Friday Five topic: NEW

 NEW. (Friday Five topic from RevGalBlogPals.org) 

1. If you have one, what is your new resolution?
   Lose the last 20 lbs! And I am rocking the plan. Regular exercise and healthy foods, whole grains, fruit and veggies at every meal, lean protein. Savor tastes, aromas, colors, textures. (stay away from the ice cream! Ben & Jerry, I have broken up with you!)

2. Many folks choose a new word for a year’s beginning, as Marci’s congregation does with StarWords. Some let their word choose them, like Christine at Abbey of the Arts. Do you have a word for the year?
   
   My word for the year is Community. This has been so much on my heart and in my mind. In the past 2 years since our church merger, 2 things kept coming up in my reading and in worship...Keeping our focus on God first and foremost, and community. We are better together than separately, both as people and as churches--especially in outreach. And I am working with other pastors to bring more togetherness into our city through our churches.

3. What is your new favorite exclamation/phrase at times of joy or frustration?
   Hmm, I don't have a 'new' exclamation or phrase....and I need to get rid of some old ones! taming my mouth is a full time job ;) My Dad always said the kitchen was Mom's 'cussing room' and I seem to have carried on that tradition pretty well.

4. Do you have a new favorite food, or an old one you are newly enjoying?
   current fave is plain Greek Yogurt. I love it with granola and fruit for breakfast, and have been cooking with it, using it in place of cream cheese in dessert or ricotta in baked pasta. Works great, and cuts fat and calories!

5. Finally, in general: what is your new favorite thing?

Putting a system in place to achieve my goals. It's great to decide something, but one must have a plan to make it happen! For example, I am reading through the Bible this year. I resolve to do so every year, and have read all of it, but never stayed with a plan. It ends up being sporadic. So I decided, I eat breakfast every day, why not set that as my reading time? I have my plan printed off close by and when I sit down to eat, I read. It's working great. And I have a checklist at night to mark off that I read, that I did my exercise and that I got in my 5 a day of fruit & veggies. That system is keeping me on task.