January Goals and December Recap

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

As usual this post didn’t happen on the first.  I got sick and got behind.  Yep, I was doing so well.  Those Christmas decorations came down the first week after Christmas.  I had so many house cleaning goals and blogging goals, and they crashed when my husband and I came down with bronchitis, fever and one of the worst coughing times of our lives.  I’m still not over the cough completely.  Doctor said it would probably hang around at least three and a half weeks or more.

My ONE WORD for this year is INTENTIONAL.  You can hear how I came up with my word, and how you can too here. How about you? Do you have a word for the year or a resolution?

It is funny that I chose that word, and then we had some training in a team I am a part of, and it was called “The Law of Intentionality” by John Maxwell.  What a confirmation from my Lord that I am right where He wants me to be this year.  One of the things that John said that is part of an intentional growth plan is making a commitment, making it public and identifying the areas you want to grow in personally (that’s what these monthly posts are all about), investing in those areas one hour a day (exercise, blogging, family, faith – and I think I can do more than one hour with my Bible studies and all the rest), reflect and write an hour a week on what you are learning (a great goal to write and blog an hour a week for me because honestly it is hard to fit in an hour these days.)  He also said to share our growth with someone who is thrilled (I hope you, my readers, are thrilled with this type of post each month.)

FAITH GOALS

Free Photo:Canva

DECEMBER (All Done)

Complete Wendy’s Wait and See study.

JANUARY

Begin Finding I Am Bible Study by Lysa TerKeurst – When I retired I wanted to do an on-line Bible study.  God led me here to Proverbs 31.  You can do these studies 24/7 and meet women all over the World.  There are even Facebook Groups which fill up fast.  Here is the registration form.

Begin 1 Peter A Living Hope In Christ by Jen Wilkin Bible Study at Church

First 5 App Daily Devotionals  – I highly recommend the Proverbs 31 First 5 App for a daily devotional.  They have a book for each Bible book we study.  I do both, but if you aren’t in to really digging in then I would suggest you download the app for your first five minutes of the day to spend some alone time with Him.  You can check it out here and see a sample to today’s devotional.

FAMILY GOALS

DECEMBER – ALL DONE as our grandson, Colt says.

What an awesome month for time to spend with family, and we have so, so many plans.  I’m as excited as a six year old.  Can’t wait for all the food, fellowship and games. (All Done except celebration with daughter and family – they have been sick and now we are sick so haven’t gotten together)

Another trip to the deer lease with our son and daughter-in-law, and maybe a final one for awhile.  She’s pregnant with twins and well we don’t want to be four hours away from a good hospital. Done

Christmas Eve with my husband’s family for dinner. Done

Christmas Eve at home with the kids and grandkids.  Done

Christmas morning breakfast and celebration of Jesus’ birthday and also our son-in-laws at home with our kids and grandkids. (We got to have breakfast with our son, DIL, and grandson, but our daughter and her family was sick.

Christmas day lunch with my family.  Done

We were blessed to get to go to Six Flags with our son and his family.  It was not on my goals.  I love how God changes our plans.

 

 

JANUARY

Baby Shower for the TWINS my daughter-in-law is carrying.

Have Christmas with our daughter and her family.

Special Day with our grandson, Colt. I think we are going to a movie like Sing or Monster Trucks.  I’m sure he will choose Monster Trucks.

Still need to have all the family over to pay the games we missed on Christmas Eve with our daughter and family being sick.

HEALTH GOALS

DECEMBER (DONE)

Working out, drinking water, and eating healthy to decrease this waistline.  This is still a hard goal for me although I did make a whole lot of trips upstairs and in the attic (too many to count), and I did walk down to the end of the block several times, and then there were shopping trips and lots of walking at the lease.

JANUARY

Walking on treadmill at least 1 hour a week.  Starting small and trying to work up.  Being REAL here.  Keeping a running tally on the refrigerator and I’m behind already.  Yes I’m catching up.  Learning to be intentional – my One Word for the year.

Reading Trim Healthy Mama Book and trying some of her recipes

Adding lots of protein and shakes.

