New Year's Eve and My Resolve

To celebrate the evening, the Perko family headed over to the Rammage's to enjoy a Christmas. We had lots of yummy food, fun gifts and family. Critter and Peanut both got special blankets, handmade by MaeMae. Scooter got a super soft, coveted (also handmade) pillow. Special gifts, home made ones are.

We had a fun time, cousins had fun together and Ralph struggled a bit to stay awake, already tired early in the evening. (You'll get to see photos soon...)

But it's New Years, so awhile after we returned home we hosted a last minute Eve party of our own. Some close friends, The Kuhlman's and The Braatens came over bearing snacks, drinks and of course lots of pennys for some serious (okay, not too serious) Poker. Needless to say, we had a wonderful time- staying up way too late ( I think our guests went home about 3) with the kids finding a bed or couch to crash in...that is with the exception of a certian 10 year old who was determined to stay up. A wonderful time, I don't remember the last time I laughed so hard.
(I promise there are photos coming...)

Which is my segway....resolutions.

I resolve to laugh more, lots and lots this year.

If you're in need of a bit of inspiration in regard to resolutions, I highly recommend you head over to Kristin's blog (not to mention a fabulous family photo) and read an article that she posted. It's a long read, but well worth it.

I too, will resolve to make some changes, pursuits, examination this year. Many folks I've talked to think that resolutions are a silly notion, knowing fully that we won't keep them. I absolutley agree, and disagree.

It is likely that we, human as we are, will not be able to keep most any resolution if it be a commitment that we make, with the exception of an amazing crockpot woman who's accountability and determination kept her on a daily blog for A YEAR. Imagine that, I couldn't even keep up for 31 days.

I looked up the word discipline, here are the definitions;

• a field of study
• training that corrects, molds, or perfects the mental faculties or moral character
• control gained by enforcing obedience
• orderly or prescribed conduct or pattern of behavior

NO WHERE, here do I see anything about perfection or perfect consistency. If a resolution is simply something that we are committing to see change in, it's a discipline, a habit change that improves our thought process, health, relationships, or just ourselves.

Resolve defined:

• to reach a firm decision about
• to progress from dissonance (lack of agreement) to consonance (harmony or agreement among components)
• clear up
• to find an answer to

....so I completely disagree that Resolutions are fruitless. Perhaps our tact is erroneous. Maybe rather than resolving "I'm going to excersize every day in 2009 for 30 minutes", our resolution should be "I'm going to examine my habits every week and see if I'm getting more healthy. We aim for perfection, not discipline or change in habits, and this is why we fail. Our lofty goals get us two weeks into the year, and then we miss a few days and feel we've failed miserably and give up entirely. Wipe out the perfection in your brain. Go for bettering yourself, that may need to change course constantly, or even the topic of betterment. Maybe one month each focusing on one new habit is enough, rather than beating ourselves over the head with laws of our "resolve."

And stepping off that soapbox, I'll be sharing with you this year the things I'm working to improve in me. Most of them, I hope will be bettering myself spiritually and relationally. I'm just 35, I have a long, long way to go.

I see too, more and more in my own life that as I walk with God, meeting Him each day and being a student of His Ways and Spirit, all things work out, the road ahead of me is made straight and I don't have to worry about the other areas in my life.

Matthew 6:33 (New Living Translation)

33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

Psalm 37:4 (New Living Translation)

4 Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you your heart’s desires.

More on that....

Now, to share some photos with you -in no particular order, thank you.