Food-Filled Fridays: New Year’s Resolution #1: Eat more macaroni and cheese!

Well, to be honest, eating more macaroni and cheese is not my New Year’s resolution, but I’m talking about both topics today, so I thought that was creative.  On the other hand, I’ve been craving mac’n’cheese like crazy, so perhaps it should be. lol

[NOTE: I am NOT pregnant. I have always experienced strange cravings.]

I have a lot of mixed feelings towards New Year’s resolutions.  I’ve never made one before this year.  I don’t know if that’s because I’ve always viewed them as cliché, or if I’ve always viewed them as cliché in an attempt to avoid making one.  In all honesty, in a weird way, I think I’ve had excuses this long because of fear of failure.

I’ve always been one to start something and not continue it for very long. I start a rigorous exercise segment only stop it a month later. I start reading daily in the Word only to get distracted (stupid, false independence).  I create a detailed schedule for myself and slack and don’t hold to it very long.  In other words, I’ve always lacked discipline.

The big change this year involves a few key words.  I think know they are the key to my success.

Motivation. I’ve talked about this a lot on this blog (like here).  I have, because it is so easy to have the right desires with the wrong motivations, to make amazing plans with a selfish heart, or do right with a wrong purpose in mind.

Talking a lot during Talking about It Tuesdays about serving and loving my husband has really challenged my normally selfish mentality to a desire to love my husband and be motivated first by my relationship with the Lord and a desire to glorify Him and secondly, by a desire to please, serve, honor, and show love to my husband.

Dependence.  This goes along with the motivation in a lot of ways in my mind.  In the past, I’ve made a lot of plans and started enact a lot of changes in my life with a silent, overshadowing idea of boosting my self-confidence, proving my independence (and amazingness!…not a word? It is now.), etc.  I can’t do this on my own. If my motivation is not correct and my dependence on the Grace of the Lord to allow me to accomplish what I set out to do for His glory, ain’t nothing going as I plan. Once again, I can’t do this on my own. My last 23 years of failure to be disciplined and faithful to random “resolutions” I’ve made proves that.

Accountability.  Again. I can’t do this on my own. I could write that sentence over and over, but if I don’t take action to get some help, I’m still not going to succeed.  Right now, I have two girls who are keeping me accountable to my resolutions, a few I’m holding accountable to theirs, and a loving husband who will help me hold to my decisions. However, it took humility and it took a real purpose to succeed to ask some friends to hold me accountable because I know…here we go again… I can’t do this on my own.

Have you ever heard of Jonathan Edwards?  He wrote Sinners in the Hands of An Angry

God.  Well, at the age of 20 yrs old, he wrote 70 resolutions regarding his faith and relationship with Jesus Christ. Take a look at them here.  I thought about his when I started considering a New Year’s resolution for the first time this.  Resolved. That word has such matter-of-fact-ness to it. That word declares such integrity.  As I share with you my few resolutions for this upcoming year, I’m a little humbled by his depth, his determination, his dedication, and his desire to grow.

Resolution #1:

Read and pray.

Together. Adam and I are reading through the Bible in a year together. I’m excited to hold to this and to accomplish this goal together.

Me. Just me. Adam and I agree that the time we have in the Word together must not replace the time we have alone in the Word one-on-one with the Lord. The past few months I’ve been listening to James McDonald‘s podcasts through iTunes, and I’m loving it. However, I need to focus more on being in the Word and on my  knees in His presence.

Resolution #2:

Exercise. Adam and I are planning on running a half-marathon in September in the Adirondacks.  Although I’m scared to death of failing at this, I have nine months to train, so I am confident.

Resolution #3:

Food. It is so easy to be tempted to eat everything and anything because Adam can (and does). I don’t have to (can’t).  I need to focus on being healthy and staying healthy. That sometimes means preparing something a little different for me, but it’s so worth it.  Rats. I guess that means I can’t eat macaroni and cheese and nachos every day.

Write.  I’ve done well in the past to holding to my desire to write faithfully on this blog.  This year my desire is to do more than that. I want to write fiction!!!  I want to start writing  and spending some quality time investing in this art.  Adam encouraged me in that yesterday. 🙂 He even told me I could not spend as much time on housework so I can spend some serious time writing. Have you told you yet this year how wonderful he is?! 🙂

So, there you are. There are my resolutions for the year 2011.  Please… hold me to them, ask me about them, pester me regarding them, and most-importantly, pray for me.  As I’ve said repeatedly, I can’t do this on my own.

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My friend Karen asked me a while back to post my gluten-free macaroni and cheese recipe. It’s amazing (if I do say so myself). It’s fail-proof and simply addicting.  Here you go, Karen!

Gluten-Free Macaroni and Cheese

Serves 3

8 oz. gluten-free elbow noodles

Cook noodles and set aside.

2 Tbsp cornstarch

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp dry mustard

1/4 tsp. black pepper

2 1/2 c. milk

2 Tbsp. butter

Whisk all ingredients and cook ’til the milk is boiling. Caution: When the milk is boiling, whisk continually to avoid sticking.  Boil for 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

Stir in 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, stir ’til melted, and combine with cooked noodles.

Enjoy!!!

[Okay, now I’m drooling. Thanks, Karen! lol]

Thanks again for reading!!  Tune in next week for more Food-Filled Fridays!