these are a few of my favorite things about 2013.

I went to Nashville this fall to visit a friend and ate Jeni’s Ice Cream twice in one day. I have no regrets.

I fell in love with Portland, Maine and their Bean Boots, Nosh burgers and lighthouses.

In Boston, I ate a hot dog at Fenway Park on game day.

My CHIEFS started the season 9-0 after winning only 2 games the previous year. This city just feels different with a winning football team. However, something happened to us after those first 9 weeks and although we made the playoffs, we blew the second biggest led ever in playoff history.

We had a party to celebrate the end of arguably the best Television drama ever-Breaking Bad.

Our best friends moved back to Kansas City to start a church and I could not be more proud or excited for them. Go here to check it out.

Lola was an angel for Halloween and it was all her idea.

I ran my one and only 5K for 2013 on Thanksgiving Day with my mom.

Other great things included...

…Being here every Sunday morning.

…Brandon spending 3 weeks in India.

…Cutting my hand at work whist slicing an avocado resulting in 6 stitches.

…This picture of Lola on Christmas Eve.

So here I am, January 1, facing the fact that I made and kept none of the resolutions I made this time last year. Zero. Zilch. Nada. (Well, that’s not entirely true. I did work out on a weekly basis, but ate horrible after work most mornings. We didn’t save monetarily what I had hoped we would in 2013, I definitely didn’t read through the entire Bible and I’m pretty sure I had a soda before the end of the day.)

Why can’t we keep resolutions? Why do we always have the best intentions (“I’m really going to do it this time!”) only to fall back in the same routine, same habits, the same miserable, self-destructive ways? 

Because they are just that. Habits. Routines. And habits are hard to break and routines are difficult to change. As human beings, we are trained to seek pleasure over pain and change hurts. However, there is something hopeful and encouraging about the prospect of a New Year that inspires change and however painful it may be, change is possible. It’s possible when we believe it’s possible. (“She believed she could and she was half way there.”) It’s possible when we replace our old habits with a new routine and we make the daily decisions that match our desires.

My fitness goals for 2014 include running a half marathon (I’m pretty sure this has been on the list since I was 20) committing to doing Bodypump twice a week, doing 5 push-ups on my toes and hopefully in the process, lose 40 pounds.

I want to watch less television (ok, after I finish Game of Thrones) and read more books. I’m taking any and all suggestions.

Our church is embarking on a pretty huge (and extremely necessary) expansion project. We made a generosity pledge that I would like to fulfill and involve my whole family in the process.

Every year I repeatedly pray a specific scripture over Lola-a mantra, if you will. I whisper it in her ear as she falls asleep, as we pray together in church, or during quiet moments throughout the day. The idea is that through repetition, it will not only be memorized in her mind but also engraved on her heart. This year I picked Hebrews 10:23:

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”

This year, I am making it my mantra as well. In 2014, I want to learn to TRUST and know he is faithful. God is never late. I want to live out good days full with people and messes and relationship. To live in the present and have a heart that is generous and thankful. I want to be responsible with the days I have been given and live wisely, learning perspective.