Wonderfully Made

Because I could never say it better myself, today I send you to read at Dulce de leche and Life in Fast Forward. Both women end with the same point-- our (women's) bodies are designed to know what to do (wonderfully made).

Gotta Get Goals 2010 Style

Because there is nothing like being accountable to around 100 friends, strangers, and everything in between, here are my 2010 goals.


Spiritual and Personal Growth. I will spend time each day in prayer and reflecting on my life, taking note of areas that need improvement and those where improvements have been made. Specifically this year, I will focus on compassion.

Financial. After doing a Crown Financial Ministry one day seminar, I have been working to ensure our financial decisions reflect what is important to us. Our goal this year is to find a balance between frugality, necessity, and giving that reflects our priorities.

Personal Fitness. Dang it. I WILL WORK OUT!!! Regularly. I love working out, but I hate that I feel like I must do it at lunch or not at all. There isn't enough time after work for me to get a workout in and care for The Boy, so I am going to find a schedule that works and stick to it!

Family. I will work to ensure we have adequate family time. In looking back at 2009, between work and friends, we did not have a lot of "just us" time, and I would like for that to change. This is not to say that we won't or don't want to spend time with friends, but rather, we need to be more diligent in doing things as a family.

Books. I read 17 books in the last half or third of 2009, so I think it is realistic to hit 40 books in 2010. I have the advantage of two book clubs, which accounts for 24 books alone, and a distinct lack of mandatory academic reading!

Academic. I will spend some serious time, thought and prayer deciding what to do next. PhD? Second Master's Degree? Research position at IWR? Who knows, but I need to really spend some time there reviewing options.

The Environment. Oddly, this is the hardest one for me, not because I have it all done, but because I am not sure which of the million things I want to do next. After a lot of thinking, I am going to work on my support of fair-trade by reducing the amount of unfair items I purchase and increasing fair-trade purchases. (James 5:1-4) I also have a goal to replace our teflon cookware with stainless steel and cast iron.

Goals. I will review my goals monthly and revise as necessary. Thankfully, Erin pointed me to a program called Things, which allows me to sent a nice reminder/to do! :)

Perfect Pairings: James 5:1-4

Photo from BBC

James 5:1-4

Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.

**********

This passage has a lot to do with one of my goals for 2010 (to be posted tomorrow), and I hope to write more on it in 2010!

You can play along too. Post your own Perfect Pairing and then visit Baloney's blog to let people know it's there. :)

Reading in 2009

2009 brought a lot of changes in what and how much I was reading. I know a large part of this was due to completing my Master's Degree, but I did not read as much as I would have liked either. Most of my reading has been done in the last third of 2009, and truth be told, I was very happy to have a break from some of the academic reading I was doing, which I never include on the list. Hmm... maybe I should rethink that one?

I rediscovered fiction, which I had not been reading for a long while because I have a hard time letting go of reality. I had been so focused on reading parenting books and doing research that it occupied all of my time. I found some good fiction with the help of friends though and am back reading in that genre.

My reading has also been diversified thanks to joining two different book clubs-- one virtual and one with a monthly meeting.  I really enjoy the groups-- both are unique.

If I had to pick one book from the list that was life changing or an "I'm so glad I read this and am going to revisit it regularly," I would pick "Respectable Sins: Confronting the Sins We Tolerate." I don't agree with absolutely everything in the book, but overall it is a great book that led to a lot of self-reflection and significant changes in my life already. I hope to revisit various chapters on a regular basis. My favorite fiction book on the list was "Kite Runner."

• My Sister's Keeper (completed)
  
• Respectable Sins (completed)
• Treasuring God in Our Traditions (completed)
• Fireflies in December (completed)
• The Handmaid's Tale (completed)
• The Reason for Sports (completed)
• The Memory Keepers Daughter (completed)
• The Faith Club (completed)
• Fearless (completed)
• Kite Runner (completed)
• A Praying Life (completed)
• Taking Charge of Your Fertility (completed)
• American Wife (completed)
• Natural Cures (completed)
• The Unlikely Disciple (completed)
• The Discipline Book (completed)
• The Worn Out Woman (Completed)

Here's to more great reading in 2010!

Friday Feature: Traditional Medicinal Teas

When I was nursing The Boy and going back to work, I was worried about supply and pumping enough for him while I was away.  One of the things I did was start drinking a tea by Traditional Medicinals called Organic Mother's Milk. The more I looked in to their teas and tried them, the more I found that I enjoyed them and could use them in my every day life.  During the winter, I am especially fond of their Organic Throat Coat and Organic Cold Care, as well as Organic Echinecea teas.  During the winter months, you can find a seasonal sampler of their cold teas, which is nice for trying them out.

I'm not sure how many people I have recommended these teas to over the past few years, but I know that some do enjoy them, so I'm not alone!

Good-bye 2009!

A guilty pleasure of mine is JibJab. Their farewell to 2009 had me laughing...even at parts I would not want my child to see.

