CVNP-Blue Hen Falls

We hiked another trail at Cuyahoga Valley National Park on Sunday. We hiked the Blue Hen Falls, which is supposed to be a 3-mile hike, round trip. According to my watch, it is less than that. According to my body, it was way more than that 😂.

Thrive

On Christmas Eve, I was seeking and praying over what my word for 2023 would be. I felt aimless (ironic since my word for 2022 was focus) and had no clue what my word would be. I was praying for God to reveal it to me. I looked back over my words for the last 4 years and still had no clue.

2022 Endings and Beginnings

I want to wrap up 2022 in a neat little bow before talking about my goals and word of the year for 2023. How is it 2023? I am still trying to wrap my head around it. 2022 was a very weird year for us so I am struggling a bit with how to write out my thoughts and have them make sense.

Five Minute Friday: Achieve

Since we are still fairly early in the new year, when I think of the word "achieve" I immediately think of goals. When we set goals we have the thought that we are going to achieve them. However, if I look over the goals I set at the beginning of the year and how I am doing, I might be tempted to say that I am failing.

New Year Goals 2022

Happy New Year!!! Even though it's 2022 it is so HARD to believe we are at the start of a new year. 

I would like to thank (not really) all the people who posted this meme or a similar meme over the last few weeks. This morning, when I was writing 2022, all I could think of was this!! That is NOT how I want to set the tone for this year 😂 but I can't un-see it.  Send help, I am not okay.

Surrender

 I don't know if you choose a word for the year, but it is something that I started doing a few years ago. Last year (2020) God gave me the word "hope" which started to become very clear about March...I

New Year, Fabulous Friday 01/01/21

 Happy New Year!!! It's a new year, a new day, a new chapter, a new page, a blank slate! It's like the fresh fallen snow, so pure, clean and peaceful. So what are you going to do in this new year? Have you made any goals or plans? Did you buy a new planner so you could start fresh (I totally did!!) I am cautiously optimistic about this year, even though nothing has changed from yesterday to today, I have hope. I am planning to continue to do fabulous Friday posts because I want to be intentional about expressing my gratitude and thankfulness. I want to spread good news. So today, here are the things that are making this new day/Friday/week fabulous:

A new planner

2021 goals outlined

A reading goal set

Books outlined to read this month

The Christmas tree and decorations got put away today

I was able to organize our games and get the new ones on the shelf

We are all healthy

I haven't had to go anywhere in over a week!!!

A call from a friend

It is a new year

God is in control

I have my focus word for the year

I had uninterrupted quiet time this morning

We had so much fun playing a new game last night

We have been having nightly devotions

We have been having nightly family movie nights (I mean, why not?)

Clean sheets 

Coffee

Downtime

Clarity of thought 

I would love to hear about any goals you have set for the year and what is making this week great for you!!!

December goals

 I am not one to make monthly goals, but this month seems to be calling for it. I don't know about you, but I have never (until this year) struggled with time management. This year has hit me harder and in so many different ways, than previous years, that I don't know if I am coming or going. Stuff that would normally be done without thought is waiting to be done. Even when I seem to be managing my time wisely I am still not getting it done...hence the reason for some goals. I have always joked that I was born an organizer. I like things in their place and do not thrive in chaos...all of 2020 has been chaotic. I do not feel as organized as I would normally be. So here we go..

December goals:

Get back off all sugar (except natural sugars)

Organize my days better

Buy (or make) a better planner so I can do that 👆

Finish Christmas shopping by the end of the week

Wrap all presents by December 18 so I can really enjoy the week before Christmas

Start back to exercising at least twice a week

At least 3 blog posts a week (not counting book review posts)

Get back to Zone cleaning, 15 minutes a day*

Reorganize zones so I can do zone cleaning 

Plan out books to read for the month

Family time each day

Evening family devotional

Carve out some alone time for myself

Start praying about my word for 2021

Identify my top priorities

Focus more on prayer for others

Look back at my yearly goals and see what was accomplished and what still needs to be accomplished 

Give my blog a facelift (hopefully!)

Identify some blog post topics

Hopefully get to help with Christmas Bureau this year

Find ways to encourage friends

What goals do you need to set for yourself? Do you do monthly or yearly goals? What are some blog topics that you would be interested in reading about? 

Would someone please comment in the leave comment section of this blog so I can be sure it is working? When I look at my blog online it kind of looks like it is under construction, so I want to be sure that everything is working correctly. (Feel free to also tell me what you like/don't like about the way the blog is set up!!)

*Zone cleaning is something that I did for years because it worked!!! But, since our last move, finishing my masters classes, becoming a youth leader, becoming a foster parent and continuing to homeschool our kids, it got lost. I highly recommend reading the book or visiting Marla Cilley's (aka The FlyLady)website.

2015 goals

I don't know about you, but I feel like I never measure up. I have always had low self-esteem, been extremely self-conscious and have felt like I am never good enough. I am always looking for ways to improve myself. I need to be a better wife, mother, sister, friend, teacher etc...I am constantly looking for books to read to help improve myself. New Year's Resolutions always gave me a reason to re-evaluate where I was and set new "improvements" for the new year. But...

A few years ago I stopped doing New Year's resolutions. I found that after a while I wasn't keeping up with them and then I would feel guilty. The last thing I need is something else making me feel guilty. So, I started making goals, things I wanted to work toward. That didn't work so well either, so I decided I wouldn't do that either.

However, this year, I heard a sermon that really resonated with me, and I decided that I would make some new goals this year. The sermon's main points were to plan...if you never plan, you will never do what you want to do, which is SOOOO true. 

The pastor also used the scripture verse Luke 2:52 "Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people" and essentially rephrased it like this "Jesus grew intellectually and physically and spiritually with God and in His relationships."

I had never thought of that verse in that way. The pastor talked about setting goals in each of these areas (intellectually, physically, spiritually and relationally). Now, that is something I can do! 

One of the goals that I made was to read 15 books in 2015 that would help me in these areas. The books pictured below are several that I am planning to read. I also have Messy Beautiful Love, Reshaping it all, and Keep it Shut on my kindle. I am also doing Beth Moore's Bible Study, Children of the Day.

Now, I am not saying that you should do these things too, but that sermon really spoke to me (and I guess my need to improve myself!). If you feel the need to help keep me accountable, ask me what I am reading. Or if you are curious about a book, ask me how it is.

I have also set a goal to get more physically fit. Matt and I had really started working on that in the fall, then we went on vacation and we've not gotten back in the habit yet. We finally got out there this morning and started walking, I have been sick and wasn't up for our run, but we did walk. I didn't want to be out there and I didn't have the motivation to be out there, but I was there.  I am praying God will work on my motivation and energy.

I have set a few relationship goals as well. In January I spotlighted a specific friend that I knew needed encouragement and really focused on that friendship. I plan to work on different relationships each month, wherever I feel the biggest need is.

I may never be satisfied or feel like I measure up, but at least I know I am trying to be the  best me that I can be ;)