MNN - Mother Nature Network

I love how the New Year gives me the chance to reevaluate my life and reexamine my priorities. I think the biggest priority I want to concentrate on this upcoming year is nourishing my family and myself. Nourishing in the practical sense of providing healthy food, as well as the sense of fostering and developing – which I want to do in many aspects to my life. I want this new year to find us more nourished in the following categories:

 

I have decided to really hone in on nutrient-dense foods, foods that contain high amounts of vitamin A and D, calcium and phosphorus. These are the types of food that Dr. Weston Price found consistently in healthy native people groups as he traveled the world in the 1900s in search of a healthy diet. While we eat a “healthy diet,” sometimes our diets fall short of the robust diet of the past that was so very nutrient-dense. I am planning out a menu that does a better job of including a wider range of nutrient-dense foods.

 

I am also hoping to work out a better sleep schedule for my toddler who is experiencing an awkward in-between stage, where with a nap she ends up staying up way too late, and without one, she is so overtired she doesn’t sleep well. Wish me luck with that! Sleep is so important for a healthy body.

 

I personally love reading books on a wide range of topics. I feel that books challenge me to see the perspective of others, help me think, make me relax, and keep my mind well nourished! I will be creating a book list (that can grow as the year goes on), so that I concentrate on the books that I really want to read. Sometimes my reading choices are haphazard (like what I find that the library on a whim), so thinking through my book choices will be good.

 

I will also be making a read-out-loud book list for me to do with my girls, especially my oldest, who is 6. My 2-year-old is still in that stage of mostly enjoying the same books from our rather extensive library of kids' books at home, so I always have books handy for her.

 

Starting with our family, I want to continue working on the family bonds that have started since our marriage and since the birth of our girls (really before their birth). It does take work and intentionality and a lot of love to keep those bonds strong. So this new year finds me considering how to continue to develop those bonds.

 

Outside our family, I am looking to personally continue to get to know more people and develop current relationships as well. Friends are important, but sometimes my schedule doesn’t show that. 

 

Especially as a mother, I find myself in a unique position to foster the growth of another human being. I take that task seriously. My oldest daughter loves and adores working with her hands, so I am taking the time to make a lot of crafts with her, to get her books that help her learn how to draw; I am also teaching her to sew the basics, and am looking for ways to encourage other skills she needs for the life ahead of her, Lord willing.

 

But I also am looking at myself, how I can be a better teacher to my children, a better writer, and a better cook. All things I need to consider.

 

But most of all, I want the above to happen in a (at least mostly) joyful and peaceful manner. Taking the time to do things personally and together as a family that we enjoy (reading aloud, watching a movie, going to the zoo) helps promote joy. Taking the time to be thankful for all of our blessings and relax helps us find peace. I am attempting to take a relaxing bath once a week for just 20 minutes. When I make the time for those 20 minutes, I am so much more relaxed and peaceful for the busy days ahead. Those small happy things can make a world of difference.

 

Most important to my personal heart peace is my faith in the God of the Bible. Making plans to read and think about the promises there keep me steadfast through the storms of life. But faith can be deprived of good food, and shrink and shrivel, so it is important to me to keep nourishing it with the good food of thought, prayers and reading. This is also something that we do as a family.

 

I am looking forward to 2013! I’d love to hear what your goals and plans are!