Wednesday, January 03, 2007

New Year Resolutions

A few desires for the new year here at Four (Five) Crying Out Loud: Drumroll please:

1. Cooking more and eating out less: I admit that I love a good burger or Chick-fil-a sandwich, but since Henry has been born, its been increasingly difficult to cook a well-balanced, well thought out dinner than ever before. I've succumbed to the ease of pizza delivery or a quick stop at Wendy's more often than I would like to admit these past few months. Sure the kids love it when I give in to the temptations of the fast food gods, but deep down I recognize that its much better to eat something lovingly made by mom than by the burly guy behind the counter at Burger King. (oh, but the fries are soooo good!) So I will try more new recipes and shop more in bulk these days so that we can get the most out of family dinners.

2. More prayer or meditation: Since I work at a church, I tend to get this repetitive thought in my mind that goes somthing like this: I'm doing the Lord's work with the youth; he'll understand that I'm too busy to pray today. Or at times its a thought like this: I have many children to care for today; God will see my efforts and realize that he can't expect me to do it all. I need to break myself of this lazy conversation with God and remember that in Luke 10:38-42, Jesus reminded Martha that while all her attempts to serve him were good, the one thing most important was developing a growing relationship with Jesus. I will remember that ultimately it is not always about my church work or my large family. Ultimately it’s about developing a growing relationship with Jesus.

3. Being more understanding of my husband's work schedule: Oh, now THIS is my biggest challenge. My husband is an extremely hard worker both at home and at work. And there are many times when he has to bring work home and lately it has been ALOT! Still, he is, for the most part, very good at balancing what he needs to accomplish at home with family and kid time. Seeing him attached to the computer for numerous hours a night finishing a project makes me, um, well, let's say a little impatient. The last thing the man needs is his wife breathing down his neck, complaining about why he's always on the computer. Instead of impatience, I need to understand that it's a necessary part of his job and to additionally thank God for the wonderful job that he has. My husband is a good provider, I just need to let him go and complete his responsibilities. It does not last forever.

4. I will be a cheerleader. In a world full of negative attitudes and criticism, I will demonstrate Christ’s love by celebrating the accomplishments of others. There are so many wonderful people out there doing great things. Give them a T-H-A-N-K Y-O-U!!

OK, that's about it. It's a tall order, but I like to aim for the moon and will be satisfied to land among the stars...if I'm able.

Happy New Year Everyone!!

4 comments:

nicole said...

Good luck on all of them. I have been cooking more lately, after falling back into the trap of takeout and fast food. I find lots of recipes in Kraft Food and Family magazine that are easy and feed a lot of people. It is a free magazine, because it uses all Kraft and affiliates products, but that doesn't bother me. You can obviously sub generic brand stuff to save money.

Georgie Tamayo Clemens said...

Dear 4: Thank you for those great suggs. I'll give them a try.

Anonymous said...

Hey Georgie,

I've gotten in the semi-regular habit of stopping by the church in the mornings and praying quietly for 10-15 mins in the chapel. It makes a big difference for me on the mornings that I do...

Anonymous said...

You would be surprised how many graces one receives in meditation....conversation and/or relationship with God.

Your fears dissipate,hope fills your heart,discernment of what's important and what's not becomes clear. You realize the annointing that you have received to fulfill God's mission here on earth.

You thank God for having made the right decisions in life. Most especially your husband, your work,..even though life brings you trials and tribulations, love wins all. He helps you cope.

We make the decision to be happy or unhappy.

So, young people out there. Winters sets in quickly. Savor life now, create beautiful memories because later on in life, this will keep you going with a grateful heart.

Dont quit work when you retire, keep on working until you expire.

Love you Georgie. You keep our hopes high.

Extra comment: Read about transfat. Its important.

I did go to Chic Filet the other day and in reading the label found out that they used peanut oil to prepare their food. This is excellent since kids love to eat there.

Our bodies do not recognize transfat so it stays in our bodies for years and clogs our veins. On the other hand extra virgin oils are out of our bodies in a matter of days. Mary/Mom