For 2012

I'm not one to make New Year's resolutions, because every year I inevitably fail, but the past few days I have been thinking about things I want more or less of....


I want more: awareness. Through multiple blogs, I have become more aware of child slave workers and the need to call companies out on these unfair, unimaginable practices. I want to be more aware of these injustices, especially when it comes to my clothes and chocolate, (Two areas that are notorious for these practices) and start taking action about them.
I want less: entitlement. A friend mentioned she wanted to work on this a few months ago, and I didn't get it. I'm starting to understand and realize how un Christ-like it is. I constantly think I deserve a good job. I deserve people's respect. I deserve to live in a nice apartment. I deserve to have good friends. I deserve things that will make me happy. No, I don't. I don't deserve any of the blessings that have been given to me. I want to rid the prideful entitlement that so often invades my soul, and instead exhibit gratefulness. Speaking of...
I want more: gratefulness. I started reading a book, One Thousand Gifts, all about looking for the "thousands" of gifts we are given each day. Things like warm comforters, music, the sun on your face. It has really opened my eyes to how ungrateful I am. I am trying to make my own list of 1,000 gifts and its disheartening to see how often I focus on the negative. I want to be a child of God constantly giving thanks- the girl people describe as loving life, not the one who finds something wrong in every situation. 
I want less: selfish ambition. "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves..." I want to look out for others desires and needs over my own. Every day I tend to wake up and say "what's going to make me happy today?" Instead I want to think "how can I bless and encourage those around me today?". I know this will be a lifelong struggle because of my sin, but with God's grace I hope to be less selfish.
I want more: vegetables. Ridiculous compared to all the deep ones above, but honestly I need to start enjoying healthy foods. I love all things processed and hate all things healthy. I'm going to take baby steps (as in, I just bought a bag of carrots and am going to eat five a day..haha) and hopefully find some tasty recipes that will get me to like vegetables. Ugh, I'm dreading this one already haha.
I want less: facebook. I may need to go on my facebook fast again soon, because it takes up so much of my time and thoughts. Why do I care about all the "cool" things everyone else is doing with their lives? Why do I crave people to write on my wall or tag me in pictures? My life is what it is, and it's about living for Jesus, not about who wants to hang out with me or be my facebook friend. But yet, I do love being able to keep in touch with people. It's such double-edged sword.
I want more: confidence. I want to rest in the knowledge that the Lord loves me, He created me, and He doesn't care if I'm the best nurse ever, if guys find me attractive, if I say the right things. He is crazy about me, and while I will never be perfect, I want to have the confidence of a woman who knows who she is- a child of God.


I think those are most of my "goals." I'm counting on you all to keep me accountable!