Petals from the Basket

Half-Year’s Resolutions

This Sunday is the first day of the week, the first day of the month, and the first day of the second half of 2012.

Some of you will read that and say, “Cool.” (Notice the absence of the exclamation point—just “cool.”) But some of you, like me, are thinking that this marks the perfect weekend—when all “scheduling tools” perfectly align!!!!! (Notice the multiple exclamation points!)

For those of you in the first category who live in some semblance of normalcy, life will go on, untouched by this phenomenon. But for those of us “abnormal” calendar perfectionists, it’s time to grab a fresh pen (for all good perfectionists know such an event cannot be properly celebrated with last week’s pen), buy some new paper clips (suitable for color-coding, of course), and start filling in the boxes on the untouched full-month-view pages of our 2012 planners!

Even if your planner starts the week on Mondays, this works! You have no fear of your starting page in the weekly section having a blank page on the back, thereby showing everyone that you are not as organized as you wish to be. Go ahead, admit it. It’s safe here. I KNOW I’m not the only one!

But this Sunday, July 1, 2012 is like New Year’s Day all over again! Fresh start, clean slate, new month, new week, new day, new beginnings!

In celebration of this “perfectly-aligned” start to the second half of the year, I would like to invite you to join me in making three—only three—”half-year’s resolutions.”

1. Body: Make one realistic goal regarding the care of your body. For example, drink more water. Exercise three times per week. Get more rest. Train for a marathon. Walk one mile per week. Do whatever matches your skill level and your motivation.

2. Mind: Set one realistic goal regarding the strengthening of your mind. Make it a priority in the second half of the year to learn something new. Read. Take a class this fall through your free community education courses. Learn how to use a new feature on your phone. Do a crossword puzzle or try sudoku once a week.

3. Spirit: Determine to accomplish at least one realistic goal in developing your relationship with God. Join a Bible study. Choose to have a God-and-I-Time at least three days a week. Memorize a verse, a chapter, or a book of the Bible. Pray for others. Pray for God to stir your heart with a hunger for His truth. Grow in grace and knowledge of Christ with the help of a weekly “Praise Walk.”

Maybe you already gave your best in the first six months of 2012. That’s awesome! Now better your best as we each choose to keep, gain, or begin the momentum of  growing in our care of the body, mind, and spirit as we face the first the first day of the week, the first day of the month, and the first day of the second half of 2012.

***Tomorrow is a special GUEST POST from my mom, Lorraine Strohbehn! Be sure to stop back by and read about the lesson she learned from a childhood chore!

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Thank you for reading today’s post.

Feel free to share your resolutions either via comment or email [petalsfromthebasket (at) gmail (dot) com].