It's amazing how one month I can go great in one area of my goals, but not so swift in another. Then the next month, I swing the other way. What a constant struggle for balance! Still, overall, I'm pleased with my more purposeful living this year. Here's an update:
1.
Support raising: We started the month at 23% and are now at 27%. I
have trouble sometimes not panicking about slow progress. If we don't
reach 50% by the end of June, we won't be able to leave until at least
next August. That is so frustrating to me, because we want to be there
by January or February. But I'm trying to learn that it's about
God's timing and what He believes is best. Plus, if everything came in
"on schedule," I know I'd be tempted to believe it's because of what we
did and not because of how God is working in others' hearts to partner
with our ministry. I've journaled a lot about my struggle with this
recently...can you tell :)
2. Date night: We had a couple of nice nights out this past month. Specifically, our anniversary dinner was, of course, very special. I really treasure night's out with my hubby (and no dishes is a great side benefit!)
3.
Save 53% of our Emergency Fund: We started this month at 51% and we end the month at 57%!!!! Yes, this means we've met (and surpassed!) our goal for the year! Since we're still trying to fully fund our Emergency Fund, we've amended this goal for the year. Now, by the end of 2012, we're aiming to save 75% of our Emergency Fund. It's a stretch, but we're trusting God to provide. He already has through a great part-time job for me at Ray's work. It's been a huge blessing!
4.
Go to bed before 11 on work nights: I was more complacent about this goal this month, and I'm sure the bags under my eyes showed it. Trying to be more on top of this in the next month...
5. Read through the books on my reading list: I only have 6 books left on my original list! I'm really proud of that :) Unfortunately, I add more books to my master list (of books I'd like to read someday) every day, so in that way, I never make any headway! But here is my post on what I read this past month.
6.
Exercise regimen: This month didn't go so well. I injured my back, was sick, and am not too keen of some of the crazy weather we've been having. Planning to get my behind back in gear next month, though!
7.
Daily
schedule: Oh boy has this gone through some changes this month. I've gone through a couple different "schedule" ideas that worked...until they didn't. I like what I'm using right now to keep myself on track, but since I've been using it less than 2 weeks, I'm going to withhold judgment until I've tried it a little longer.
8.
Scripture memory: It was exciting to print off the last page in the my Word document where I have the verses typed. I'm pretty solid on everything up to James 4:13. I'm ambitiously hoping to announce that I've finished memorizing James next month, but we'll see :)
9.
Stop popping my knuckles: I've kind of slacked off/leveled off in my
commitment. It's better than it was 4 months ago, but I need to
seriously buckle down like I did the first couple weeks of January.
How did you do on your goals in April?
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Monday, April 30, 2012
April books
We're only 5 months into the year now, but I'm over halfway done with my reading list! Hurray! :) I figured it was probably time to read some of our "assignment" books (that we have to read for our organization before we can leave for East Asia). Here's everything I read this month:
1. Culture Shock! - I read this book as a requirement for our organization, and it was awful. It was out of date, repetitive and he was incredibly biased and prejudiced in so many ways! I'm really disappointed that it was so unhelpful. To top it off, it was horribly edited. It had some major typos that anyone could spot (misspellings, spaces before periods, etc.). I would hope that 3+ editions in, they would've edited those things out...but no :(
2. Cross Cultural Connections by Duane Elmer- excellent book on handling culture shock and assimilating gracefully into a new culture. I highly recommend this book for anyone who plans to spend any amount of time in another country or culture.
3. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott - I. Loved. It. *sigh* It was such a good break from some of the heavier, assigned readings. I can't believe I hadn't read this book earlier. I've never felt more connected to a beautiful, fictional family. Love, love, love :)
And outside of my list...
--The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga (audiobook) - I'm apparently on an India kick with my audiobooks (I had just finished "The Life of Pi" when I started this one...both also won the same book award too). It was incredibly insightful about cultural information, while still being an interesting work of fiction. Wasn't pleased with the amount of foul language at all, though :(
--Crazy Love by Francis Chan - Ray and I have been reading this together and finally finished it (we finished it last month, actually, but I forgot to put it on the list). I really enjoyed it and highly recommend it!
