Reflections on Purpose- January

Just want to keep myself accountable. I did a really good job the first 20 days or so reflecting daily, and then life got busy... but here's my monthly reflection.
My 16 for 2016:
1. Live with Purpose- intentionally. I've tried to do this. I've used my planner to help me figure out what I need to do every day, and to help me think about ways to be more purposeful. Still a lot of idle time on the computer =) I've also thought a lot about purpose. Lifeway Ministries chose "purpose" for their word to pray about for January, and gave the verse from Colossians about working toward the Lord. I also found that a lot of the verses I read daily made me think about purpose. I've been convicted that so often I make it about me- what I can do, what I need to do... but it's really about giving Him glory. That's my purpose. Bringing Him glory through my works and actions... and love.

2. Exercise- Goal: At least five days a week, 30 minutes a day, and at least 10,000 steps 26/30 days or 27/31 days of each month (24/28 days in February). (Because nobody is perfect).

For this month: Had over 10,000 steps 26 days this month- one day short of my goal. I'll know my average steps tomorrow. Exercised 27 out of 31 days, so more than five days a week, for a minimum of 30 minutes a day.

3. 1,000 Gifts- Gratitude Journal
My goal was to write down three things a day. I haven't always written something down every day, but I've written down over 100 things so far. Things simple, like diet Coke and reading, and my family, and sunshine.

4. Scripture- http://www.swtblessings.com/p/faith-signs.html#.VmcOQU3bKid
I've written out a Scripture almost every day thus far. The two days I missed, I doubled up the next day. It's an easy practice and it makes me think about whatever topic the Scripture plan is focusing on. February's will focus on love.

5. 365 Day Challenges- One picture a day and writing at least 10 minutes each day. One of my facebook friends developed a challenge and we even have our own hashtag- #write365.
Goal: I've done it!!! 31 days of snapping a picture and writing a blog a day. Yay, me!!!

6. Reading Challenge- http://www.challies.com/resources/the-2016-reading-challenge
I'm reading a lot of books this month, but I've only finished 7. I am reading several that will fit into the reading challenge. I'm also caught up on Armor of God and Open Your Bible. I'm reading Jeremiah along with a commentary so it is a little slower.

7. I'm a couple of days behind in my Chronological Bible reading, but I'm not giving up. Right now I'm in Exodus, and it is a little hard to read, I'll admit. But when I think of the miracles it depicts... amazing!

8. Look up one word a day from an online dictionary site. Because everybody needs to know a random word. I get an email a day. I've not written the word down, but I have read the definitions.

9. Random/Unrandom Acts of Kindness- I've done pretty good. Not every day, but most. Small things like a kind word. A note to a waitress. Pushing a shopping cart to the rack when I pull in and it is parked next to me.

10. Presence- spend time with those I love, intentionally. Caleb. Wallace. My grandparents. My sisters. My in-laws. My niece and nephew. Again, doing pretty good here. I've got to spend some time with Grandma Bert and it's been fun. And lots of time with Caleb, Will, and Melody. Making plans to watch Kami at some KD functions.

11. Cross something off of my bucket list. Nothing yet. But I do start my research project this semester.


12. Be more organized. Procrastinate less. Fold the laundry as I get it out of the dryer and actually put it away =)
(I have a looonng way to go on this one... but that's why we have all year, right?)
Ummm... It's basketball season. We'll work on this one next month.

13. Laugh. Everyday.  Hard.
Because laughter is truly good for the soul.
Yes!!! And I have laughed. Laughed with Caleb. Laughed with my sisters. Laughed with my students. Laughed with the ball team. Laughed with Wallace. And sometimes laughed at myself!

14. Keep a Sabbath day of rest.
Sundays are for napping and football and reading and God's Word. I need to create this margin in my life. If I'm going to make myself be more disciplined in other areas, I need this time to allow my soul to breathe.
I've done a good job with this one. Spent my Sundays on church, and reading, and Bible reading, and exercising, and watching TV with Wallace.

