Happy 2012!!

WOW! The first blog of the new year, is happening during the first week of the new year!! That's huge in the blogsphere (I think). Anyway, I've been thinking about the direction I wanted to head with this blog since I did my 30 Days of Gratitude. I contemplated lots of daily challenges and couldn't decide on just one to fulfill for 365 days (that's a really LONG time!). Plus, I'm not sure a regular basis blogging daily goal is right for me, I'm not nearly reliable enough!

Well, we find ourselves in 2012 and some of us are happy to just have made it through 2011, others are sad to see 2011 behind us, some are scared for the new year and others are excited about the future this year holds, some things secret, some things known. Either way I think we rang in the new year in great fashion.

In our house, I'm not really sure what this year holds for us. Most of our life seems to be status quo, but with lots of twists and surprises around every corner. So when I was standing in a group of friends after way too many hours of partying on new year's and listening to their hopes for the year ahead I became aware of my own hope. To be a family that happily gives sacrificially.

Sure we give. We even give a lot. Some would even say we give too much. But I look around and we are a full fridge family that has proper clothes, shoes and even toys for our children. As adults we have lots of "toys" we want too and we have a good amount of those. We drive reliable vehicles, afford trips and vacations to see our family and loved ones. We do not spend money frivolously if we can avoid it to make sure we have lots to give away. But I catch myself, spending a little here and a little there on little things that don't matter and it all adds up.

Our children were very loved at Christmas this year (as usual) and they got some neat things. They got money and gift cards for Christmas too. Well, I think that maybe we haven't done a great job showing our children about giving because they weren't really concerned with sharing their money. They didn't spend it all and I know that seems silly of them to tithe a gift or set aside an amount to send to St. Jude's or something, but that is what we (Jason & I) do and I would like our children to do the same.

My hope is that our children realize they are blessed and well cared for and have abundance, and with that abundance they can make the world a better place. So here's to 365 days of happily giving sacrificially as a family.

P.S. Step one is starting today with the lesson to learn this month: "You don't have to do what you want to do" I know my hopes are high, but let's face it, they can be high because I rely on God.