--Organized Simplicity: The Clutter Free Approach to Intentional Living by Tsh Oxenreider - phenomenal book! This has revolutionized how I think about how I spend my time and how much *stuff* we have (much to Ray's chagrin :)), and it's inspired me to revamp my schedule and get rid of lots of clutter. One of the most personally beneficial books I've read in a long time.
--Turning Bricks into Jade: Critical Incidents for Mutual Understanding Among C.hinese and Americans - whew, what a mouthful of a title, but what a wealth of information! This was a great read and I think it will be hugely beneficial in my interactions with Asians. I also feel like it really helped shift my thinking from something being "right" or "wrong" to different (it's easy to know that in your head...but difficult in practical living).
1. Culture Shock! - I read this book as a requirement for our organization, and it was awful. It was out of date, repetitive and he was incredibly biased and prejudiced in so many ways! I'm really disappointed that it was so unhelpful. To top it off, it was horribly edited. It had some major typos that anyone could spot (misspellings, spaces before periods, etc.). I would hope that 3+ editions in, they would've edited those things out...but no :(
2. Cross Cultural Connections by Duane Elmer- excellent book on handling culture shock and assimilating gracefully into a new culture. I highly recommend this book for anyone who plans to spend any amount of time in another country or culture.
3. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott - I. Loved. It. *sigh* It was such a good break from some of the heavier, assigned readings. I can't believe I hadn't read this book earlier. I've never felt more connected to a beautiful, fictional family. Love, love, love :)
And outside of my list...
--The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga (audiobook) - I'm apparently on an India kick with my audiobooks (I had just finished "The Life of Pi" when I started this one...both also won the same book award too). It was incredibly insightful about cultural information, while still being an interesting work of fiction. Wasn't pleased with the amount of foul language at all, though :(
--Crazy Love by Francis Chan - Ray and I have been reading this together and finally finished it (we finished it last month, actually, but I forgot to put it on the list). I really enjoyed it and highly recommend it!
--Organized Simplicity: The Clutter Free Approach to Intentional Living by Tsh Oxenreider - phenomenal book! This has revolutionized how I think about how I spend my time and how much *stuff* we have (much to Ray's chagrin :)), and it's inspired me to revamp my schedule and get rid of lots of clutter. One of the most personally beneficial books I've read in a long time.
--Turning Bricks into Jade: Critical Incidents for Mutual Understanding Among C.hinese and Americans - whew, what a mouthful of a title, but what a wealth of information! This was a great read and I think it will be hugely beneficial in my interactions with Asians. I also feel like it really helped shift my thinking from something being "right" or "wrong" to different (it's easy to know that in your head...but difficult in practical living).
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
March Goals
We were out of town this past weekend, so I'm a tad late in posting this, but here are how I'm progressing in each of my goals:
1. Support raising: We started the month at 23% and are now at 25%. I have trouble sometimes not panicking about slow progress. If we don't reach 50% by the end of June, we won't be able to leave until at least next August. That is so frustrating to me, because we want to be there by January or February. But I'm trying to learn that it's about God's timing and what He believes is best. Plus, if everything came in "on schedule," I know I'd be tempted to believe it's because of what we did and not because of how God is working in others' hearts to partner with our ministry. I've journaled a lot about my struggle with this recently...can you tell :)
2. Date night: Because we are so frequently out with people or in their homes sharing our ministry, our "date nights," are usually just lounging on the couch watching Hulu and eating Pizza Hut. It's really what we both need in this season of busyness. We've also been walking outside together so we can chat and catch up.
3. Save 53% of our Emergency Fund: We started at 44% and we end the month at 51%! I'm so happy with this! We might even surpass our goal this year, but I don't want to jinx ourselves :)
4. Go to bed before 11 on work nights: Our schedule this month was so wacky, with traveling and such. But when we were home and I had teaching jobs, I actually did really good at getting to bed by 11 (and sometimes even earlier!).
5. Read through the books on my reading list: With our hectic schedule, I didn't read near as much as usual (and I read more books that weren't on my list than that were!), but considering the progress I've made so far, I think an "off month" is ok :) You can read all about what I read here.