15. Make new friends. Make time for old ones.
Nothing yet. 

16. Continue to love. Love Jesus. Love myself. Love others.
Living out my values: Be Yourself. Laugh Often. Live well. Love long. Just breathe. Work it out. Finish Strong. Hope always. Give grace. Positive Thinking. Jeremiah 29:11. Romans 8
Trying my best. And that's all that counts.

What I Learned in January

1. Growing up in Eastern Kentucky, I've heard Iota- jot or tittle in the Bible; smallest Greek alphabet letter the phrase "iota" all my life.  As in, "She don't have one iota what is going on." I knew iota meant small... but I didn't realize it was in the Bible. "Iota" was the smallest Greek alphabet letter.  The place most people may recognize it from, if you read the Bible, is when we are told that not one jot or tittle in the Bible will pass from the law. 

2. I've also heard the phrase "the whole nine yards" all my life. I always associated it with football, even though that didn't make sense to me, because a first down in football is ten yards. Apparently, no one really knows what it means. The  New York Times links it to a newspaper column discussing a baseball game, entitled The Whole Six Yards, which really makes no sense, because baseball doesn't even use yards. It has also appeared in Kentucky news stories and is thought to have a "backwoods" meaning. So really, I didn't learn anything as I searched for the meaning of this phrase, other than the fact that some things are just a mystery.

3. Apples are actually a member of the same family as roses.

4. I am a huge procrastinator. I am also a lover of Gone with the Wind, and Scarlett, who is firmly planted in tomorrow. Makes sense for the origin of the word procrastination to be linked to tomorrow... because procrastination is a firm belief in the power of tomorrow. The word comes from the Latin procrastinatus, past participle of procrastinare, from pro- forward + crastinus of tomorrow, from cras tomorrow.

5. Being a regional champion is fun!  I knew this from when I was a teenager, but it's been a while for Breathitt Co. Getting to go to the state All A was definitely a highlight of this month. Watching our girls cut down nets, being lavished with media attention, being escorted by the firetruck through town while they hung out the bus windows yelling their lungs out... reminded me of why I put up with late nights and basketball talk 24/7. The great thing is that we still have a month of basketball before
the regular Regional Championship.

6. Snow forecasts may not always be spot on... but when they are on, they are on! We were told that last week we could receive 2 feet of snow... and when it started, it didn't stop until the next day. Heavy, thick, wet snow. My yard is still covered a week later. It's beautiful at first, but depressing once everyone digs out.

7. I loved Texas when I visited there, and was impressed by how friendly the people were. I'm not surprised that the meaning of the name Texas is associated with being a friend.

8. I can be self-disciplined when it's something that I want. I've written on this blog for 30 days straight. Yay, me!!!

Linking up with Emily Freeman for her monthly "What I've Learned" post. This helps me keep my eyes open to new findings and also helps me appreciate things that I may have forgotten as I rediscover them.

Five Minute Friday: Quiet

Some days it's soothing. The emptiness allows my thoughts to come together. My to do list grows but seems manageable. I process what I read, and think about what could be.

And then some days, the emptiness is overwhelming. It almost seems smothering. My thoughts scream in my head, telling me I'm not good enough or I don't have what it takes.

The TV stays off, black, and I'm curled up under a blanket on the couch reading a book. I can picture the characters in my head and can hear them talking.

But sometimes I need the music, as I sit in my office and try to work. Being productive usually means a little bit of noise, as though my brain can't work well enough if it doesn't have something to drown out those thoughts.

During the week, I welcome it but rarely get it. The bouncing of basketballs and the squeak of shoes, of the scoreboard buzzing and popcorn crunching in my teeth...

Or the sound of my fingers on the keyboard, or of IV pumps beeping.

Random noises that remind me of myself.

They keep me honest.

But after five days straight of the cacophony of chaos, the introvert is thankful when I'm up earlier than everyone else in my house. My bare feet slap against the cold floor, cutting through the air and making sure I'm awake.