FRIEND GOALS

DECEMBER  (Partially Done)

It’s hard to meet up with a friend at this time of the year, but  I was honored to meet up with an aunt (Susan) who lost her husband a few months ago for lunch.  Done

Call at least one friend on the phone.   (Done.  I have a sweet friend going through a divorce and one day when God laid her on my heart (a heart drop as Karen Ehman calls it) I picked up the phone and called.  We talked, we laughed, we cried and we prayed for a hour and a half.)

The neighborhood tea still has not happened.  If only I could finish decorating, shopping, and cleaning maybe I could have them over next week before Christmas, but it’s looking doubtful this morning. (Not Done.)

JANUARY

This month I am meeting up with several church friends for a dinner at church to kick off our ladies ministry for the year.  I can’t wait!

Hope to meet up with one of my new Bible study friends for lunch.

HOME GOALS 

DECEMBER – My December goals crashed after Christmas.  I got all the decorations down and then got sick so the last week of December I got little done with all the fever and now coughing.

Finish cleaning and organizing master bedroom closet.  ( I hope this can happen but with all the extra cleaning and organizing it just might not happen.  (Not Done)

Catch up on filing in office.(Not Done)

Finish decorating, shopping, and cleaning. (All Done)

Plan dishes for all the Christmas meals. (All Done)

JANUARY

Finish cleaning and organizing master bedroom closet.  I wonder if this will really happen.  Like it’s already January 20th and well I’ve been subbing at school, busy with Bible study, and keeping my awesome grandsons.

Catch up on filing in office.  Same as above, but I’m sure going to try if I can get one day at home.

BLOGGING GOALS 

Free Photo:  Canva

I pray you are exhorted (encouraged, prompted) by my blog each and every time I write.  I am exhorted as you read and comment.

DECEMBER (DONE)

Lesson 2 – Blogging Course. This is the 9th month I’ve had this as a goal and it sure is not going to happen this month, but I must keep it here or it will never get done.  I am adding a planned date of March because with Christmas and planning for the 3 new grand babies in March and showers and school, it will be at least March, but part of that is the next goal so I am working on it each month, and it is progressing well, but there are over 500 blogs to go back and clean up, tag, and pretty up.  (Worked a lot on this, but it will take months.)

Review and clean-up 15 more blog posts plus 35 I already completed, so it will be 50. (DONE)

Delete at least 500 more emails. (DONE)

Linky Page – Work on a few more days of this project with a new completion date of February.

JANUARY

Lesson 2 – Blogging Course.  Continue working on Lesson 2 cleaning up 500 blog posts.  It’s going well but the new babies are due soon and seeing all the work designing new pictures on many of the blogs and re-writing some I am going to make this date May.

Review and clean-up 15 more blog posts plus 50 I already completed so it will be 65.

Linky Page – Continue cleaning up linky page with a new March completion.  Just being REAL here.

My One Word – 2017 – Intentional

HELLO 2017.  Thank You Lord that 2016 was such a great year, and we are expecting an even better one this year with new grand babies on the way and my husband retiring.

What is one word?  It’s one word for the year instead of a resolution.  I used to start the new year with a resolution and well, you know, by February I had failed.  Several years ago I started choosing one word, and it’s worked well for me.  In 2016 my word was “Savor“, in 2015 it was “Focus“, 2014 was “Simplify” and my first one word in 2013 was “Less“.

My one word did not come easy this year.  I’ve prayed about this word.  As I reflected back over 2016 and saw all I have accomplished, and all I didn’t accomplish, my mind kept jumping from the word joy, organization and intentional.  I’ve finally decided on intentional and believe that will encompass organization, and how can I not be joyous as things get more organized in my life and my home.

Some of the synonyms for intentional include deliberate, calculated, planned, and purposeful.

I can get bogged down looking around at all that needs to be done.  Ugh!  It’s so hard to get rid of “stuff”, memories, things my parents gave us – so many treasures with so many happy moments.

I want to be intentional each day.  Honestly some days I am NOT.  Satan desires to distract us from our plans and goals.  Intentional living is an act of worship to Him each day and not getting sidetracked.  It is going to take some big discipline on my part.

Oh Come Let Us ADORE Him as we live intentionally.

