New Year's Goals...

So, thanks to Marcie's suggestion to post New Year's goals, I've been thinking of mine and decided to post a few...

I was sitting in Sunday School yesterday as the teacher invited anyone who has shared a Book of Mormon with a non-member or anyone who has experienced they're own witness that the Book of Mormon was true. This really got me thinking about when I first read the Book of Mormon. There was much talk of how to find "truth". The only way to find truth is by prayer and the Holy Ghost testifying the truth to you. I grew up a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and really never struggled with it's truth. I was active in attending church. I had struggles, don't get me wrong, but I just knew the church was true. However, reading the Book of Mormon wasn't something I think I'd done by myself, cover to cover ever before. I'd read it with my family growing up and studied it in Seminary and at church but had never really made it my goal until after I was married. Hailey was one year old and Dan had just finished school and we were moving up to Portland Oregon to stay with his parents until Dan found a job. This was the first time I'd moved from Utah and I was so sad! I had a very hard time adjusting. I decided to start reading the Book of Mormon and to do it in 3 months, which would mean reading 3 or so chapters a day. Hailey would sleep in the afternoon and that would give me time to study. I loved reading each day, it gave me such peace! I looked forward to it! As I'd read I would pray to know it's truthfulness and I would continue to just feel warm and peaceful and I learned a great deal! As I finished and knelt on my knee's, even before I began to pray, I felt an overpowering warmth and comfort come over me and as I prayed the tears came freely, I knew it was true! So, as I sat in church yesterday, I knew that this year I would read this book again. I've read it since Hailey was little, this will be my 4th time reading it. It's difficult to keep up reading with 4 children and my working but I know I will find peace in reading it and that's one of my goals this year.

My second goal is to not raise my voice at my children, and to be more patient with them! This sounds terrible to say, but my kids don't respond unless I threaten! Am I the only one who experiences this? Please say no! I'm watching my niece Emmie this week and her parents are so good with her! As I'm taking care of her and having to help sort out sharing problems and her throwing water all over my bathroom, I can't really raise my voice with her, she's someone else's child! I began to think, well, what if I treated my children as if they were someone else's children, in the sense of disciplining and then the thought occurred to me that they are someone else's children, they are the Lord's and he's entrusted them to me to care for and be patient with and to love unconditionally. So, my next goal is to change my parenting style a little. I am a strict mom, and I've been told this a lot! Well, I think it's good that kids have boundaries and that they know some things are just not acceptable, like hitting, or being rude to others...I just don't tolerate these things at all...so I'm not changing my strictness, I'm changing my voice tone and I'm going to start whispering and my kids are just going to have to lean in a little to hear what I have to say....ha! ha!

Lastly, I'd really like to lose 20 lbs! I've lost a lot of weight over the last couple of years and eating well and exercise are something I just do, and my last little chunk (don't mind the pun) of weight won't come off...so hopefully this year it will...we'll see!

I hope I didn't bore you with my seriousness! I hope your thinking of your new goals as well! The New Year really is a great way to start Fresh!