Resolutions and Tuesday Tidbits

Resolutions:
I have read so many peoples resolutions I
thought maybe I'd post about mine. I try to keep mine set with my feet on the ground and to
take into account a balance of how much I am willing to change at any given point. Change and
growth are good, but small steps make it much easier for me.

Last year I said to myself when Daniel said our evening prayers that I didn't want to
miss one single night. We only missed one night, with the exception of the nights he was out
of town. That makes me feel good. So now, we will add things a bit at a time and keep things
realistic and yet progressing all the same.

I am going
to strive to eat a healthier diet. My dietary habits have been appalling this last year.
Mostly I need to eat less. We also need to be more active. I brought my aerobic steps back
from the storage unit and I will be working up to daily exercise. Let's start with twice a
week at first. By May I should be up to 5 days a week. I also need better sleep habits. That
will take will power. I'm getting there on that one.

I
am going to try to set up daily habits that will help me keep my house clean. A schedule of
sorts. I do best when I have a schedule.

We are going
to prepare our house to welcome a baby. Once we are approved for adoption we need to be ready
to be chosen. Some things will come later, like furniture and actual supplies. But we need to
have a lifestyle that is welcoming to a new member of the family.

Among my resolutions is the desire to learn something
continually. I am going to call this Tuesday Tidbits and hopefully my stating that I will
publish these tidbits online will help me actually do it.

Tidbit #1:
The pursuit of Knowledge is one of the best things we
can do for ourselves. We take only our knowledge with us. So lets make the most of it. For
Christmas in 2007 my grandparents gave us the Teachings of the Prophets books. There are 15
books, one for each Prophet through President Hinckley, and an Index. I'm going to try to get
most of my tidbits from this set of books. I figured the best thing to learn today is the of
the importance of knowledge. I pulled out the index and have chosen a quote from President
Hinckley."None of us... knows enough. The learning process is an
endless process. We must read, we must observe, we must assimilate, and we must ponder that to
which we expose our minds. I believe in evolution, not organic evolution, as it is called, but
in the evolution of the mind, the heart, and the soul of man. I believe in improvement. I
believe in growth...
...You cannot afford to stop. You must not rest in
your development....There is so much to learn and so little time in which to learn
it."

I heard shortly before President Hinckley died,
that he was reading David McCullough's book "John Adams." This is wonderful to me. To know
that the prophet was learning from more than just the scriptures. Scriptures and our knowledge
of God are the most important, but think how much our appreciation of God can be enriched by
learning of his hand through the history of the world! I have recently learned more about John
Adams and our Founding Fathers. They were men of God. Anyone who doubts does not understand
our Heavenly Father or those men.

This year I refuse to
let my mind stagnate. I miss college and the continual push of deadlines to learn and learn
well. Maybe I will read biographies with my novels. Learn of the people who have gone before
and the influence the had. Of the people who are here and what influences they are currently
having. The world is ours to learn from. Take advantage of that knowledge and grow!

Off my soap box. I hope this year brings much good to all of you.