Grace for the new year.

I am always working toward {and failing daily at} my goal of parenting with grace.

And to be honest, I'm not even sure I fully comprehend what grace is myself.

But a new year is a new start and a chance to refocus and continue to refine.

So in 2012 I am striving toward....

Listening rather then lecturing.

Responding rather than reacting.

Engaging rather then dismissing.

And praying rather then judging.

Knowing that the days can feel long but the years are fleeting.

And someday my nights will be uninterrupted by bad dreams and teething babies, and I'll have plenty of "me" time, and I won't have an audience in the bathroom, and things will still be where I left them, and I won't have to pretend to be Prince Charming or Mufasa all day long, and maybe I'll even lose the last few pounds of baby weight.

And when I send them off into the world someday I don't want to wonder if I did enough, said enough or loved them enough.

I want to shower them with grace now {even if some days I only manage a sprinkle} so that they will see Him in me--because otherwise all of my doing, saying and loving will fall short.

And I am going to mess up a lot. A lot. A lot.

But His grace is sufficient.