2012 the year of discipline

How's 2012 going so far?  We are a day done and 365 more to go this year.  


Did you start off on the right foot with your resolutions?  I went to church and went for a run, check and check.


I went to Grace Church today with my family.  It is a larger church in the suburbs of Denver.  There is nothing wrong with suburbia, but after going to various churches in Denver city, I could sense the difference.  


And it felt like Home.  Yep you heard me right, I liked the organized childcare system, the cushy chairs, the enthusiastic greeters that ALL wanted to shake my hand and wish me a Happy New Year and good morning, the "contemporary" worship band and the "bow your head and raise your hand" prayer.  I admit that these amenities could have tipped the scale either way for me, but the clincher was the pastor preaching from the Bible.  A novel idea for pastors these days.  An added bonus was that the age variation is huge as in everyone there isn't between the age of 25 and 35.


I love new starts and goals and lists, the follow through is the kicker for me.  What's the statistic that most New Years resolutions are broken by the time February rolls around?  I guess most people these days struggle with the follow through, but that's the problem.  My generation (and I include myself in this observation) don't know how to commit.  Yes some of us have said the "I do" and go to our daily jobs, but other than the things you have "to do,"  what things do you do on a daily basis?  


Eat and sleep you gotta do so don't count.  


Ok what about something you are committed to every week?  Week in and week out, no matter what?  Even when you don't feel like it?  "The things that are important to you, you will find time.  The things that aren't, you'll find an excuse."  


I give lip service to Jesus and the poor and family and friends and hobbies, but I also have a lot of excuses.  


Right now we have so many options and choices that I get frozen in indecision and do nothing at all.  


For the past month, I have been thinking a lot about discipline.  The getting up every morning at 6, not because I have to, but because I want to run and read the Bible and pray.  I want to be disciplined.  


Discipline does not feel good which is what our society is stuck on.  I'll go to church when I feel like I need some Jesus.  I'll run when the weather is absolutely perfect with no headwind and not too hot to cause me to sweat either.  Never going to happen.  We wonder why we feel disconnected to our community or friends or Jesus, but we aren't willing to put the hard work into knowing and serving our community or friends or Jesus.  


All this to say I'm guilty, but sick of being lazy and complacent and waiting for just the right feeling.  I am going to be disciplined.  I'm going to read about self-discipline (The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer).  But I know that is not enough.  


I need a plan.


I will go to bed by 10 each night and may need to go to bed even earlier.
I will set my alarm to go off 10 minutes earlier than I am now each week until I get to 6AM.
With the extra time in the morning, I will read the bible.  Adding running when I have more time.
I will go to church each week that I am in town.  It is just in my schedule.  No option of sleeping in or having a lazy sunday at home.  We will be committed to church.
I will run at least 4 days a week.  If it doesn't happen in the morning by myself, than it will happen in the afternoon with Miles.
I will have 1 new activity or craft for Miles each week.
I also would like to hike with Miles each week.


"What I do every day is more important than what I do once in a while."  The Happiness Project.