I generally don't make New Year's Resolutions. I mean I do sometimes, but I don't really see the point because they never last. It's often more fun making the resolution than keeping the resolution, isn't it? And so what started out as a grand idea on January 1st becomes a grand flop by January 31st. We can waste more time planning and daydreaming about our resolutions than actually doing them, am I right?😁
(Besides, if it's important enough, we'll do whatever it is when we're motivated enough to do it, regardless of the time of year.)
And so instead of any grand resolutions these past several years, I've been trying to think of more light-hearted things to "resolve" to do throughout the year, relaxing things.
Who says resolutions have to be lofty or serious anyway?
Such as these resolutions from the past several years:
1. In 2024, my resolution was to watch lots of sourdough videos, start growing my own sourdough starter from scratch, and bake sourdough bread.
And I definitely succeeded in keeping this resolution!
I watched lots of sourdough baking videos that first year... and I loved it, so relaxing. More relaxing than anything else at the time. What a wonderful resolution, even if you don't try baking the bread! (But it's even better if you do.)
2. A few years ago, I resolved to watch some U2 videos. And I did. Yay for me! I think I watched about six, but then summer things started distracting me. But I did buy DVD's of their concerts and have been watching those. So that's a win!
(Yes, I said DVD's. I'm that old-fashioned. And you should see my CD collection! Plus - shocker - I still write paper checks for all my bills... and I mail them... in an envelope... with a stamp... by snail mail. Yes, people like me do still exist somewhere out there.)
I particularly loved this U2 concert showing of With or Without You. Bono has always seemed to have such a desire to connect with people, to touch the fans, to get real with them. I love that.
And isn't that what we all want sometimes? To connect deeply with another person. One heart touching another, being touched by another. Really being seen by someone (by God) and really seeing them. Being understood. Mattering to each other. Meaningful contact.
I think that's what many of us are aching for these days, what we're searching for: meaning, purpose, something real that lasts, hope. We just don't know where to find it.
[But as a Christian, can I recommend that if you don't know where to start, try the Bible, the book of John in the New Testament?
Or maybe start here: Starting your own relationship with Jesus (and Why We Need Him!)
Or maybe you prefer a song?
Try Anne Wilson's Living Water
The City Harmonic's Oh, What Love
Michael W. Smith's Secret Ambition
Jeremy Riddle's Sweetly Broken
Crowder's I AM
Todd Agnew's My Jesus
Cloverton's Hallelujah Christmas
It's worth a try, isn't it? Especially when what the world offers us fails. And don't worry, as a bumper sticker I once saw says: "Try Jesus. If you don't like Him, the devil will always take you back."]
Anyway, I think these days of social media, snippets/soundbites of everything, excessive political/moral polarization, biased journalism, etc. have really screwed all that up. We don't connect personally with people like we used to or take the time to really get to know each other, to have good deep conversations, to understand each other, to hear each other's point of views, to respect each other.
We'd rather just exchange small snippets of thoughts, feelings, or information online, and then go our way. Or worse, we look for snippets about something that makes us angry so that we can share our snippets that make someone else angry, until we're all offended and angry, tearing each other down before moving on to the next target, the next thing that makes us offended, the next fight we can join - adding noise but no heart, words but no meaning or depth, opinions but no compassion or understanding. [I've shared this song before, but it's worth sharing again: American Noise by Skillet. So good!]
Of course, we've got to take strong stands sometimes on some serious issues, so there will be disagreements. And there should be. But it seems like our ability to respect and tolerate each other despite our differences - to connect with each other, listen to each other, and value each other, even if we disagree - has been slowly disappearing over the years, not to mention our peace and joy in life, our ability to appreciate the little things, our gratitude for the simple blessings... because we're all so offended all the time; so stressed; working so hard to keep up with the Joneses (or just to keep afloat); trying so hard to force others to think the way we do; so focused on social media and the news instead of real life; so phony and polished-up on our Facebook page (or whatever social media site we use); so afraid of what the future holds; so worried that anything we say or do could be shared online and might hurt our lives or relationships or jobs; so discouraged by the 24-hour reporting of all the chaos and hatred and fighting in the world; so angry or upset about everything all the time; and on and on and on.
How can we have peace, joy, love, and compassion in our hearts and minds if we're feeding on all that negative stuff all day long? How can we enjoy our lives and relationships when we're surrounded by things (and seeking out things) that make us afraid, angry, offended, frustrated by others, distrusting of others, discouraged, etc.
(Here's a good sermon from Willow that's relevant: "Anger can take you down".)
Sorry, I'm rambling, mashing a bunch of different issues together. But the point is: I think that while, sure, there are some good things about it, social media (and bad, biased journalism; political propaganda disguised as "news") has hurt us more than helped us. We don't know how to live in reality anymore, how to treat people like people, how to respect each other, how to disconnect from the Borg, enjoy life, or focus on what matters.
I miss the 80's.
Heck, I miss the 50's, and I wasn't even alive then.
[Speaking of U2: Did you ever see the video of Bono desperately trying to reach fans, to connect with fans, at Live Aid 1985? So good! I guess after the concert, he got totally yelled at by the other band members for that stunt because he wasted so much time trying to reach the fans that they didn't have time to do their most popular song at the time. But it ended up becoming one of the most memorable moments of the whole concert. And for good reason. Oh, that we could all strive that hard to connect with people in a very real way!]
3. On a related note: My "resolution" several years ago (which I made and started in the fall, after too many months of political chaos and fighting) was to go on a fast from the news, stop watching or reading news stories.
It was always just more of the same anyway. More bad stories. More fighting. More fear-mongering. More things to be angry about, confused about, or afraid of. More political posturing and propaganda. More reasons to be upset with people and discouraged with the direction our country and the world was headed. More reasons to feel hopeless. (Why do we do that to ourselves?)
And so since then - fall of 2020 - I've only watched or read a tiny fraction of the news (which, as I said, isn't news anymore but political propaganda, social mind-control). Because that's all that's worth paying attention to. (Besides, if I really needed to know about anything that was happening, it would eventually find its way to me.)
I'd rather just focus on living my life. On being a good mom, wife, neighbor, friend. On daily jobs and simple pleasures. On the issues that matter most to me. On the trials I'm facing in my own life that need my attention and energy far more than the world's problems. Things I can do and can control, instead of a world of problems I can't change and can't control.
It's like the good old-fashioned Serenity Prayer says:
"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
the courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference."
I can only do what I can do in my own life.
I have to let God worry about the rest.
Philippians 4:6-7: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
Psalm 46:1-3,10: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though the waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.... Be still and know that I am God, I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
Matthew 6:25-34: “Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?... But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
2 Corinthians 4:8-9,16-18: “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed… Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
Colossians 3:2,23-24: “Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things… Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Jesus you are serving.”
Philippians 4:8: “… whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things.”
1 Peter 5:7: “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.”
Psalm 62:5: “Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.”
4. Talk less, listen more.
I fail miserably at this one all the time. But I keep trying. And it's getting easier. (I think.)
James 1:19: "... Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak..."
Proverbs 10:19: "When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise."
5. (On the more lofty side) Last year's resolution was to read all the way through The Tony Evans Bible Commentary to gather whatever tidbits and new information I could.
6. And that brings us to this year... which I'll share next post.
[Yeah, yeah, I know I didn't get to "white horses" or "a cup of tea"... but patience, young grasshopper, I'll get to it. After all, this is only part 1.😉]
