My 2010 Rule of Life

Last January I posted a Rule of Life, and this January I do the same, praying that God will help me to follow it far better this year. (For an explanation of a Rule of Life, see the above link.)

The Rule for this year is very nearly the same as the one for the last:

Pray the Liturgy of the Hours

MORNING PRAYER:
--- Divine Hours Morning Prayer
--- 1928 Book of Common Prayer Morning Prayer, including Psalms and Lectionary Readings (Old and New Testament)
--- Diary of Private Prayer: Morning Prayer (optional)

NOON PRAYER:
--- Divine Hours Midday Prayer
--- Anglican Prayer Beads (optional)

VESPERS:
--- Divine Hours Vespers Prayer
--- Daily Book of Common Prayer (Prayer and/or Scripture Readings)

COMPLINE:
--- Divine Hours Compline Prayer
--- 1928 Book of Common Prayer Evening Prayer, including Psalms
--- Diary of Private Prayer: Evening Prayer (optional)

Weekly Church Services

--- Attend Friday Morning Prayer and Holy Communion (Healing Service) at Victoria Chapel, Alpine Anglican Church of the Blessed Trinity, plus Holy Day Observances

--- Attend Sunday School and Sunday Worship at Lake Murray Community Church

Bodily Discipline

--- Gluten-free and sugar-free eating with one exception per week

--- Daily exercise, six days/week, 30 minutes per day

--- Awake at 7:00 AM; Bedtime by 11:00 PM, six days/week

Intellectual Discipline

--- 30 minutes (minimum) of writing (not counting blogging/journaling), six days/week

--- 30 minutes (minimum) of instructional reading, six days/week

--- Mini-retreats for writing/journaling/prayer at least monthly

--- Logos Reading and Discussion Group monthly

--- Local Writers' Workshop monthly

With the aid of Christ Jesus my Lord and Saviour, I intend to keep this Rule of Life in the Year of our Lord 2010. Signed this 31st Day of December, 2009.

My hope and prayer this year for myself spiritually is for me to grow ever more prayerful, ever seeking the Lord in my every thought. May His Spirit infuse my writing and reading, my prayer and recreation, my every moment of every day.

My hope and prayer this year for myself physically is a continuation of the healing process I finally saw in December after eight years of illness: the ability to exercise for the first time in at least six years, eating only that which is healthy, sleeping adequately, and through all this, lose the weight I have gained as a result of my medications and sickness, by our 25th anniversary in June. That's losing two pounds per week which I hope is quite do-able now that I can exercise at (very long) last.

My hope and prayer for myself intellectually is to continue writing and reading all that brings me closer to God and that which helps others see Him at work in their lives. I pray for the discipline to continue writing and reading daily so that I may be a light shining for Him, here on this blog and in my other writings and my readings. I have such a tremendously wonderful stack of truly excellent books that I haven't had time to read, so I pray that I will get to them, read them, digest them, and apply them to my life for His glory and my edification.

It goes without saying that my most significant hope and prayer is for the spiritual growth of our children ... of our family. May we each grow in Him as He leads, learning the discipline necessary to live productive lives for Him and opening our lives to others to allow the Gospel of Christ to shine through us. May each of our children love Him more this year than ever, developing their own spiritual disciplines as they grow in their individual faiths.

What are your hopes and prayers and desires for 2010?