Good Bye 2009...What's Ahead in 2010

Goal Setting. For most of our 17-year marriage my DH and I have sat down in January, usually at the local Starbuck's, with a laptop and a list of goals we hoped to accomplish in the upcoming year. Before we began our new list we retrieved the list from the previous year and evaluated what we achieved. We are a couple who tends to dream big so sometimes our goals remained unmet (like the years when I consecutively tried to read at least one adult book a month), but often times we reflected on great accomplishments.
Then after this time of reflection we would enthusiastically type up the coming year's lofty goals and discuss how we planned to help the other person reach his/her goals.
A couple years ago I became increasingly frustrated with this goal-setting event. Year after year, as I reflected on my previous year's goals I realized I accomplished very little, at least according to my list. Heck, I could not even manage to read a book a month! I would then begin to get down on myself and soon our Starbuck's trip would turn into a pity party/cry fest about how I can't manage to even reach the most mundane goals. Needless to say, DH was not particularly thrilled with where our productive goal setting meeting ended up.
DH would then reassure me that I do a lot, homeschool the kids, make meals, maintain the house, etc. but I wanted to live a life that screamed significance. I wanted to be someone who accomplished more than cleaning the house or teaching a kid to read. I wanted to save orphans, feed the hungry, write cookbooks, learn photography, and serve in ministry. I wanted to be a Martha Stewart, or a Bakerella, or a Beth Moore, or a Farm Chick, or a Dara Torres, or a Max Lange, or a...you get the picture. I now think it's my pride and ego that wanted to be all these things.
Well, this year after six months of slowing down (and reading a lot of books) and enjoying some peaceful living, I think I'm finally realizing I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be. I can be a Martha Stewart for my little family, a Bakerella for my girlie and her friends, a Farm Chick in my little world, a Beth Moore in my prayer/Bible time, a Dara Torres in my jogs along the beach, and a Max Lange to our two beautiful sponsored children. But most importantly, the goal isn't doing these things to prove significance to anyone, but to be significant to those around me and to live a life doing what God wants me to do.
So this year's goals may seem smaller, but I think they'll be more significant. They'll be: To enjoy each day to the fullest. To live a healthy and happy life. To love on my husband and support him. To Cherish the three precious children we've been blessed with. To know my God tomorrow, more than I do today. And to live a life that brings Glory to God, and no one else, especially not me.