Sunday, January 3, 2010

New Decade's Resolutions

New Decade’s Resolutions

Writing New Decade’s Resolutions will allow me just 1/10 of the opportunities for failure were I to write New Year's Reslutions each year. It just so happens that my 40th birthday will fall a month before my ten years are up, so these are also goals I want to accomplish by the time I’m 40.

Family
1. I resolve to take my wife on weekend getaways 20 times.
2. I will coach a baseball team that with Isaac, Suzy and Eli on the roster.
3. I resolve to live with with my family in a poor country for an extended period (a month or more).
4. I resolve to try to teach each child to play an instrument.
5. I resolve to allow my children to learn to grow and raise food on a farm (I would say to teach them, but I don’t know how to do this myself).
6. I resolve to take the family camping 10 times.


Community
1. I resolve to develop meaningful relationships with 4 families (not just the kids) on our block
2. To lead a Bible Study or discussion group with neighbors
3. To train one neighbor as a Christian disciple
4. To become a board member for the Little Village baseball league


Spiritual
1. To fast for two weeks from media 10 times
2. To fast for two weeks from food and media 10 times
3. To do a 40 day food fast
4. To study 10 books of the Bible (like with commentaries and what-not)
5. To focus study on Theophostic prayer, and develop a ministry of prayer with others

Physical
1. To bat .500 for the Little Village Lugnuts
2. To pitch a no-hitter for the Little Village Lugnuts
3. To beat Siri Greeley in ultimate Frisbee once
4. To work out for a period of 6 months, once

The Arts
1. To practice my cello 20 days out of one month.
2. To finish the canons of: Wendell Berry (just his fiction), C.S. Lewis, Leslie Newbigin and Frederick Buechner
3. To read the Koran and the Catechism of the Catholic Church
4. To write 10 songs
5. To add 100 postings to this here blog
6. To send 20 hand-written letters


Work
1. I resolve to continue working as a Special Education teacher for these ten years
2. To achieve National Board Certification.
3. To come up with some more goals for work.

5 comments:

Unknown said...

brian, I'm reading your blog
chad

Brian Stipp said...

Yesssss!

Anonymous said...

add me to the list and I like your goals.
they are as good as done
nick

joan.ekimball said...

Brian I hope you write me one of those hand written letters.

Anonymous said...

Wow, resolving to work as a Special Education teacher for those ten years. That's pretty confident that you know that God wants you to be in that position. My husband and I are in a situation of waiting and learning where we're supposed to be...