What are your goals?

I hate resolutions.  Seriously.  Resolutions are so often ridiculous and rarely, if ever, kept.

However… I need some kind of pressure to be motivated to DO anything, so I like goals.  Tasks.  Things that need to be accomplished WITH a due date.  And a new year is a really good time to set year-long goals.

Unfortunately, that just happens to coincide with New Year’s Resolutions.  Phoey.

Let’s review some of what makes a good goal.

It’s specific.  It’s not, “Exercise more.”  It’s, “Be able to run a mile without stopping.”

It’s achievable.  It’s not, “Read 500 400+ page books.”  It’s, “Read at least 2 books a month.”

It’s challenging.  It’s not, “Speak in Toastmasters when I can.”  It’s, “Compete in a Toastmaster’s speech competition.”

I’m trying to evaluate my life and find goals that touch multiple areas.  I probably have more goals established than I should, but mine have become very specific--that Toastmaster’s competition one is real, folks.  I also still have a couple vague ideas that sound a lot like resolutions that I’m trying to figure out how to make into a goal.  I like that process, though.  It means that I get to spend time with the goal before I commit to it.  See if it is something I want to have happen this year.  If it fits my vision for the upcoming year, maybe if it fits where the church is going for the year, and what is happening in my life.  There are a lot of very good goals out there that I have not adopted, simply because they’re not a fit right now.

So what are your goals for 2015?  This isn’t my entire list, but here are a few of mine:

• Read at least 12 books this year, 6 novels, 6 ministry-specific (I get distracted very easily lately, so I need to remember that I LOVE reading)
• Compete in a Toastmaster’s speech competition
• Blog at least once a week for one year (started this month!)

Share your list!

Eucharisteo

So, I just finished reading 1,000 Gifts by Ann Voskamp last week.

Oh. My. Word.

I so VERY highly recommend this book.  Through the first chapter, I was thinking... "Well, this is good, yes... but as phenomenal as people are saying?  I don't know."  I kept going.  One day (I believe it was by chapter 2), it slammed into me - what she was writing about was right out of and in to the pages of my heart.

I started my own list of gifts, of grace, of little things (and big things) that I'm so thankful that God provides to me.  Scroll up to the top and look for my "1,000 Gifts" tab.  Some of you may find yourselves hidden in there.

If you start reading--specifically, if you start a list, come back and tell me about it!

FALL

Definitely fall here... I went west today, toward the ocean... THICK THICK fog on the way there... it started to burn off mid-morning and the brightest cold blue sky appeared. definitely fall.

Been fighting a cold for a few days... I know I'm on the up end of it, but still am drippy and stuffy and TIRED. I've got to get over this thing SOON - so does my dad, he has it, too. Someone at work told me I gave it to her, but I don't think that's possible unless we got it together last week. I don't think I'm still contagious. I heard on the radio that pomegranate juice is supposed to be a good cold blocker. Maybe I'll try some one of these days.

With everything that's going on, I'm not so energized for too much extra these days. Working has been tiring, and getting sick wasn't too helpful, lol.

Reading through Acts right now. Acts is good... it's pretty amazing. Also reading a book that was really good (and still is), but is getting into some serious cancer issues... hitting a little too close to home right now.

Book Review

I'm sure several of you have heard about the newest book to hit the Christian "must read" list... The Shack, by William P. Young. Go check out the website, his blog (I'm exploring it right now), etc. If you've never heard of it, read the back cover: http://theshackbook.com/pages/page2.html.

While I don't want to join the bandwagon of "This book revolutionized my life!" (I think we should all be saying that about SCRIPTURE, and many of us aren't--that's where we need to start), I would like to say that this IS a very influential book and has definitely caused me to evaluate my own relationship with God. I took a few key truths out of the book and have been ingesting them since I read it this weekend. I want to post one section here... I probably shouldn't because of copyright issues and all, but... this is something that DID profoundly impact me, and I'd like you to be a part of it. Quick intro--Mack is in a shack with God, after his daughter has been abducted and murdered. God is shown as the trinity that He is... Sarayu is the Holy Spirit, Papa the Father, and Jesus is, well, Jesus. Three. And One. Here goes:

"But," Mack wasn't convinced. "But don't you want us to set priorities? You know: God first, then whatever, followed by whatever?"

