Monday, January 10, 2011

Year in Review

I kept meaning to do one of these earlier in the month, but those darned Hunger Games books ate up all my free brain space.

So.
Better late than later:


1. What did you do in 2010 that you’d never done before?
 - Hung out in a city that was hosting the winter Olympics
 - Had surgery unrelated to child birth
 - Bought a vehicle
 - Did a house swap
 - Was a "Santa" photographer
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I didn't "make" any new year's resolutions last year, I answered these questions instead: 
1. What's one thing you could do this year to increase your enjoyment of God?

2. What's the most humanly impossible thing you will ask God to do this year?

3. What's the single most important thing you could do to improve the quality of your family life this year?

4. In which spiritual discipline do you most want to make progress this year, and what will you do about it?

5. What is the single biggest time-waster in your life, and what will you do about it this year?

6. What is the most helpful new way you could strengthen your church?

7. For whose salvation will you pray most fervently this year?

8. What's the most important way you will, by God's grace, try to make this year different from last year?

9. What one thing could you do to improve your prayer life this year?

10. What single thing that you plan to do this year will matter most in ten years? In eternity?

11. What's the most important decision you need to make this year?

12. What area of your life most needs simplifying, and what's one way you could simplify in that area?

13. What's the most important need you feel burdened to meet this year?

14. What habit would you most like to establish this year?

15. Who is the person you most want to encourage this year?

16. What is your most important financial goal this year, and what is the most important step you can take toward achieving it?

17. What's the single most important thing you could do to improve the quality of your work life this year?

18. What's one new way you could be a blessing to your pastor (or to another who ministers to you) this year?

19. What's one thing you could do this year to enrich the spiritual legacy you will leave to your children and grandchildren?

20. What book, in addition to the Bible, do you most want to read this year?

21. What one thing do you most regret about last year, and what will you do about it this year?

22. What single blessing from God do you want to seek most earnestly this year?

23. In what area of your life do you most need growth, and what will you do about it this year?

24. What's the most important trip you want to take this year?

25. What skill do you most want to learn or improve this year?

26. To what need or ministry will you try to give an unprecedented amount this year?

27. What's the single most important thing 
you could do to improve the quality of your commute this year?

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Define "close". None of my kids or nieces/nephews did. But a number of my friends became grandmas...
4. Did anyone close to you die?

My parents, aunts and uncles are all still around, so no, no one close died. A number of my friends lost one or both of their parents though....
5. What countries did you visit?
USA. 
England.
6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?
Wisdom.
Peace.
A single digit clothing size.

7. What dates from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
August of 2010 = England trip + my youngest got his driver's license
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

-  Doing the marketing photography for a paying customer 
9. What was your biggest failure?
 - I'm still the same size I was last year
 - I suck at parenting
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
 - Got rid of a pesky gall bladder and after that I was pain free
 - Got rid of an on-going-four-year sore knee
11. What was the best thing you bought?
 - Ford Escape from Dam's 
 - Tickets to England for me and my boys
 - New lens for my camera
12. Where did most of your money go?
 - See answer directly above

13. What did you get really excited about?
- My kids each had good years; growth, health, and relationships
14. What song will always remind you of 2010?
 - Journey songs as performed by GLEE
15. Compared to this time last year, are you:
– happier or sadder? Happier.
– thinner or fatter? Fatter. Last year at this time I was afraid to eat.
– richer or poorer? Financially poorer, most definitely.
16. What do you wish you’d done more of?

- movement - especially walking
- turned off facebook more regularly
- read my Bible
- seen my kids more often
17. What do you wish you’d done less of?

 - eat
 - despair
 - be involved in pointless conversations
18. How did you spend Christmas?
 - Dec 22; dinner and movie with the boys and their girls (7 - midnight)
 - Dec 24; movie with Clint and my dad & mom ( 7 - 9 pm) open gifts with the kids (midnight - 3 am)
  - Dec 25; did laundry, dishes, cleaning, watched a movie or two. Prayed
 - Dec 26; dinner with extended family at my mom's house (5 pm - 2 am)
19. What was your favorite TV program?
 - GLEE
20. What were your favorite books of the year?
- I Capture the Castle, Cry the Beloved Country, The Happiness Project, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, The Girl (with the Dragon Tattoo, Who Played with Fire and Who Kicked the Hornets Nest), The Left Hand of God, The Forgotten Garden, Rachel and Leah, Rebekah
21. What was your favorite music from this year?

 - This question made me realize I don't listen to current music. Nothing new. At all. All year. This should not be.
22. What were your favorite films of the year?
 - True Grit, The King's Speech, Robin Hood, Iron Man 2, Inviticus, The Young Victoria
23. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
 - I turned 49 last year, and went out for dinner 6 times. That's right. Six birthday dinners. Getting old does have it's advantages...
24. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
 - If I wouldn't have been so hard on myself for everything. 
25. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010?
 - Sloppy But Clean
26. What kept you sane?
 - Praying
27. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010
 - I so badly want to give a deep answer here. 
 - God hears the cries of my heart and responds because He loves me.
 - Friends are a gift from Him.

1 comment:

janicenikkel said...

Cry the Beloved Country. You read that this year? I read it in high school and it was the book that first stirred my dream to one day go to Africa. 2011 is that year!! So excited.