proverbs and would like to get them dug deep into my heart.

Similar to Keziah, I want to learn one question from the Westminster Shorter Catechism each week.

I want to find the best way to bless the Lord with the home He has blessed us with. We are going to start hosting our church small group here, but feel like maybe we should also get involved in Young Life, or our church's youth group. Or something else...I don't know. I want this to be a place of refuge, a haven where God is glorified, and all are welcome. (and one that serves good chocolate chip cookies!)

Family
Scary to write it down, in case it doesn't happen, but I really want to get pregnant this year with our first child.

I want my husband to be offered a new job, that pays well, is intellectually exciting for him, where he will be respected, and at a company where he can have a great future.

I want hubs and I to be more active together.

I'll go ahead and put it in this category, since it affects my family very much, I want to lose 13 pounds. Almost forgot to put that one down! Really, I just want to be more comfortable in my skin. I realize that this sort of conflicts with the first family goal... God will just have to figure that one out. I just want to be more appropriately sized. =)

Friends
I want to find ways to regularly contact he friends God has blessed me with and learn to develop each of these friendships further, knowing that each woman is unique.

Home
I want to learn to provide a better home for my family, being aware of what needs to be done, and doing it. No delay, no excuses. I want to provide order to the chaos. I do not want my job of providing healthy food and an orderly house to be a burden, but a privilege.

I want to be able to paint the exterior of our house this spring and remove the tree in the front.

I want our little house to sell quickly later this month for a good price.

(Edit: I keep forgetting things) - I want to learn to play the piano, even just a little bit of chords.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

So there they are. Laid out before the blogging world, and before the Lord. What I want for 2007... IF they are what God wants too.

Christmas card prayer

Lord,

Help me to finish these Christmas cards quickly and get them in the mail TODAY, and for my friends to forgive me for getting their cards after Christmas.

- kel