"The trouble with living by priorities," Sarayu spoke, "is that it sees everything as a hierarchy, a pyramid, and you and I have already had that discussion. If you put God at the top, what does that really mean and how much is enough? How much time do you give me before you can go on about the rest of your day, the part that interests you so much more?"

Papa again interrupted. "You see, Mackenzie, I don't just want a piece of you and a piece of your life. Even if you were able, which you are not, to give me the biggest piece, that is not what I want. I want all of you and all of every part of you and your day."

Jesus now spoke again. "Mack, I don't want to be first among a list of values; I want to be at the center of everything. When I live in you, then together we can live through everything that happens to you. Rather than a pyramid, I want to be the center of a mobile, where everything in your life--your friends, family, occupation, thoughts, activities--is connected to me but moves with the wind, in and out and back and forth, in an incredible dance of being."

"And I," concluded Sarayu, "I am the wind." She smiled hugely and bowed.

So I have a bunch of pictures I could post, but won't do that yet. I'd like to see Serry's first - we both took probably 230-300 each of the camping trip - I love digital cameras.

today was our first chilly day in... well, in a long time. Wait - it wasn't chilly. It was probably something like 70. But compared to the past while... it's cool. and right now it's 58--cooler than *I* have seen it at almost 9:00 in a long time.

I'm reading Anna Karenina... still. ;) It's really good, just really slow. I'm in the second half now--I'm just happy that Levin stopped farming. Farming got boring. I hope that he doesn't farm any more. You should read it... just make sure you give it time and keep going... the names get confusing and VERY Russian at first, but I think it's worth it. The sad thing is, I know what happens... but because of that--I need to finish the book.

Just a note...

Hi everyone... Comment here to say hi... there's not a ton of you around these days. Do you all like my new layout? I love it. :) Make sure you click on the picture of Maria on the top right... it's worth it.

I've been in the beginning of the Bible lately. Currently in Leviticus. Torn between going completely nuts with how many sacrifce options there are and having to read through them all, and... the fact that even before grace was offered freely through Jesus Christ... God, perfection Himself, allowed ways for His people to come to Him. That pretty much blows me away.

I just finished a book called Home To Holly Springs. It was really sweet, I liked it. I'm going to look up the series that the main character came out of and read those. But first I have to finish Anna Karenina - it's on my 30 List.

Speaking of my 30 List... I'm supposed to go on a date... sigh... I put it on there hoping... but at this point, I've got 16 days left. It makes me sad... I just don't know single men... and the older I get, the more married they get. Where ARE the good, single, Christian, men? I've come to suspect that they don't exist anymore... I certainly haven't seen any lately. In that book I just mentioned, the main character quoted someone... basically, the person said... Two people plus two people equals four people. but if you double one person... you get FAR more than just two people... you get an exponential amount of LIFE. I'm just looking for one. That's all. And it's so FREAKING frustrating.

Yikes, it's almost 10. bedtime.

EIGHTY

I have EIGHTY books on my hold list at the library. Basically? I rock.

Of course, I have to return the eight that I have out right now... but as soon as i do, I can start checking out more. there are some really good looking ones on my list. others, I don't have a clue about. but at least I know I've got variety. Jenni, there were a few on there that made me think of you, too. I'll let you know if they're good.

My favorite things

I saw someone else do this recently, and thought I'd share, too. :) These are a few of my favorite things in the world.

My favorite drawing of my favorite Person:

My favorite state - ever:

TREES - I think that says enough:

My favorite place in the world - Ocean Shores:

My favorite memory (one of them at least) - clam digging:

My favorite holiday season (this is in Leavenworth in Eastern WA):

My three favorite restaurants:

My favorite beverage:

One of my (new) favorite pictures:

My favorite book:

My favorite flowers:

My favorite sign (and a bit of trivia - John Stamos was the winning bidder in an Internet auction (Ebay) of the huge galvanized steel sign that greeted park visitors from 1989 to 1999. He paid $30,700 for the portion of the marquee that contains the nearly 14-feet high "Disneyland'' letters.):

Aaaaannnnddd... the favorites before and after (I've seen all three!):

My favorite musician (besides my sister of course, smile):

Probably enough for ya. ;) Hope you enjoyed!

New book

I just bought and am now reading "Pride & Prejudice" by Jane Austen. GREAT book.