On New Year's resolutions

I had never made any New Year resolutions until this year.  Mostly because the requisite resolution is usually about weight and I am terribly pessimistic about losing weight, obviously.  I hate dieting and the idea of going on one makes me cranky.

However, I am determined to improve my life, with God's help and for His glory.  I made two measurable resolutions.  First, to pray for at least 10 minutes every day.  I know that sounds lame, but if you don't start timing yourself, you can be deceived about how much you are really praying.  I am doing good, if not perfectly, but I have been greatly blessed by this.  Second, I want to lose 12 pounds this year, about 1 pound per month.  I knew that it would not be possible in January due to our guests and our travelling.  BTW, we ate a lot of amazingly good food.

But now our guests are gone, and the travelling is over.  I did something today I have not done is years.  I got on the scale. I had mentally prepared myself for the worst.  I told myself that no matter how bad it was, I would still tackle this.  Come to find out I weigh 20 pounds less than what I thought I weighed!  Yay!  It's still bad, but I already feel like I lost 20 pounds.