Welcome 2010, it's going to be a good year.

Last year I began an exercise regimen that successfully stopped the horrific weight gain (20 pounds!) that plagued me during 2008. Although I was able to stop the trend, I'm still sporting the extra pounds. Other accomplishments of note include surviving the 1st year of employment in a start-up working for my old employer and, even better, writing a novel. I also read the Bible in its entirety.

I only have a couple of resolutions for this year: Exercise more, eat less, read more, write more. And by that, I intend to do a bit of each of those 4 activities every day.

On the exercise front: we've acquired the Wii Fit Plus and we're 4 days in. My DH and I have completed 30 minutes per day and we plan to continue the trend. I also have an exercise ball and a heart rate monitor. I'm all in. 30 minutes a day, minimum. Walking, Wii-ing or a tryst with Richard Simmons - it doesn't matter which. My goal is to "Work it, baby!"

On the eating less front... well, yeah, I've got room for improvement there. I've never been good at counting calories. The best I can hope for is some amount of self control. Eating smaller portions, taking smaller bites, eating more slowly. I'm imagining things that are yet to be achieved. But I've got time to work on it. I'd like for dinner to start taking 20 minutes to eat instead of 2 minutes.

On reading and writing, here are the stack of books I currently have queued up, ready to read:

Under the Dome, by Stephen King

The Principle of the Path, by Andy Stanley

Same Kind of Different as Me, by Ron Hall and Denver Moore

When Bad Things Happen to Good People, by Harold S. Kushner

The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho

A Man For All Seasons, by Robert Bolt

Obstacles Welcome, by Ralph de la Vega

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, by John Berendt

How Not to Write a Novel, by Howard Mittelmark and Sandra Newman

The Elements of Style, by Strunk and White

On Writing Well, by William Zinsser

A Twist at the End, by Steven Saylor

Reading Like a Writer, by Francine Prose

The Good, The Bad and the Lovely, by Fran Hart

Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, by Renni Browne & Dave King

The Chronological Study Bible (NKJV)

The Complete C.S.Lewis (Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, The Abolition of Man, The Great Divorce, The Problem of Pain, Miracles, A Grief Observed), by C.S.Lewis

Adventuring Through the Bible, by Ray Stedman

The Marketing of Evil, by David Kupelian

Ten Things I Wish Jesus Never Said, by Victor Kuligin

The Eduction of Little Tree, by Forrest Carter

The Gospel According to Judas, by Benjamin Iscariot

Reading Judas, by Elain Pagels & Karen L. King

See Jane Lead, by Lois P. Frankel, PhD

The Christian Moral Life, by Timothy F. Sedgwick

Cure for the Common Life, by Max Lucado

If You Want to Walk on Water You've Got to Get Out of the Boat, by John Ortberg

The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror (short stories)

bird by bird, by Anne Lamott

Writing Mysteries, a handbook by the Mystery Writers of America

And the books I won at the Women of Faith conference:

Guys Are Waffles, Girls Are Spaghetti by Chad Eastham
Redefining Beautiful by Jenna Lucado
Take Your Best Shot by AustinGutwein
Knockout Entrepreneur by George Foreman
Beautiful Mess The Story of Diamond Rio

So, I'm wondering....if it's in my stack am I obliged to read it? I think not. My goal is to hone my writing skills. To read like a writer. To write like a reader. To do both like a critic. I plan to write reviews as often as possible (or reasonable).

On writing, I intend to finish "God the Father: What I've Learned about Parenting from God and about God from Parenting" and I plan to complete 4 more drafts of my first novel (and then find a publisher). And I will write my 2nd novel. And, God willing, I'll write a book about my travels to Asia.

Yes, 2010. I'm glad to meet you. It's going to be a good year.