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Gotta Get Goals III review edition

In the past couple of weeks, I have been doing some heavy thinking about life. OK. Let's face it, more like for the last six months or more, but the past couple of weeks it has been amplified. A lot has changed in 2009, and as I look back, I realize I am hardly the same person now as I was a year ago. Rather than lament on, I am going to review my past goals, which is long overdue, and soon I will post my next round of goals. Some will be carry overs... some will be new.

Accepting help. I am keeping this one, because I want to keep it in the front of my mind that help is ok!

I think I have finally figured this out to the point where it is a habit!

Financial. We will stick to our budget, rid ourselves of any and all high interest debt, and made defined progress towards financial freedom. I have really been doing a lot of reading, thinking and praying, and I have come to the conclusion that we cannot fully enjoy life while incurring debt at the rate of other's in similar situations and age groups, so I want us to pay down our debt as quickly as possible, and yes, that includes our mortgage. The Jones's can keep buying too much, but we will live within our means and be good stewards of our finances.

We have made significant progress, but after taking the Crown Financial Ministries seminar, we are working towards some new financial goals.

Personal Fitness. My new fitness goal is to return to working out (cardio and abs as a minimum workout) at least three times per week. I failed at this, so it stays. I will work out! I will become toned!

I failed again. I did so well for a while...only to fall down on the job, so to speak. Grr... frustrating, because I love to work out.

Family. I will focus on keeping my family centered-- focused on our needs and happiness irregardless of societal and extended family pressures. I will insure that my family is more important than other menial tasks and my job, and I will spend time with them having fun even if chores need to be done!

I think we had a lot of fun as a family.

 

Education. I will graduate!

Check!!!

Personal Growth. I will continue to challenge my mind through continued learning. I will read intellectual/academic articles and other challenging literature rather than all "fluff." I will author (and co-author) articles and submit them for professional considerations via presentations at conferences and publications. I will continue to be actively involved in issues that interest me, and use my skills to benefit organizations that I support.

Check!

Spiritual Growth. I think this is the first time I've ever considered goals in my spiritual life. It's a long story as to why, but I have really felt inspired by my friend Erin lately. My spiritual goal is simple-- to learn more about the Disciples, since I call that my church home and to do a daily devotional.

This was an amazing year for spiritual growth for me, and I can't wait to see what 2010 brings!

Personal Time. I will take time for myself at least one night a week, and I will read for pleasure!

Check check!

Books. I own a lot of them. I will inventory my books, create a record of each book I own, and donate the books I no longer want or need.

I think until I have a place to store and sort my books, they will have to stay how they are. Sad but true.

The House. I will paint the ceilings, trim and our bedroom!

Kind of... we got the ceilings done in the main portion of the house and trim in other rooms, but not all of it. DC ruined that, and we have new house priorities!

The Environment. I will continue to stay abreast of environmental developments, work on my compost and start a garden in pots. I will finish our landscaping project and purchase an outdoor drying line!

Check check, and no check on the drying line. We did get a lot of other stuff done though, and I'd like to finish the landscaping this year. We might be selling the house, so some plantings in the back would be especially timely!

Review of Goals. I will periodically review, update and revise these goals quarterly!

Big fat BOO! for me!

Perfect Pairings: 1 Thessalonians 5:16

Be joyful always;

~1 Thessalonians 5:16

Baloney does Perfect Pairings, and I'm tagging along. She invited everyone, so you can play along too. :)

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas readers!

I didn't get as many traditions written as I would have liked, but I hope to be able to work on that in the future. :)

Surprisingly, I only had a few people enter the contest. It's a busy time of year for everyone.

Bethany posted twice and tweeted, so bonus for her!

Alicia posted a lot. Twelve times. She's creative...and I think she's trying hard to win. :)

Melissa got started and needed three posts to share her favorite traditions.

Carrie also needed three posts.

I'm sorry there is no video.

The Boy picked...

No one. I decided with four people and three prizes, everyone wins.*


Email me your selection. $25 itunes gift card or a one year subscription for Preserve toothbrushes for you and one other person of your choosing. If someone should win and prefer something else...say a Diva Cup... or Amazon certificate instead of itunes, I am open to that too.

*If you entered multiple times and feel slighted because you wanted to win all three, I apologize. Because I know each of you, I will allow you to beat me up later. Preferably over a beer...or glass of wine...or warm beverage.

Contest!!!

I know everyone is busy, but please consider the contest! 

Blog (on a web blog, note on facebook, whatever) and leave a link in the comments or post a comment describing a tradition that means a lot to you. Be sure to tell why! You can earn one entry for each tradition post you make between now and Christmas. Also, you can earn a bonus entry by tweeting with a link to this blog. I am cross-posting this with the family blog, but I prefer to keep it mostly over here. I'm sure you can understand.

The prizes-- There will be three! The winners can choose from $25 itunes gift card or a one year subscription for Preserve toothbrushes for you and one other person of your choosing. If someone should win and prefer something else...say a Diva Cup... or Amazon certificate instead of itunes, I am open to that too.

The Deadline for entries is December 24th at 7:00 AM Central time. I have no idea why such a strange time. I will announce the winners on Christmas Day. :)

I have a few emails stating that people are participating, and that is great! Please please please leave a message about your posts or send me an email, so I don't miss them. Also leave a message if you tweeted or earned an extra entry another way.