A little focus goes a long way.  MrsPages had this list today of questions to ask as we look forward to the new year.  I will answer (almost entirely) honestly... somethings are better left between just me and the Lord.  This isn't a meme, so I'm not tagging you or making you feel guilty for not doing this! This is simply something to consider as I make my plans for the new year (and these will be more important than my typical "lose 30 pounds".)

1. What's one thing you could do this year to increase your enjoyment of God?
Meditate on who He is more, rather than just on what He does.  "Seeking His face and not His hands" is what we used to say around here.

2. What's the most humanly impossible thing you will ask God to do this year?
To change the attitudes of my heart so that the words that overflow out of my mouth are sweet, and not sour as is my norm.  Again to my breath prayer "May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my  heart be acceptable to You, Oh Lord my rock and my Redeemer."

3. What's the single most important thing you could do to improve the quality of your family life this year?
Actually spend my time with them (non-begrudgingly).  Actually put their needs and wants and schedules before my own.

4. In which spiritual discipline do you most want to make progress this year, and what will you do about it?
Prayer used to be a real joy to me. It was an actual conversation between the Lord and me.  A book we once read said there are four parts to prayer.  I speak, God listens, God speaks, I listen.  I want to get back to that. Without making too many excuses for my lack of discipline, I will say this is harder now than it used to be since our 4 years of church searching.  The examples given to me at various places we worshiped really altered my perspective on how to hear from the Lord, what to expect, and how to pray in faith with believing (without "going over the deep end" on one extreme, and without it being a rote exercise on the other).....so long answer for "prayer".

 
5. What is the single biggest time-waster in your life, and what will you do about it this year?
This computer is certainly a biggie.  But so also is sitting on the couch thinking about what to do next instead of just getting up and doing it!

6. What is the most helpful new way you could strengthen your church?
Prayer again.  I find I serve and work with these people on Sundays and then forget about them the rest of the week.  My hope is that the Lord will start prompting my heart to think of those I ought to be praying for throughout the day, as well as I hope to get a bit more systematic about when I pray for certain people.

7. For whose salvation will you pray most fervently this year?
I will say my sister.  The difficulty is that I have a lot of heart healing to do along side of this to actually want to pray for her, or think to pray for her.  I'm sure that beginning to pray for her will be part of restoring my heart for her, and removing the wounds that are deeply embedded there.

8. What's the most important way you will, by God's grace, try to make this year different from last year?
Consistency would be critical I think.  The things I'm planning are not new.  They are not untried. They are tried and given up because I'm lazy and inconsistent.  As the Lord gives me the fruit of the Spirit of self-control I hope to see many a change this year.

9. What one thing could you do to improve your prayer life this year?
Do it!  First thing in the morning?  All through the day?  Before I go to bed? With my husband? With my friends?....all of the above.

10. What single thing that you plan to do this year will matter most in ten years? In eternity?
Is parenting my children a 'single thing'?  It seems pretty all encompassing.  In 10 years I'll have a 19, 18, 16, 15, 14, 12, and 10 year old (and others? who knows...).  That sounds like a pretty "mattering mostly" kind of task.  The next generation of men and women who will follow hard after their Lord and seek to become more and more like Him... what else matters?

So there are my 10 answers.  I'd love to see where you are at with some of these things, but maybe I'd rather do it over tea.  Any takers?  Regardless of our individual answers I do pray that the Lord would increasingly stir our hearts to become more and more like Him, to desire what He desires, and to do what He asks.

And I do still hope to lose 30 pounds....but that pales in comparison I suppose.