6. Exercise regimen: This has been SUCH a good goal for me. I feel so much better when I just get out to walk for 30 minutes twice a week. One of these days, I might even get up the courage to run :)
7. Daily schedule: What schedule? Hehe...yeah, have I mentioned that this month has been hectic? I've actually found something new for my schedule that I'm trying to implement. I'll report back next month if it works better than the original schedule I created in January (cuz that has so NOT worked).
8. Scripture memory: This has been another fun and profitable goal for me. And an added bonus is that one of my best friends, Gracious, has joined my Mom and I in memorizing James! Anyone else want to join? I love the accountability and camaraderie! Don't be intimidated that we've already started--we're all at different spots and move at different paces. Currently, I've pretty solidly memorized through James 3:10. And the more I recite the passages I've already gotten down, the more I glean from it. Who knew this would be such a good Bible study tool? :)
9. Stop popping my knuckles: I've kind of slacked off/leveled off in my commitment. It's better than it was 3 months ago, but I need to seriously buckle down like I did the first couple weeks of January.
How did you do on your goals in March?
1. Support raising: We started the month at 23% and are now at 25%. I have trouble sometimes not panicking about slow progress. If we don't reach 50% by the end of June, we won't be able to leave until at least next August. That is so frustrating to me, because we want to be there by January or February. But I'm trying to learn that it's about God's timing and what He believes is best. Plus, if everything came in "on schedule," I know I'd be tempted to believe it's because of what we did and not because of how God is working in others' hearts to partner with our ministry. I've journaled a lot about my struggle with this recently...can you tell :)
2. Date night: Because we are so frequently out with people or in their homes sharing our ministry, our "date nights," are usually just lounging on the couch watching Hulu and eating Pizza Hut. It's really what we both need in this season of busyness. We've also been walking outside together so we can chat and catch up.
3. Save 53% of our Emergency Fund: We started at 44% and we end the month at 51%! I'm so happy with this! We might even surpass our goal this year, but I don't want to jinx ourselves :)
4. Go to bed before 11 on work nights: Our schedule this month was so wacky, with traveling and such. But when we were home and I had teaching jobs, I actually did really good at getting to bed by 11 (and sometimes even earlier!).
5. Read through the books on my reading list: With our hectic schedule, I didn't read near as much as usual (and I read more books that weren't on my list than that were!), but considering the progress I've made so far, I think an "off month" is ok :) You can read all about what I read here.
6. Exercise regimen: This has been SUCH a good goal for me. I feel so much better when I just get out to walk for 30 minutes twice a week. One of these days, I might even get up the courage to run :)
7. Daily schedule: What schedule? Hehe...yeah, have I mentioned that this month has been hectic? I've actually found something new for my schedule that I'm trying to implement. I'll report back next month if it works better than the original schedule I created in January (cuz that has so NOT worked).
8. Scripture memory: This has been another fun and profitable goal for me. And an added bonus is that one of my best friends, Gracious, has joined my Mom and I in memorizing James! Anyone else want to join? I love the accountability and camaraderie! Don't be intimidated that we've already started--we're all at different spots and move at different paces. Currently, I've pretty solidly memorized through James 3:10. And the more I recite the passages I've already gotten down, the more I glean from it. Who knew this would be such a good Bible study tool? :)
9. Stop popping my knuckles: I've kind of slacked off/leveled off in my commitment. It's better than it was 3 months ago, but I need to seriously buckle down like I did the first couple weeks of January.
How did you do on your goals in March?
Monday, April 2, 2012
Catching up!
A couple weeks ago, we were out in Ohio for a mission conference, and while we were there, we got to spend a day with one of my best friends and college roommates, Grace! We haven't seen each other face-to-face in far too long, so I was so excited! We packed a lot of fun into that one day!
First off, we spend a few hours at The Creation Museum, thanks to free tickets friends of ours gave us. It's such an awesome, Biblically-based museum. This was the second time Ray and I have been and they've added a lot since our first visit. I'm so impressed with the quality of the entire place. We could've spent longer exploring, but we made the most of the time we had!
