NEW YEAR - NEW GOALS....

You are going to have to bare with me a bit while I am philosophical. I have been doing a lot of self analysis since the beginning of the year - as is done with many people everywhere around the world. I have been thinking about one word that I could focus on for the new year (I saw this on a scrappers blog a few days ago and have been thinking about it since). One word that would encompass all the things that I want to work on this year. It is hard to come up with just one word, but I think that this year I am going to focus on

RELATIONSHIPS.
I want to focus on my relationships with my children, my husband, those around me, and especially my relationship with myself. I want to make as many friends as possible in Australia. I also would l ike those around me to know what I believe in and what I stand for. I have never had to think about this much - people around me always knew my beliefs because they generally believed in the same things I did. I want to grasp those missionary moments and be able to say that I have done my best in furthering the Gospel on the earth. I did not choose to serve a mission and have always wondered what it would have been like. I know that I can never truly imagine the hard work and all the rejection - but I can have a small glimmer of what the missionary Spirit is like.

Sundays are my favorite day of the week. I get to go to Church and renew my spirit and soak up the Gospel. I appreciate it even more here where it isn't as easy to see members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in daily interactions. I also miss my Church building being down the street - instead of a 15-20 minute drive through four suburbs of Sydney. I have realized more and more since I have lived here how world wide the Church really is. It is the same everywhere you go. The lessons are the same, the Spirit is the same, and the people are the same. Good people and good friends can be found in any part of the world!! I want to build my testimony every day and strive harder to be more Christlike in my life. I want to build a bigger relationship with my older brother and Savior.

Since moving away from family Sundays are also somewhat sad for me. We used to go to my parents house after Church to visit and play games with family - I always wanted my kids to know their cousins since I didn't really know mine well. I really miss that. I didn't realize how much I loved it until it wasn't there anymore. Isn't that the way it always is? However, the nice thing is that we spend more time with our little family. We play games and we enjoy each others company. Strengthening my own family is so important to me. I want my kids to know that they have a soft place to fall and that they can rely on Kevin and I to be that soft place. I want them to know what I believe in and I want them to gain their own testimonies of the Gospel. I strongly believe that Family Home Evening and family bonding are essential to help with this. This is one of my goals for the new year - to be a better mother and to take opportunities to teach in those small teaching moments that come constantly.

I would encourage you all to take a moment and really think about what you want to accomplish this year. Aside from the normal things such as eating better, lose weight, getting more exercise, etc. (those are always top on my list) Think about what kind of a person you want to be at the end of 2008 and maybe even come up with one word that can help to remind you of all the goals you want to work on.