My verse for 2017 is:

I want to take charge of my life  to be intentional in:

• FAMILY – Not being so tired that I can’t enjoy my family and so that I can make memories.  Being present and not absent in social media or any worries that might be bothering me.   Not looking at a phone if it pings when I am out with family.   “And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”  Ephesians 6:4 (KJV)
• FRIENDS – I want to be more involved with friends, and I find it so hard to meet them for lunch like I did when I first retired.  I’ve committed to be more involved with them through a simple phone call, private messages on Facebook, and emails or maybe even a snail mail.  “A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”  Proverbs 17:17 (KJV)
• BIBLE STUDY – “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”  Psalm 46:10 (KJV).  I do well with my Bible study, but I could do so much more than I do.  I would really like to go through the Read Thru The Word Study this year with Wendy Pope, but not sure I can do it with our new study coming up with Proverbs 31 by Lysa TerKeurst called Finding I Am and our Bible study coming up at church called  1 Peter – A Living Hope in Christ by Jen Wilken.  It will require a lot more intentional planning on my part to stick with three studies every single day.  I don’t want it to be interrupted by the craziness that sometimes comes through life. In Deuteronomy 6:6-9 (KJV) it says, “And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.”  I want His words to be in my heart.  I want them to be in my children’s and my grandchildren’s hearts, but it has to start with me first.
• PRAYER – I need to spend so much more time in prayer.  I need to pause every single day before I got into my Team page in our studies and pray for the girls and their groups.  I need to spend more time in prayer for our family, friends and our nation and leaders.   “Pray without ceasing.”  1 Thessalonians 5:17 (KJV)  I’ve been persistent in praying over a few things in our life with our children.   Luke 18:1-8 reminds us that the  persistent widow did not give up going to the judge until she received an answer.  If you’ve been praying for a long time stay persistent, be intentional, keep knocking on that door.
• HOME ORGANIZATION – I plan to be more intentional in donating and throwing away things I don’t use.  I’ve done a little thru the holidays and hope to keep it up.  “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men”  Colossians 3:23 (KJV) 
• CLEANING– We have three new grand babies on the way  (yes 3) and due the first quarter of 2017.  I am trying to clean and organize and get ready for them because I don’t think I’ll get a whole lot of cleaning done the second quarter of 2017.  “He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.”  Proverbs 10:4 (KJV)  “The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.”    Proverbs 13:4 (KJV)
• HEALTH –  Who doesn’t want to live longer?   Drinking lots of water, eating healthy and exercising. Developing healthy habits. Meal planning.  Eating more fruits and veggies.  “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?  “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”    1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (KJV)
• BLOGGING – I certainly want to be more intentional about blogging.  I got so carried away with statistics and participating in 31 day writes and not focusing on what my original intention was and that was to show others Jesus and leave a legacy.  I’ve slowed downed.  My posts are few and far between, and I have stopped stressing about being involved in blog parties every single day.  It took so much time and it was all about numbers.  I did not even write a Christmas post.  I want to make my posts matter and make them count so others will want to read them.  “Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:”  Proverbs 3:3 (KJV)
• SOCIAL MEDIA – Effectively living my days.  I think we can all get wrapped up in social media.  I get on to check with the ladies in my Bible study and then I’m jumping from here to there and before I know it I’ve been there for hours.  I’ve gotten better the last few months, but I’ve got so much improvement to make. Glorifying God when I am on social media.  I have commitments not to tear down but to build up. “ Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.”  Psalm 19:14 (KJV)
• TEACHING – After I retired I wanted to be a light in my community in the school system.  I want to watch for intentional teaching moments.  I substitute teach and I do get lots of moments to make a difference.  I’m praying this year that God will direct me and lead me to see those moments and to know how to make them matter.  “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
  Proverbs 22:6 (KJV) “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.”  Psalm 32:8 (KJV)

I want to be more intentional.  I want to do what is important for me even when I don’t feel like it or want to.  I want to be productive – not just being busy.

What I do matters.  What I do is important.  It’s what I do in those 86,400 seconds, 1440 minutes, 24 hours in the day, 365 days a year that matters in the Kingdom.

“If you want to be significant and live a life that matters , you must add value to others….People of intentional significance make it their everyday goal to add value to people using their best gifts, skills, and resources.”  John Maxwell

I found a beautiful workbook for coming up with your one word here.

Graphic:  One Word Image from  Canva

Tractor Photo : Personal Picture of Hubby on Tractor