It’s the beginning of 2014, and I’m lobbying to change New Years resolutions to New Years reso-hope-tions. Are you in? I’m thinking by January 7th you might be. By January 14th you will be. And by the end of the month you may even evolve to New Years reso-what?tions.
(If you add a couple characters to the question mark, it could even look like you are swearing by then. Which if you are a Christian may be limited to Darn, Shoot and Uck.)

It’s that time of year when many of us make a list of things we want to do (and likely won’t). But what if this year we cut ourselves some slack and said if there was even one we were able to keep- then maybe, just maybe, it would be worth it?

You’ve all heard the quote: Aim at nothing and you’ll hit it every time.

There’s even a proverb extolling the benefits of planning ahead: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=proverbs%2021:5&version=NIV
However this same book also says that we should hold our plans loosely when we make them. Because you never know what might derail you from your course. (Which if you hold on to faith, often turns out better than you could have planned).

With all these things in mind, I still think its worthwhile to jot some things down that you want to accomplish this year.

Clean slate. New you. Lots of grace.

So here are some resolutions to pick from (with a few that came from wisdom learned in 2013):

1. Lose weight (usually the first to write and the first to go. But how do you begin a list without it?)
2. Be more generous (90% success rate when you are only measuring against yourself)
3. Love your kids (special out clause if they are teenagers)
4. Treat your spouse the way Brad Pitt would (if he were actually married) (http://couplesandco.blogspot.se/2013/12/i-lost-hope-and-thought-that-well-get.html?m=1)
5. Keep your mouth shut if you are ever on a Reality TV show.
6. Keep your tongue in your mouth and your twerking to yourself (unless of course you want to sell more records)
7. Don’t mess with other peoples health care.
8. Realize even if you are a star (and you’re #24), your basketball team will go on- and even win- without you.
9. Remember even if you’re in a prison cell, you still could be president someday. (http://blog.lauriepolich.com/hero-in-our-midst/)
10. Never ever ever give up. (borrowed this from a certain Englishman who nailed this whole resolution thing).

Remember, one kept resolution is all it takes to make your list worthwhile.
And this year, I personally recommend starting from the bottom up.