Happy New Year!! It's now official.So here goes.

Here are my expectations and hopes for 2011:

• I expect to grow closer to God, by spending more time with Him and witnessing His actions around me.
• I hope to have our home, family and work under God’s direction and guidance so that it is easy to see what we are supposed to do.
• I expect to be a better servant and child of God.
• I hope to serve God more by involving the family in more service projects.
• I expect to draw closer to my husband and to be even more in love with him by the end of the year.
• I hope that John and I can make new friends so we have people to invite over.
• I expect John and I to teach our children to draw closer to God through family devotions and other learning opportunities.
• I hope that the children can learn to make the right decisions even now so their lives can be blessed in the future.
• I expect our children to draw closer to each other so they can depend on their brothers and sisters and respect each other.
• I hope that each child can find at least one good friend outside of their family that they can spend time with and share memories.
• I expect each child to mature and to grow and achieve things to the best of their ability, not more than their ability.
• I hope that the children can be more stable in our home and feel more secure about their life.
• I expect our home to be a welcoming and open place for anyone who wishes to come into it.
• I hope to clean and de-clutter my house more regularly.
• I expect some wonderful, exciting, and happy times.
• I expect celebrations.
• I expect great family times.
• I hope for lots of the above.
• I expect some sadness, trials and tribulations.
• I expect some tough family times.
• I hope for very few of the above.
• I expect days that go smoothly and days that don’t.
• I expect myself to grow as a person-spiritually, emotionally and mentally.
• I expect of myself to set the example, in all areas of life, for what I expect from my family.
• I hope to remember that everything I do, I do it for the Lord. I want to be His servant and His example in all things.
• I expect myself to work to the best of my ability and to not waste as much time as I have in the past.
• I hope to re-start and maintain my routines so that life can run smoother.
• I expect to find joy, contentment and a love for life in at least one small thing every day.
• I expect to know that God is with me, even when it doesn’t feel evident.
• I hope to share my life more often with more people through emails, blogs, phone calls and old-fashioned letter writing.

AND FINALLY:
Most importantly, I expect and hope that everything we do, say and think pleases God and makes Him proud to have this family as His children.

Time to Re-focus

I've been meaning to write for the last 9 months and I keep procrastinating. Tonight, I logged into my blog and re-read what I'd written. Oh my, am I embarrassed. I'd totally forgotten about my hopes and expectations for 2010, which I'd posted and my goals for 2010, which I never did post. I am long overdue for a review of the year, since I went through 3 quarters without one. This year has gone by so fast, I really can't figure out where all the time went. I know I haven't accomplished nearly what I wanted this year, but I also know that progress has been made. Really, that is all that I can ask for, isn't it? Anyway, I think the next several posts will be some reflection on those goals, hopes and expectations. That will help me to re-focus my moments so that I can once again start to think about them, finding the purpose and cherishing them all, just like I was trying to do in January.

My 2010 Hopes

• I hope to clean and de-clutter my house more regularly.
• I hope to serve God more by involving the family in more service projects.
• I hope to remember that everything I do, I do it for the Lord. I want to be His servant in all things.
  
• I hope that the children can learn to make the right decisions even now so their lives can be blessed in the future.
• I hope that each child can find at least one good friend that they can spend time with and share memories.
• I hope that John and I can make new friends so we have people to invite over.
• I hope to develop a more healthy lifestyle for our family-more exercise and better eating.
• I hope to share my life more often with more people through emails, blogs, phone calls and old-fashioned letter writing.
• I hope to re-start and maintain my routines so that life can run smoother.
• I hope to have our home, family and work under God’s direction and guidance so that it is easy to see what we are supposed to do.

AND FINALLY:

Most importantly, I expect and hope that everything we do, say and think pleases God and makes Him proud to have this family as His children.

My 2010 Expectations

• I expect to grow closer to God, by spending more time with Him and witnessing His actions around me.
• I expect to be a better servant and child of God.
• I expect to draw closer to my husband and to be even more in love with him by the end of the year.
• I expect John and I to teach our children to draw closer to God through family devotions and other learning opportunities.
• I expect our children to draw closer to each other so they can depend on their brothers and sisters and respect each other.
• I expect each child to mature and to grow and achieve things to the best of their ability, not more than their ability.
• I expect our home to be a welcoming and open place for anyone who wishes to come into it.
• I expect some wonderful, exciting, and happy times.
• I expect celebrations.
• I expect some sadness, trials and tribulations.
• I expect to know that God is with me, even when it doesn’t feel evident.
• I expect love, mercy and blessings from God.
• I expect great family times.
• I expect some tough family times, although I hope very limited.
• I expect days that go smoothly and days that don’t.
• I expect myself to grow as a person-spiritually and emotionally.
• I expect of myself to set the example, in all areas of life, for what I expect from my family.
• I expect myself to work to the best of my ability and to not waste as much time as I have in the past.
• I expect to find joy, contentment and a love for life every day in at least one small thing.