2006-A Brand New Year

2005 was quite a year. So much happened in 2005, and I learned so much. I change so much each year I wonder what kind of person I’ll be in thirty years.

The most important change I experienced in 2005 was becoming closer to Jesus Christ. I hit crunch time and realized I needed to "work out my salvation with fear and trembling." I believe my soul is better for it.

As I reviewed everything that happened in 2005, I came up with six resolutions for 2006.

One: don’t be afraid to be friendly. At times I’ve felt rejected by people I made an effort to get to know. In response, I tend to keep to myself and not try to be friendly. I admire those who go out of their way to be friendly. What I learned last year, is that most people are a lot like me: nervous about getting to know people.

Two: get to know people before you judge them. Everyone fits into some type of stereotype: cheerleader, jock, preppy, weird, religious, quirky and others. I met so many new people last year, and in my head made sweeping assumptions that I later discovered were absolutely false. You miss out on new friends if you judge people before you even have a chance to get to know them.

Third: seek and conquer challenging things. Sometimes I find myself with what seems to be an insurmountable problem. It seems that I’ll never be able to conquer it and I’ll have to admit defeat. For example, I recently was confronted with learning a new computer program. No one else was familiar with it, so I had to answer all my own questions. I didn’t think I could do it. However, after considerable struggling (i.e. 2 weeks), I have conquered my problem. How does that make me feel? Great. Don’t buy into the ‘I’m not good enough’ lie.

Fourth: keep your own council. The Bible talks about the wisdom of keeping silent and not gossiping. I have committed this sin so many times I have reaped the ill consequences. Therefore, this year I resolve to learn when to be silent. I don’t always need to ‘spill the beans’.

Fifth: keep the peace. I am guilty of giving a ‘harsh answer’ which ‘stirs up anger’ all to often. I need to be willing to give up what I want in order to make things work. I need to learn to let go all over again.

Sixth: maintain a strong relationship with Jesus Christ. I cannot live without His Word. It teaches me, encourages me, and keeps me from straying away.