2014

I've never been one huge on New Year's resolutions. I usually pick a couple that fizzle out in maybe 2 weeks' time, and then don't think about them again til Lent rolls around and I have to come up with sacrifices that have to last for 40 days.

I'm also not a decisive person at all, so picking my resolutions isn't an easy process.

I know there's been a lot of talk around the internet about the faultiness of resolutions, or the strategy of picking a word or phrase instead of a set of resolutions.

I decided to have only 3 "resolutions" for this year, if you want to call them that.

1. Blog on a regular basis.
I really want to do this for multiple reasons. First of all, I've started lots of journals in the past, only to lose them. If my journal's on the internet, it's practically impossible to lose it. I'm also sure I will someday want to look back on my first pregnancy and remember what it was like when I was 22 and a newlywed and pregnant.

2. Love my husband better every day.
David is really great at loving me in visible and easily observable ways, each and every day. He sacrifices for me and I always notice the little and big things he does for me. I want to work on doing the same to him this year. We're both still learning how to be married and how to love each other better, but I'm really going to spend time in prayer and works for him this year.

3. Grow in devotion to my saint for 2014.
Using Jen Fulwiler's Saint Generator, I got St. Gabriel the Archangel for my saint for 2014. I have to admit that besides the obvious stories, I don't know much about him, but I'm really excited to learn about him and grow in his devotion. Check out her site and pick a saint yourself, even if it's not for the new year -- I always love learning about new saints. I quickly googled St. Gabriel, and this excerpt from EWTN is my favorite mini-realization about him so far:

It seems very probable that Gabriel, the Archangel of the Annunciation, was given special charge of the Holy Family of Nazareth. He was probably the Angel who brought "good tidings of great joy" to the shepherds "keeping night watches over their flock," the night that Christ was born of the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem. We notice, on this occasion, the same procedure of first assuaging fear and surprise, as had been the case at Mary's Annunciation by Gabriel: "Fear not, for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy.... This day is born to you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David." Who else could be the messenger of such good tidings, but he who had promised them through the prophet Daniel, and announced them to Mary, Gabriel the Archangel?

I'll try to remember to come back to these resolutions and track my progress throughout the year. Wish me luck!

Hannah