2008: New Beginnings

Welcome to 2008. Have you made any New Year's Resolutions? I have a few -- and I will share them with you -- that certainly helps with accountability, right? But first a funny story...

This is the honest, truth. A few year's ago I was standing in line at a Target store waiting to check out during an "after Christmas sale." I was amusing myself by people watching -- and I confess..."people listening" as there was a very animated group of women behind me chit chatting as they waited to check out too. The topic of their conversation was "pet peeves." They were talking about things that their husbands do that drive them crazy...and you can guess that there was a fairly common and specific list of complaints. But one of the ladies chimed in with a kind of unique one... she said, "I hate it when he uses a word that he doesn't know the meaning to -- and acts like he does...you know WORDS matter!" At the time, I had a couple of thoughts...being a single gal and not involved with anyone I had little to relate to their conversations -- but of course that didn't stop my head from running down the path. I remember thinking specifically two things..."you have forgotten the blessing of having these men in your life -- and yes, WORDs matter...specifically the Bible tells us that words have the power to hurt or heal -- and these words seemed to be focusing more on the former than the latter."

Yes, I know it is easy to judge someone when you don't live in their situation -- so please hear, sweet friends, that I wasn't focusing on these women as a people to be judged...but it struck a chord in me about something I wanted to be "purposeful about should I ever find myself in their shoes." I wanted to always remember what a blessing it is to have a man whom I love involved in my life (warts and all -- since I certainly have my own faults) and secondly, to speak highly of him rather than rehearsing all of his faults...(a lesson I am glad I thought about then -- and am trying to apply now that I have Royce and Weston in my life). So I was pondering these ideas and lost track of their conversations until they caught my attention once again and I heard the same lady whose husband mis-used words say...."So, have you all made any New Year's REVOLUTIONS?" Honest....that is what she said...not resolutions ---revolutions. Talk about something coming back to bite you in the "behind!?!?!?!" But then, that made me start thinking too (guess I was in a "deep thoughts" mode that day). Aren't we more likely to actually act on things that we think of as REVOLutionary as opposed to just RESOLutionary?

I have a few things that I want to be purposeful about this year...I want to REVOLUTIONIZE these areas of my life...change them with specific results. Here they are:

1. I want to be healthy...eat more non-processed food, cook at home more than eating out and continue with my plan to lose weight.

2. I want to continue learn to be a good wife...focused on my relationship with Royce -- and appreciate the differences that God placed in each of us. *interestingly enough -- Royce purposefully misuses words -- just to make me laugh -- and I never can forget the life lessons I learned standing in that line in Target everytime he does....I love God's sense of humor!

3. I want to spend time daily in God's Word and in prayer. Nothing gives me more balance, purpose and direction than time spent building my relationship with my Heavenly Father.

4. I want to be intentional about learning more about Photography. I love taking pictures -- but I want to take BETTER PICTURES and use my camera and it's capabilities more fully. I am planning on taking some on-line lessons...and doing some projects to practice with my new knowledge. (More on that later -- as it is one of my surprises for you this year -- but I want you to get ready to play/practice along with me).

5. I want to maximize this incredible opportunity I have to do the What You Make It tv show. I want to continue to improve the segments of the show...and to make the website as inspirational and easy to use as possible. I would love to hear from you guys on what I can do to make either one (or both) something that is of interest to you.

I am sure as I move further into 2008, that I will add to this list....but this seems a good place to start.

Ok...now to share my first layout of 2008.

When we were cleaning out my Mom's house I found a TON of pictures from her childhood and my early childhood. I am having fun working my way through them. This is the VERY first picture my parents took of me -- on the day they adopted me and brought me home from the orphanage. Looking at it is a very powerful experience to me...I see so much in this little girl's eyes...I was an older child -- and it was very rare for an older child to be adopted back in the 60's...My journaling clearly has some adult perspective -- but focuses on what I see in her eyes.


Journaling on hidden tag reads: can you see it in my eyes? The hope of a two year old who has just met her new Mommy and Daddy? This is the very first picture my parents took of me on the day they brought me home from the orphanage. I haven't even walked into my new home. Am I as scared as I look? Will they love me? Will I be good enough? Somehow I knew what an awesome gift being "dopted" was. What a blessing as an older child to find parents who didn't have to have a baby. What was yet to unfold as we became a family was unknown -- but for the first time in my life...I was home.

I also had fun dividing the white lacy Bazzil cardstock into four parts and trying four different ink/paint techniques to create the background. I like the softness of it...and am glad that I got to do a layout with this picture that holds so much of my earliest history.

Would love to hear about your focus for 2008...what is on your list of "REVOLUTIONS?"

Happy New Year....