Resolution Update and Another Fantastic Weekend

I have decided that updating once a week will probably be the easiest thing to do. I'm just too darn busy to update more frequently. :)
So have have the resolutions been going? Pretty well, actually. I worked out three times last week and have already worked out twice this week. Let's just say I'll be feeling Tone It Up tomorrow. It was intense tonight! I also played piano already this week thanks to a call from a friend who salvaged a keyboard. And, perhaps the most exciting of all (at least to me) is I tried sushi last Friday evening. My boyfriend said it would either be salmon or sushi, and he knew sushi was on my list, so we went to In The Raw on Campus Corner and I finally tried sushi. After painful lessons with the chopsticks, which I was still not very good at using, I got to thoroughly enjoy my Philly Roll and calamari roll. Delicious! I'm now a fan. As Marcus put it, I got to try it early in the year so now I can enjoy it the rest of the year! Regarding the other resolutions, I'm doing better about reading my Bible every day and am working on praying for others, not just myself. Slow and steady progress is not a bad thing.
So that's the resolution update. Life needs some updating too right now I suppose. This past weekend was really good. As mentioned, Friday night sushi was delicious. Earlier that evening we (or rather Marcus) was able to help his sister by replacing her alternator so she wouldn't be stranded in Norman. He's a good brother. :) Then just some quality together time, which is always nice. Saturday was busy, beginning with cleaning and continuing with fun times with friends. Some of us went to the OU women's basketball game and watched the ladies from Norman Public provide storytime at halftime. After the game, Shaye, Claire, and I headed to the mall for a quick shopping trip and I actually found some things and they were all on super sale, so that was exciting. We came back to our place and surprised Claire with a birthday party. Some friends from library school came over and girls' night ladies to help Claire celebrate. It was great having everyone over and seeing old friends. Sunday is always good. I love my little ones I teach in children's' church and then Josh was super convicting with his message on tithing. Birthday lunch at Hideaway Pizza for Jamie followed that, then cake at Marcus's mom's house. We hung out there for a bit, then headed to Jordan's to watch some football. Clay came over and Shaye stopped by, so we had a good time watching a close game. Overall, a busy but fantastic weekend.
Josh's conviction led me to finally make my budget for the year. I need to get back on track with tithing and saving and not just spending all my money. With loan payments coming soon, I had to really adjust my finances. But, I'll make it work, and I know God will provide even though things will be tight.
The big news coming up is the approaching winter storm that's supposed to hit Thursday. We'll see how intense it is, hopefully it will not be like a couple years ago. I'd really like to keep power over the weekend! But we shall see...

Making All Things New

Well, it's finally time for my first blog post. About time, I've had an account for years! :) To start things off, what better way than to list some new year's resolution? Granted, it's been the new year for a couple weeks already, but as my friend Shaye and I discussed, our resolutions will begin this week. Mainly, this is due to the fact that I just wrote them last week. :)
When writing resolutions this year, I tried to break things up into two categories: things to do and ways to improve as a person. Some of the things I came up with are not so much resolutions as goals, which I suppose can be the same thing. So, let the lists begin.

* Workout at least twice a week
* Try sushi
* Walk home from work when the weather gets nicer
* Take a walk in the rain
* Read more
* Learn how to knit
* Cook at least one new dish a month
* Take more pictures (and upload them)
* Bake healthier desserts
* Have girl time at least twice a week
* Play more games
* Do something adventurous
* Explore Oklahoma more
* Play piano at least once a week
* Go to at least one concert

* Grow in patience
* Consider others when making decisions
* Watch my tone of voice
* Sop gossiping
* Tell people how much they mean to me
* Stop judging people
* Go directly to someone if there is a problem instead of talking to everyone but that person
* Learn more about God daily
* Submit my life to God's will
* Be a better example of Christ to those around me
* Pray for others and not just myself
* Read my Bible daily
* Share the gospel with at least one unbeliever

Now, granted, some of these resolutions are vague and things that pretty much everyone wants to do, but many of them are tailored for myself. For example, I need to cook and not just bake. I know a couple guys that would really enjoy it if I cooked more, especially if I would share with them. :) Still, these are all things I want to try and do this year.

So how am I doing so far? Well in just the past couple days I've hit several of those things. I've already worked out twice this week (walking totally counts, I power walk it), I made a new dish tonight (lasagna) though it was technically baked, I'm getting ready for girls' night in an hour, I took pictures this weekend (though not uploaded yet), I played a game this weekend (Phase 10 brings out the best in people), I explored Oklahoma (Mama E's Wings and Waffles--deliciously bad for you), I've been praying for others and reading my Bible, and God is definitely growing my patience though testing. So overall, not a bad start to the year.

Last year was one of the best of my life, no exaggeration. I became incredibly close to my friends in OK and have had a wonderful time with them. I can't wait to see what God has in store for this year!