And I'm content to sit and breathe it in, this lifeline... that keeps me semi-sane.

Linking up with Five Minute Fridays, where we write about one prompt for five minutes, free from editing. This week's word?

Quiet.

Cupcakes

I can't cook...

but I like watching cooking shows.

Tell me the irony in that.

Watching Cupcake Wars makes me think that I can bake...

but the only cupcakes I've ever made were fresh out of a box.

And my icing looks nothing like there's.

And I sure couldn't make those decorations out of fondant.

Yet I sit here, enthralled, at the different kinds of flavors that I never could have dreamed up.

Rhubarb? Chocolate cashews with caramel inside? Orange cupcakes with blueberries inside?

Whatever happened to Betty Crocker chocolate cake mix...

Guess I'll just be content to eat them.

If only I had some red velvet cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory...

A Gift

Celebrate the small things.


Like the fact that I made it out of my icy driveway today without sliding into the creek.


(Although I've yet to make it home).


And like the fact that my student brought in gooey, glazey (is that a word... but they were. Dripping with glaze) donuts this morning as a special treat.


And the fact that I'm breathing.


That's always a bonus.


Because sometimes life isn't all that great...


but there's always good in every day.


The sunshine outside.


My pink coat that makes me smile because Wallace was thoughtful enough to purchase it.


Texts from Caleb.


Life is a gift.  We just have to view it as such.


Even though sometimes we're not sure we like the package it comes in. Even if the ribbon is tied in knots that we can't figure out how to get loose.


He's holding it out to us, one moment at a time. It's not let's make a deal, where you choose from one door or another and one door has the real prize.


Every choice we make can be the real prize. We just have to learn to appreciate it.


Help me, Lord, stay focused on You and Your gifts.


In Jesus's sweet name.


Amen.

The Purpose of Love

Purpose.

My focus for 2016.

Praying for it...

when I think about praying. (Which is a whole 'nother blog post).

So tonight, as I was thinking about what I'm "meant" to do, thinking about the shield of faith that I so rarely pick up (just being honest... I bet those shields were heavy in old days. And a faith shield sometimes seems too heavy for me, too.  Even though I want to faithful...)

I found myself writing this. "Sometimes you overcomplicate things."

Yes. I overcomplicate and overanalyze.

Maybe my one purpose isn't some big grand pie in the sky thing... even though I sincerely believe God wants us to dream big.

Maybe I'll only fulfill my purpose when I STOP wondering just what my purpose is and START doing what God tells me to do...

Love Him.  With everything.

And with the nothing that I have left over, except what He spills out from me... love others.

Follow Micah 6:8 "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?"

And then, as I was pondering love and mercy and how to be a better person, a friend posted this picture on Facebook... a screenshot of something I had posted a while back.

Yes, my "purpose" may still be unclear to me...

But I know the only thing that really matters is love.

One Heck of a Day

Today I...

woke up extra early.

Went back to bed and slept a little late.

Chatted with my Grandma about her teaching school and her living in Michigan and her sisters and being married for almost 64 years.

Had Melody stare at me until I had to hold her for 15 minutes because as long as I talked to her she smiled but when I stopped she cried.

Got kisses from Melody.

Almost taught Melody how to play patty-cake.

At gravy and biscuits at my Mama's and did her dishes.

Gave Melody rasberries on her tummy.

Listened to Melody laugh when Caleb tried to open the trash bag. He waved it in the air, it made a noise, she laughed... so he had to repeat it a few times.

Shoveled snow off my car until I thought I would have a heart attack and then thanked the good Lord for sending Papaw William to finish the job.

Prayed that Kentucky wouldn't go into overtime with Tennessee because I had promised myself I was walking on the treadmill until the game was over.

Cried a little because sometimes situations are not in our control.

Thought about my week ahead and planned out my to do list.

"If you laugh, you think and you cry, that’s a full day. That’s a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you’re going to have something special."- Jimmy V

So, I've had a heck of a day. Praying for a good day tomorrow as we have our first clinical day of the semester!