Resolutions

Please see the following definition of the word "resolution" below (taken off the dictionary application on my Mac)

resolution |ˌrezəˈloō sh ən|
noun

1 a firm decision to do or not to do something : she kept her resolution not to see Anne any more | a New Year's resolution.
• a formal expression of opinion or intention agreed on by a legislative body, committee, or other formal meeting, typically after taking a vote : the conference passed two resolutions.
• the quality of being determined or resolute : he handled the last French actions of the war with resolution.
See note at courage .
2 the action of solving a problem, dispute, or contentious matter : the peaceful resolution of all disputes | a successful resolution to the problem.
• Music the passing of a discord into a concord during the course of changing harmony.
• Medicine the disappearance of inflammation, or of any other symptom or condition.
3 chiefly Chemistry the process of reducing or separating something into its components.
• Physics the replacing of a single force or other vector quantity by two or more jointly equivalent to it.
• the conversion of something abstract into another form.
• Prosody the substitution of two short syllables for one long one.
4 the smallest interval measurable by a scientific (esp. optical) instrument; the resolving power.
• the degree of detail visible in a photographic or television image.
ORIGIN late Middle English : from Latin resolutio(n-), from resolvere ‘loosen, release’ (see resolve ).

Several people have asked me if I have any new years resolutions this year. Certainly there are things that I want to be better at or things about myself I strive to change, but I don't have any "firm decisions to do or not to do something." I do, however, have a set of unofficial goals for myself.

When looking at the definitions above, I really liked the second one. I don't tend to view resolutions in this sense. Resolutions have always been a list of "thou shall nots" in my mind. This second description (highlighted in red) speaks more to me about freedom of bonds and strongholds from the past year. I want to think of 2010 as a fresh year with a whole new set of experiences about to shape my life.

Not that I really have any public disputes, but more about internal things. This year I can be free from negative images, fears of failure or disappointing people. This year I am free to do what God has called me, and to discover the steps that I am to climb and leap onto with faith. Every day God extends his love and grace to me. Every morning. I want to embrace that grace this year.