Every year I spend some time in prayer and set some goals.

Recently I was listening to Relient K's Christmas CD Let it Snow Baby let it Reindeer. I found myself relating only too well to this part of their song I Celebrate the Day when the writer is expressing his disappointment with himself to God:

If only I could find the words to say to let you know
How much you've touched my life because
Here is where you're finding me
In the exact same place as New Year's Eve
And from a lack of my persistency
We're less than half as close as I want to be

Most likely we can all relate to failure. Not measuring up to what we wanted to accomplish. But I don't want past failure to keep my from still aiming for where I want to go.

So, having said all that, here's my Goals for 2010:

1. Continue to spend time in the Word daily. Specifically this year I want to make sure that during my daily time in the Word I: Participate with Crossrads in the 31 Proverbs in 31 days in January, Facilitate the Beth Moore Esther series for the women's ministries at our church, Complete The Beatitudes study on developing spiritual character by John Stott, and Read through Genesis, Micah, Mark and James.

2. Read some books (The new reading list for 2010 will be posted on the side bar within the next week).

3. Have at least 6 dinners this year where we invite people over. We have a new family who moved in across the street that I want to have over, we want to make sure we have some of the people/families we don't really know very well from our church yet, and we'll most likely also meet some people this year in various ways that we'll feel led to invite over.

4. Continue to increase healthy habits.
A. Last year I added in hiking or walking at least 5 times a week that is now a firmly established habit. This year I want to add in engaging in this yoga type exercise CD at least 3 times each week.
B. Last year I added drinking more water every day which is now a habit. This year I want to add in refraining from eating after dinner in the evening and eating when I'm hungry (vrs eating for all the other reasons I eat).

5. Finish working through "The Love Dare" one dare each week. I got started this past year but then let myself get side tracked. It's so good that I want to pick it back up

6. Refrain from repeating or making negative comments about people. My mother (and apparently everyone else's as well) used to say "if you haven't got something nice to say, then don't say anything" to my siblings and I; there's a lot of truth to this. Recently I caught myself repeating a negative incident/behavior about someone and realized what a jerk I was - I don't want to be that way.

If it's God's will, I'd really like to figure out where I'm supposed to go with my career this year.

I appreciate the way Debby, over at Heavenly Humor, decided to handle New Year's Resolutions. She decided to post hers, invite others to post some or all of theirs if they like, and then they could circle back near the end of 2010 and see where everyone was at.

So, I've already given you mine. What are some, or all, of your goals for 2010?