just checking in

I've been substituting at the local elementary school for the past few weeks and I'll tell you quickly that the hardest thing to adjust to has been getting up and getting ready to be somewhere by a certain time. While I would love to have a full-time teaching job again (for the money, not to leave my daughter) that would be the hardest thing for me to get used to again.

I'm up late each night packing a lunch, setting out my clothes, setting out clothes for Julianna, making sure the coffee-maker is ready to go, and of course, trying to make sure my list of New Year's Resolutions has been completed for the day. It's tough, but I'm making it.

Yesterday was a bad day. Several things happened that just bummed me out. I discovered in December that I'm not getting paid for all of the teaching hours I'm putting in until the end of this month which is fine except that I was getting paid every Friday to keep the two little boys I was watching and now this puts a pinch in our bill payment schedule for January. Then blogger was down so I couldn't get on here and that frustrated me.

Also, Jules was begging to go to McDonald's and I was exhausted and tired of fixing dinner so we obliged and I knew I would have the willpower to stick to the diet plan (which I did). Only problem was that made me hungrier than usual last night and after the rotten day I had I wanted to skip exercising and veg on the couch.

With hubby's help I managed to do it anyway so now I've completed 8 days in a row with some form of exercise every day. I've been reading more, blogging more, exercising more, meal-planning more, eating less junk, taking my daily vitamins, scrapbooking more, memorizing more scripture, and just taking overall better care of myself. I also want to find a place that I can volunteer every once in a while. I've done soup kitchen, Ronald McDonald House meals, Habitat, etc so I'd love to do something new. Any ideas?

How are your resolutions coming? Are you as sick as I am of the people who always say, "Why make a resolution at the beginning of the year? Any day is as good as the first?!" I always wonder what their problem is. If you don't want to make resolutions, don't make them. How does it hurt you if I decide to give myself a new start on January 1st as opposed to any other random day during my life? Why discourage me? Just be happy for me that I'm trying.

Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:21-23