Auld Lang Syne

It has certainly been a long time since I last posted...life, as always, seems to move at a pace in which I find myself just trying to keep up...but it is overflowing with blessings and learning experiences...2010 is here, and as I did last year, I've set my sights on many things I hope to accomplish within the next 365 days...

I was unable to see the film "No Impact Man" this year when it came to the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, but the concept behind it intrigued me. A man attempts to minimize his ecological impact by not exhausting electricity, cancelling magazine subscriptions, cooking completely with organic and local ingredients...he decides to live his idea of a deliberate, meaningful life...I teach American literature, and my favorite unit to teach is Transcendentalism...since my first encounter with the ideas of Thoreau and Emerson, I have been completely entranced with the philosophy of living deliberately...I think of how our world would be different if each of us lived with purpose, with passionate desire every single day...and so, this year, I am going to stop saying "I wish I could do this..." or "Wouldn't it be fun to do this?" and I am going to just do...now, the things I want to change from wishes to reality may seem silly or minute, but nonetheless I will strive to accomplish all of these things...

• Join a yoga studio...this is something I have always wanted to do...a way of being good to my body while maintaining discipline and a peaceful spirit...
• Cook one new recipe a week...hopefully, using seasonal and local ingredients...yet another way to support local farmers and producers, AND contribute to our health in a positive way...
• No soda...yikes...and yes, I am even giving up diet...thank goodness for coffee...:)
• No buying new clothes...upon cleaning out my closet multiple times this year and working with several charities this year, I came to the realization that I have more than enough clothes...I like to shop as much as any girl, but it's just not necessary for me to buy new clothes this year...or, perhaps, for longer...
• Create even more music...this was one that I had set for last year, and to an extent I accomplished it (Red River Connection is about to release our first full-length album with original content!)...but, I want to make music that I am creatively attached to and proud of...
• Knit knit knit...last year one of my resolutions was to learn how to sew...I didn't really accomplish this, but I did learn to knit...and I LOVE it...it's an amazing stress reliever and a really great creative outlet...this year, I want to learn more advanced patterns and maybe even make a sweater...woo!
• Put life first...in the teaching and ministry universes, it is so easy to slowly lose a sense of oneself...you put so much time and energy into the well being and futures of others that your identity quickly shifts to being defined by others...while I believe whole-heartedly in the work that Zac and I do in our respective careers, I too often bring home the stories of my students, the burdens of 143 lives...this is exhausting...while I know that I will never truly be able to completely leave all stories behind once I get home, I want to get better at this...so that when I do get home, I can focus once again on all of the beauty and power that each day holds...

What are your deliberate goals this year? How are you going to leave reminders in our world that love and hope and grace still exist? Think about it...and take this as a challenge...this year is going to be remarkable for me...hope it is for you too...peace, dear friends...