Post Holiday Song Disorder (PHSD)

Okay, so 2013 starts tomorrow.  I have to admit, I'm not nearly as excited about the new year as I've been in the past.  Maybe it's because I'll be staying up until midnight to take care of babies as opposed to sipping some bubbly and wearing a sparkly dress, or maybe it's just because those kiddos aren't old enough yet to be excited about the holiday.  Or, maybe it's because I'm still in a Christmas sort of mood.  The decorations have yet to be put away, there's a few presents in their gift bags that haven't made it to their home yet, and I have a Christmas song stuck in my head.  The song is "It came upon the midnight clear," and until about 3 weeks ago, I had no idea that this song had 5 verses!  There's one verse that I wanted to share with you, and  it's the one I can't stop thinking about:

(Verse 1)

It came upon the midnight clear,
That glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth
To touch their harps of gold:
"Peace on the Earth, goodwill to men,
From heaven's all-gracious King!"
The world in solemn stillness lay
To hear the angels sing.

(Verse 3)

Yet with the woes of sin and strife
The world has suffered long;
Beneath the angel-strain have rolled
Two thousand years of wrong;
And man, at war with man, hears not
The love-song that they bring.
O hush the noise, ye men of strife
And hear the angels sing.

A few of you may have noticed that I like to share Fair Trade companies that I come across with you.  The fact is, we live in a country where more often than not, the product you buy has been produced by corporate greed, exploitation of workers, or even modern-day slavery.  Ethically based companies are not the norm, and I'm always so excited to hear about products where their construction is helping to better other people's lives.  It makes me even happier when I get a chance to share those companies with all of you!

That's why I wanted to publicly share my one New Year's resolution with you as well.  I've put myself on a full shopping ban until my birthday (three months from now), and I'm resolving that for the next year, I will prayerfully consider every clothing and accessory purchase I make, and consider the impact that my dollars will have.  I probably won't be able to buy exclusively Fair Trade, based on our family's budget right now, but that just means I'll have to research my purchases a little more, or rely on resale and thrift shops for the majority.  I want what little money my shopping sprees generate to be a part of those angels' "love-song" that sings of our Savior.

Now, friends, I don't want you to make this same resolution.  (Well, unless you really feel led to do so, of course!)  I feel that God wants every one of us to serve Him in different ways.  This resolution is not some, "I'm better than you, and you're not a good Christian unless you do it" kind of thing!  To be honest, I have a weakness for buying armloads of cheap stuff I don't need, or finding those really amazing deals, and doing it frequently, so this resolution of mine is partly to curb that behavior.  Because of that, I feel led to change my shopping habits.   Drastically.  God's plan for your life could, and probably does, have absolutely nothing to do with where you shop!  But, I still wanted to share, and I want you to keep me accountable!  Put your nose in my business!  If I post an outfit, feel free to ask me when and where I bought it.  If I whine about wanting to go shopping, remind me of my own words.  Please?  :)

I may not be jumping up and down about 2013, but I'm genuinely excited to see what God has for our future.

What are you excited about for this New Year?