notes from the fallen

image from here

Happy New Year! As is my custom, this post lays out goals for the year. The goals themselves are in italics, with explanation following in regular font.

If I could pick an overarching theme for the year, it would be a quote from The Lord of the Rings: "do not spoil the wonder with haste." I try to pack too much into my life, and my days are a dizzying blur devoid of wonder or gratitude. I hope to change that this year, and part of that . . . is having fewer goals.

Spiritual
- Meditate more. 

- Love self-forgetfully. 

- Be thankful.

The Biblical call to meditation is not what some envision (emptying the mind). Rather, it is a charge to ruminate on God's Word. To that end, I actually want to read less this year but think on it more. To swap quantity for quality.

Loving others is easy to make transactional (I muse on that here). To love self-forgetfully is to do so regardless how I am treated in return. 

Loving God means (among other things) being grateful to Him in any circumstance, and showing thankfulness daily. I started doing that more last year, and it was transformative. I need to keep going.

Nutritional/Fitness
- Keep weight under 180 lbs.

- Develop underused muscles.

I'm pretty happy where I am right now fitness-wise, but it is always good to improve. To lose a few more pounds, fully heal from shoulder surgery, and to address chronic (though mild) soreness or pains by working muscles I typically don't.

Reading
- Read 40 books.

I've done 50+ books the last few years, and this should be easily reached. I knocked the goal down to 40 to focus on enjoying more and consuming less.

Household Management
- Minimize/declutter the home.

I get stressed with all the clutter around the house. If I could convince the family to reduce . . . I think we'd all enjoy having less.
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Goals are good, but God is better.  

"The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps." - Proverbs 16:9 

I hope to hit on the above this year, but the ultimate goal is to better know, obey, enjoy, and rest in Christ. More on that tomorrow. 

To 2026!