New Year Blues.

Am I the only one who has a difficult time finding motivation after the holidays? What is that about anyway? My theory is that the hype building up to Christmas and all the activities and food and vacation time and family and friends and parties, we anticipate it so much. Then after it's all over there's just a natural coming back down to the everyday routine of things that has to happen. It's just hard sometimes.

It helps me to have things to look forward to or even projects to work on. Even setting some new goals. Perhaps this is where making New Year's resolutions came from.

I came across a list of "50 Guilt Free New Years Resolutions" in my Thriving Family Magazine. It's really pretty creative, at least a few of the ideas are. I'm going to file it away for the future, when the littles are a little bit older.

Some of the ones I liked were:

• Create your own family holiday. Set a specific date. Invite each family member to help with planning a unique celebration.
• During family TV/movie night, press the mute button. Make up your own dialogue. The wackier, the better.
• Start a prayer jar. Each family member can write prayers or draw prayer pictures and leave them in a jar. At the year's end, look through the prayers together and talk about God's faithfulness.
• Give something away every month this year. Be looking for the needs of friends and how their needs may overlap with what you own. Give freely.
• Say "I love you" to your spouse at the start of each day.
• When your child shares something with you, stop what you're doing and look them in the eyes. Ask a follow up question.
• Stop communicating in only 140 characters or less.
• Put all your Christmas cards into a pile. Draw one card a week, and pray for that family.
• Pick a night of the week to be "No-Screen Night." Turn off all computers and tv to do something fun as a family.

I'm also looking forward to reading a book about parenting that I've wanted to read for awhile now, just waiting for our hectic schedule to slow down. It's called "Shepherding a Childs heart" by Ted Tripp.

I'm really looking forward to this biblical perspective on parenting and learning more in depth what God has in mind for me as a mommy. I want to be purposeful with my parenting, knowing my time with them is short. To me the most rewarding part of this job will be seeing the fruits in their life of the time I took to pour Jesus in to them! Watching them grow up and choose Jesus and His way for life, thats what being a parent is all about. They are His babes anyway, I want to be faithful to return them to Him as saints!

And I just love how God uses the things I learn about being a parent and applies it to my relationship with Him, my Heavenly Father. He loves me so much, just the same as I love my littles. Actually He loves more! And sometimes that is hard for me to believe. But I'm so grateful to be loved and cared for so deeply!

What plans or activities do you have planned to ward off the New Year blues?