After those adventures, we stopped for a delicious dinner at Max and Erma's, a local fave, and then it was back to Grace's house. She and Ray introduced me to Settler's of Cattan. I had promised Ray for a long time that I wouldn't like it, but alas, I'm now hooked! Ray and Grace battled fiercely, while I just tried to figure it out. While it was close right up to the end (between the two of them...I was definitely in last place :)), Ray came out on top.
Our visit was far too short, and we had to head back, but I'm looking forward to next time! :) Thanks for such a fun day, Gracious!!!
First off, we spend a few hours at The Creation Museum, thanks to free tickets friends of ours gave us. It's such an awesome, Biblically-based museum. This was the second time Ray and I have been and they've added a lot since our first visit. I'm so impressed with the quality of the entire place. We could've spent longer exploring, but we made the most of the time we had!
 |
| Methuselah was just one of many Biblical characters we could "interact" with. Noah was our favorite...he laughed at us and our silly questions! |
 |
| Introducing a series of rooms showing scientific evidence that proves the worldwide flood. |
 |
| This big guy welcomed us to the museum :) |
 |
| We also got free tickets to the planetarium, which has extremely comfortable seats! I was so exhausted, I nearly fell asleep in the warm dark room. We tried to figure out how we could smuggle a couple of those chairs out, but they wouldn't fit in my purse :) Gracious, I love how we're pretty much posed identically (less than thrilled smiles and all!)! hah! |
Our visit was far too short, and we had to head back, but I'm looking forward to next time! :) Thanks for such a fun day, Gracious!!!
Thursday, March 29, 2012
March Books
March was insanely busy and I taught very little (study halls and lunch are when I do most of my reading), so I didn't read nearly as much...but I still did all right for myself :) See below:
1. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte - I have to admit that I enjoyed this MUCH more than I thought I would. I loved the twists and turns it took, and perhaps it was that I'd just finished Emma (and my brain was thinking in "old English), but I didn't think the language was terribly difficult to wade through. I was thoroughly satisfied with the ending, too. My one complaint was that she didn't translate the French and German conversations (and there was an awful lot of French).
And then there are the "non-listers" as I affectionately call them :)
--The Life of Pi by Yann Martel (audiobook) - very interesting book, though I found the author a bit long winded (and at times a bit gruesome, too). There are long discourses in this book about religion, zoology, Indian history, and much more. So different from anything I've ever read. A little long (not sure I'd have gotten through it if I wasn't listening to it on CD during my work commute), but overall fascinating.
--At Risk by Alice Hoffman - this was a favorite of mine in high school, so I decided to reread it. It's a sad, but very touching story of a young girl who contracts AIDS after a transfusion during an appendectomy (back before they tested blood donations).
--The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson - I was drawn to this book because it's about North Korea, a country that intrigues me, since the world knows so little about it. I did find it interesting, but the amount of foul language was disappointing. I don't know that it's one I'd particularly recommend unless you're looking for cultural insights. And also, I was disappointed that they didn't translate any of the Korean words/phrases that were included.
1. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte - I have to admit that I enjoyed this MUCH more than I thought I would. I loved the twists and turns it took, and perhaps it was that I'd just finished Emma (and my brain was thinking in "old English), but I didn't think the language was terribly difficult to wade through. I was thoroughly satisfied with the ending, too. My one complaint was that she didn't translate the French and German conversations (and there was an awful lot of French).
And then there are the "non-listers" as I affectionately call them :)
--The Life of Pi by Yann Martel (audiobook) - very interesting book, though I found the author a bit long winded (and at times a bit gruesome, too). There are long discourses in this book about religion, zoology, Indian history, and much more. So different from anything I've ever read. A little long (not sure I'd have gotten through it if I wasn't listening to it on CD during my work commute), but overall fascinating.
--At Risk by Alice Hoffman - this was a favorite of mine in high school, so I decided to reread it. It's a sad, but very touching story of a young girl who contracts AIDS after a transfusion during an appendectomy (back before they tested blood donations).
--The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson - I was drawn to this book because it's about North Korea, a country that intrigues me, since the world knows so little about it. I did find it interesting, but the amount of foul language was disappointing. I don't know that it's one I'd particularly recommend unless you're looking for cultural insights. And also, I was disappointed that they didn't translate any of the Korean words/phrases that were included.
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