Choose to Expect...

I haven't heard too many New Year's resolutions this year.
Praise God.
I don't like them; resolutions I mean. I have been the person that tried to make them, but soon realized that I abandoned both the resolution and the effort somewhere around Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday. It wasn't always my fault. I tried. The first 48 to 72 hours of my efforts were sincere. But the problem was, I was not actually expecting myself to actually perform the tasks I put into place.
I've never really been one to exercise, but losing 50 pounds in one year sounded like a good plan.
Resolution: Abandoned.
I will cook my family 7 healthy and well balanced meals every week. My children actually decided hot dogs and chips were more their speed. So this wasn't my fault... Totally.
Resolution: Abandoned.
I will spare you the rest of my failed attempts at year after year of abandoned resolutions.
After listening to the failed attempts at New Year's resolutions of others in addition to mine, I began to consider why the attempts were failed and/or abandoned. Our intentions were good. The ideas weren't bad. Our lofty ambitions to become better people or better at what we do are admirable.
But the timing is bad.

Proverbs 23:16

"There is surely a future to hope for you,

and your hope will not be cut off."

We don't have to wait until the end of a calendar year and the beginning of a new one to make changes to anything. The choice is made when you make the choice. Before the end of last year, I made a choice to make a complete lifestyle change:

I will be me. No matter what.

This is where it will all begin. 

I am a wife. Insane, though I might be, I am a wife that is dedicated to her post. I expect to evolve into a better, more loving and more patient and attentive wife, but my status as wife is who I am.

Of course, like any wife, I had expectations of my husband and my marriage throughout the years. Some of them were proven to be unrealistic. I expected to be provided for. I expected to be helped with raising our children. I expected to be loved. I expected to to wooed. I chose to expect. At times I was disappointed because my expectations weren't met. But we have time for that.

The point is, I choose to expect. 

When you don't expect anything, you don't receive anything. When you don't expect better, you don't receive better. And when you don't announce your expectations, how can your husband know what is expected of him?
He's smart, but he's still a man. Not a mind reader.

Do you have expectations for your marriage or your "Wife Style" this year? Please share! We would love to hear from you.

 If you are a Facebook user, please access the Encouraging Words for an Insane Wife fan page by clicking on the blue Facebook button in the top right-hand corner. That way, you can remain informed of all of the great stuff we do. Thanks, we appreciate you!!!