NDR

New Day Resolution. This is the first year in a long time that I haven't made one resolution. Most people make the resolutions like "I'm going to lose 30 pounds!", or "I'm going to give up soda for a whole year!" (Which by the way, those are fine resolutions to make!), but I decided not to make a resolution this year. I can't remember ever even keeping my resolution! I honestly don't see the point. The same thing happens to me year after year. Make a resolution, 'forget' to keep it, say "Oh, there's always next year.", feel guilty. Nope. This year I didn't do all that. I didn't stay up 'til midnight, I didn't watch the ball drop, and I DIDN'T make a resolution.

Instead, I spent some time wrapping up a box. A long rectangle box. I punched a hole in the top of the box to make a slit (Big enough a folded piece of paper will go in, yet small enough that the paper won't come back out.). Oh, Wednesday was also spent re-arranging my room (Don't you dare laugh!). I moved my bed around and put a small triangular nightstand in the corner beside my bed. On the top I have my big lamp, my reading lamp, and my blue box of Puff's tissues. The middle shelf holds my library books and a candle (Which acts as a bookend). Finally, on the last shelf, I placed my Bible, a list pad, Lessons to Live By (By Me), and that mysterious long box.

New Day Resolution. New Year Resolution. Let me explain the difference. A New Year Resolution is a commitment that an individual makes to a project or the reforming of a habit (Google :). A New Day Resolution is when you resolve to do something for that day. You wouldn't say "I'm going to lose 10 pounds today." No, you would most likely say that for a New Year Resolution. Here's an example of a New Day Resolution (Hence, NDR): Lord, help me to be more patient today with my siblings.

Now, back to the long box. Like I said, I cut a slit in the top. Every morning since January 1, I have gotten up as early as I could and read my devotions. I had a problem doing this earlier. I decided to make it part of my schoolwork (To be sure that I would do it), but then I found myself thinking that I didn't 'have time' to do it on Saturdays, and I 'already had my dose of scripture' on Sunday, when the truth was, I didn't want to do it. Listening to the Revive Our Hearts ministry has helped me so much! It really helped me with my walk with the Lord. Nancy Leigh DeMoss is the founder of Revive Our Hearts. I've been trying to listen to Nancy every day. Revive Our Hearts has especially helped me in the 'not reading my Bible' mode. Right now I am working in the series of "Getting into the Word, and getting the Word into you".

A couple nights ago, I asked Dad why I wasn't really getting anything out of the Bible. Dad suggested I listen to Revive Our Hearts the next day. He said that this "Getting into the Word, and getting the Word into you" series was dealing with exactly what I was talking about. So the next day, I listened to it, and was surprised by how good it was! It was nice for me because you download the 'sermon' (It's only about 10-15 minutes long) and while you listen, you can follow along on the page. I find it much easier to concentrate that way. If someone is just talking to me, my mind wanders and I end up thinking about how much ice cream might be left in the freezer :) and I leave the computer no better off then when I started. When it's just me reading, I tend to skip over things and glaze over the message. But when someone is reading to me and I'm following along, I tend to stay way more focused!

In fact, when I finished with my first 'lesson' from Nancy, I left inspired! Idea's were pouring out and I had to write all of them down to organize my thoughts. I put my first thought into action that day. I made up a very colorful booklet of Lessons to Live By (Not an awesome title, but I couldn't come up with a better one!). I admit that I got VERY frustrated cutting the paper to the exact same size. My perfectionist side is showing through! The paper wouldn't cut, and the hole punch wouldn't punch. I FINALLY got the paper to cut and the puncher :) to punch. I threaded an orange ribbon through the holes and tied it. Then I started writing in it. I wrote things like "Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near. Revelation 1:3" and "It's a blessing promised if we read God's Word!". I take it out from time to time and and review the verses to memorize them. Most of the things I write down are from notes I take from Revive Our Hearts.

I added another note to my Lessons to Live By today. On a single purple card, it reads, "The S-A method (Summary and Application)". The S-A method is a technique that Nancy was talking about today. Even now that I have a certain time I do my devotions, I still tend to glaze over the chapter I'm in. I think that the S-A method will help my 'wandering mind'! It seems like a very simple method, so I'm going to give it a try! With one of my MANY new notebooks :) I'll use one as a journal. First, I read the chapter I'm studying (I'm in Colossians now) and then I'm going to summarize the chapter and write it in my journal. Then, I'll write down how I can apply it to my life. It sounded like a good method, so I though I'd give it a try.

So back to the reason of this post: NDR. I think that a New DAY Resolution makes more sense than making a New YEAR Resolution that 99% of the time, you won't keep.

I think I've been working on this post for over a week! Whew! I FINALLY am getting it posted! Yay! I think this is the longest post (Without pictures :) that I've ever done! Thanks for sticking with me!