I have problems with New Year’s Resolutions. I always have crazy expectations of myself, and then I always beat myself up when I fail.

I’m trying something different now- a wish list, not a goal list.

Actually it’s more an intention list, of the things with God’s help I hope I can achieve in the coming year. So here goes, always remembering to be still before God in all I do!

INTENTIONS FOR 2016

• to be a better wife. Really practice surrender, both to God and to my husband. Give God Lordship of my life and my husband headship in the home
• seek God’s will in all I do, trust Him, and turn to Him for support to do it
• really focus on being grateful and giving thanks to God for all the blessings in my life
• read the Bible in a year (I bought this book, which I hope will help!)
• do all I can to love the home we have, declutter, and live simply but with beauty
• live as frugally as possible, try to minimise spending and waste
• pay as much as possible off the mortgage
• stay patient with my mother-in-law and pray for a heart of compassion with her, while setting limits
• look for a possible holiday home / transitional house overseas (but really truly prayerfully weigh up the choice before we buy anything)
• write the books I feel led to write and find joy in writing! I’d love to be able to release the next book in The Macleans in January, the next two Love in Store books in later spring and summer, and the final Macleans story for Christmas 2016. If I can, Brad and Maddie for Thanksgiving too! And also revise my Love Inspired submission and put it through the crit group a chapter at a time before sending it back to the editor.
• be a good supportive friend
• be a good critique partner and give prayerful and helpful crits
• eat healthy food and exercise to honour and care for the body God gave me
• get some hand sewing done and enjoy it
• read more, especially Christian books
• get back to Australia at least once in the year to have more time with Mum and Dad, and phone home at least once a fortnight no matter how busy I am or how tricky the time difference is!
• stay in regular contact with my brother and sister
• learn some more Bulgarian (especially how to read lower case letters)
• be real about what I can and can’t achieve, celebrate all the little wins, don’t beat myself up when I mess up, view my own life with love and compassion

It anyone wants to share their intentions for 2016 in the comments or on my Facebook page, I’d love to hear them and pray you on with them!