Something to look forward to...

One of the biggest problems with our generation is that we were taught we can have anything we want right away, or very soon after. We can find the answer to any question, directions to any location, buy the most recent object of desire, or send anyone you know around the world a quick hello IMMEDIATELY! Instead of waiting for invitations to come in the mail, for movies to come out on DVD, or pictures to print at the photoshop store, we can now instantly do all of these things with the touch of a finger and in the comfort of our own home. Admit it, you are addicted to immediate satisfaction and because of that you find yourself frustrated when things take longer than, well, NOW.

The other night Chris and I were hanging out and I noticed he was in a sour mood. I started with the usual suspects, was he feeling okay, did he have a bad day at work, was something bothering him, or did I say something wrong? He just solemnly shook his head no, left and then right and then left. "Okay," I said, "but let me know if there is something wrong." He says, "Nothing wrong, I just need something to look forward to." Hmmm. Very interesting, I thought. Was he referring to life, or something to do this weekend, or somewhere to go this year on vacation. I couldn't help but chuckle to myself. I am such a planner that I actually have a hard time living in the moment today, always looking forward to everything in the future too. I am so ready for tomorrow, I want it here NOW! I have been thinking a lot lately about what he said. I think there is something to be said about the stage of life that we are in right now. All of our friends are either newlyweds or have already started their families. Looking forward to a new marriage or raising a child can be pretty exciting, intense, and somewhat stressful. When you are finally let down from the adrenaline rush we can easily find ourselves, dare I say it, bored.

When my sister got pregnant and took one of those home pregnancy tests, my mom laughed and said the doctor performed a blood test on her when she was 7 weeks pregnant with my brother and the test came back negative. Amazing the sense of urgency and impatience we have all developed in the last 3 decades. Anyways, a little food for thought for those of us in the Millennial Generation (Generation Y)... What if we all wake up one morning and suddenly realize our crackberry is broken, the wireless internet for our laptop is down, all of the Redboxes are mysteriously gone and the grocery store only has one checkout line, which only takes cash! At that moment we are going to be forced to slow down and live in the moment, and possibly even learn some patience in the process. Okay so maybe it is more likely that we will wake up 20 years from now and see our children plugged into a laptop living in a virtual world instead of in our world, but I have to be hopeful that our kids can learn from our mistakes. Perhaps there are cycles of life and God will humor us with children that laugh at our impatience. Who knows, but I can't wait, um, I mean... I am looking forward to finding out someday in the far distant future and I don't mind how long it is going to take.. ha!

Lose 20 lbs., Give up Caffeine, OR .... ?

The Infamous New Year Resolution...

Let's be honest, we have all made one of these before, and we have all likely failed at most, if not all, of them. Still, though, it is always good to acknowledge what changes you would like to make in yourself and then make an honest effort to achieve it.

This year is going to be the year that I read the entire Bible, from Genesis to Revelations, every single word. On top of that I have decided to make an entry in my journal each day about the scripture I covered. I was inspired by our church's SOAP journal, which outlines a reading plan for the 365 days of the year, and a journaling methodology using S (Scripture), O (Observation), A (Application), and P (Prayer). 26 days into the year, and I am proud to announce I am actually on track!

It has been a little tough some days to find the motivation to sit down and devote the time to do it, but it has been more rewarding than I could have thought possible, mainly because I have tried this before with no set plan and have failed miserably. I can only hope that I continue on this long journey with the same commitment that I have now because the end result would be a huge transformation for me. Please pray that this will be a life changing event for me and keep me accountable with my progress if you get a chance. 7% down, only 93% of the Bible left to go! Deep breath Holly....