Goals in Review

It's August 1st!  I cannot believe how fast time is zooming past me.  I also realized that I had said I was going to revisit my yearly goals each month and I haven't done that since March!  As I had my quiet time today I was once again reminded that I race, rush and run through my days.  I rarely take the time to slow down and enjoy the moment I'm in.



My desire is to savor each minute I've been given, but that doesn't seem to happen very much.  I get caught up in my to-do list or routine.  Last night, Stephen had a physical with a new doctor.  It was a late appointment (8 p.m.) and since he also needed paperwork filled out, I went with him. 

As we were driving home in the dark and chatting, I realized how little we do that.  Usually, I'm barreling around, trying to get something done.  But it's in those still, small moments in the darkness that really count.  It's not in the great things I accomplish during my days.

It's in the "I love you" for no reason at all..  It's in the hugs my daughter gives me.  It's in the half hour I took to play tennis with Dan and Emily.  It's in the chit-chat in the waiting room.



So while it's nice to have these goals, I don't want them to be the focus.  I want people to be my focus.  I want relationship to shine through.  I want to focus on the meaningful things in my life. 



Okay, on to those goals and let's see how I did.  The goals are in bullet form and what I actually did is in blue.

2014 Goals
Spiritual 
►  Skip one meal a week to fast and pray.
►  Have consistent quiet times each week.
Fasting is difficult because of my blood sugar issues so that probably isn't going to happen.  I have taken a few computer fasts though to do this.  No facebook, message boards, blogs.  My quiet times with the Lord have been regular and rich!

Marriage Relationship
► Encourage my husband through my words and supporting him in ministry
► Have a date night twice per month 
Date nights seem to be happening regularly since he is no longer tutoring.  He has been fairly consistent about taking his day off and that's usually when we do something together. 

One thing I'm trying to be better at is to keep my mouth closed when we are out and about (not doing so well at times).  Dan is a laid back guy and I'm not.  I am very strong on organization and Dan is more about relationship.  My concern is that because he's laid back and I help him with the organizing, people at church think I run the show. 

Dan is the spiritual leader of both our home and the church.  So while I tend to be "in charge" with certain administrative details, he is very much in charge spiritually.  I would never think to tell him what to preach and he certainly doesn't come to me for "advice" on leading the church spiritually.  So I think I can do a better job of supporting him in ministry by not doing it in front of others because human nature being what it is, it causes people to think he is not a leader.  I want to build my husband up and not tear him down.

Health & Nutrition

► Some form of exercise at least 5 days per week and at least 30 minutes each time
► Get outside in the fresh air at least 20 minutes each day instead of staying cooped up in the house
► Cut back on fatty foods & sweets
► At least 3 meatless meals per week.
► One salad per day  

As I have shared recently, I have totally revamped my eating and though I'm not on a diet, I have lost 20 lbs. since Father's Day.  I feel healthy, energetic and some of the issues I was having have stopped.  I'm going to keep working at this because I have a long way to go.  Exercise is still my weakness though I never stop moving.  I need to make more of an effort in being deliberate about it.

Financial 
► Set aside $100 from each paycheck in a separate "emergency fund" account.
► Save $100 each paycheck in general savings.
► Curtail going out to eat or ordering out to twice a month.  We wasted so much money this past year because I was feeling lazy and didn't want to cook or didn't plan ahead when I had an event going on.  I always feel sick inside when I think of how that money could have been better used.
► Work on building up craft & book business 
Well, savings isn't happening regularly because it's summer and Dan is no longer tutoring so we don't have the extra income coming in.  We basically make just enough to make ends meet but there is no extra for savings.  But there are ways I can work to cut back a bit to make the money stretch further.

Craft end of things is going very well. 

Household Organization
► Come up with household organization journal
► Deliberate cooking lessons with Emily  
► Garden put in this spring.  There are two large garden beds all set to go here and after no garden last year, I'm looking forward to it!
Okay, first two haven't happened.  Last one is done and flourishing, though what I thought were two garden beds were just one, albeit a large one.

Ministry
► Pray and figure out what the Lord wants me to do and then be ruthless about not adding to that.  This is a huge mistake I made in our last church.  I took on more and more and all that did was make me feel overwhelmed and burned out and never allowed others to be able to use their gifts.
► Send out cards of encouragement on a regular basis.
► Invite a family over for dinner at least two times per month. 

I've been good about sticking to the few things that I want to do and not adding anything else.  I stepped down off the worship team, except to fill in here or there, because I am focusing on children's ministries at church.  I felt with that plus being the church secretary that I needed to let something go.

Cards haven't really happened, other than a couple and we haven't had anyone over since the summer started because we have been busy.  We are finding that winter is probably a better time to do this here because with the beautiful summer weather and the long, hard winters, everyone is out and busy during the summer.

Personal
►  Spend time doing the things I love and am gifted in - crafting, photography, creating, writing.  I struggle so much of the time with a weird sense of guilt assuming responsibilities that aren't mine to assume.  What happens is I run around feeling a bit joyless because I'm not working where I'm gifted.
► Work on living in the moment with my family, and not always stuck behind a computer screen.  In other words, when they are home - engage!  Spend my computer time for the times they aren't around or are busy.
► Work on the next book.  It's in the process. :-) 
I have not stopped creating, baking, sewing since May hit.  It's a busy time of the year and I'm actually feeling like it's been too much of a good thing! lol

Engaging with family is how I started this post off so obviously, that is always something that needs work. 

The next book was Poured Out which came out in April.  I haven't had time to work on any other writing.

So there you have it!  Not too shabby, though things could always be improved.