This year I would like to begin naming chapters, instead of setting resolutions.  Truth be told…I haven't been so awesome with resolutions anyway, like most people.

I couldn't put things so eloquently as one of my favorite authors, Donald Miller, but I'll give it a shot in the wee hours of the morning, as I sit with these thoughts running through my head.

Resolutions are okay, and they have their place in our lives, I suppose.  Setting out to create stories makes life so much more interesting, not to mention a bit more attainable.

I am a verbal person.  (insert snickering remarks from friends and close co-workers;)  I love to talk/write/email, and I love stories.  According to the Strengths Finder 2.0 test, Communication is one of my top 5…go figure:)  It would make sense that I would do better with wanting to write a new chapter in my story than just wanting to accomplish a resolution.  I'm going to steal Donald Miller's example, and change it to look more like me for a moment…

It's no secret to anyone that's known me for years that I like to think I'm a runner.  Every now and then I kind of become one, and then I tend to slowly drop off, for one reason or another.  But believe it or not, it's still in my head that I'm a runner.  And even though I have my back issues now, I still want to run a marathon (or several) some day.  I still want to run my 10k's and my 5k's.  The desire is still there.  Unfortunately I do have my back issues and the possibility of surgery in my future.  

So right now, the chapter in my story that I'd like to see happen is going to be called, "Becoming Physically Fit Meant No Surgery".  Honestly, right now I am loving the thought of surgery to get rid of the back pain that I experience.  6 weeks-months of recovery?  No problem.  The thing is, even if I have the surgery, I need to become more physically fit to continue to not be in pain.  Sure I could set out to "exercise 5x/week", and that would be a valiant goal for me and my schedule right now.  But it's so much bigger than exercising just to do it.  Now there's other stuff involved.  I'd like to see how this could impact my need for surgery over the next 6 months…we shall see!  Sure it'd be great to be able to say that I exercised "x" amount of times a week for 6 months straight (we'd all see a difference!), but it would be a better story to say that I was able to work my way out of needing surgery…and that I was then able to run a 5K with some friends this summer. It's just a better story.

These next couple of weeks I'll be thinking more about the chapters I'd like to write this year.  I loved 2009, as crazy as it was, for the simple realization that I got to see an overflow of joy in my life through some tough transitions and challenges.  

It's so cliche to talk of 2010 as if it will be the best year of my life, but if I walk intentionally to write a better story, breathed on by the Holy Spirit, it will be!  I saw throughout this past year that that doesn't always come through the most comfortable experiences, but every great story has great conflict to overcome.  

For now, check out the blogspiration for my thoughts.