Ok, if you read my other post, you know why I've titled this post the way I did. I won't go into the whole reason again, you can read it if you want. Here are the things I want to accomplish this year. The most important things to me regardless of this list, is growing in my roles of wife and mom/homeschool mom. I want to continue to grow as the Lord shows me in those areas. But those are a bit more personal to me, and I'm not going to list specifics here.
I had some money to spend at CBD.com from Christmas and as I looked at different books to help me with different issues, problems, fears, and junk in my life I realized I'm sick of reading books that are suppose to 'help' me. Nothing wrong with them, and those who like reading them. I have books like that, and I do like reading them myself. But I'm just sick of reading about different problems and issues. I don't know about you, but with me the more I read about the issues the less I'm focused on the Lord. When I read about fears and how to get over them, I tend to focus more on my fears that I'm not getting over than I am focused on the Lord. Or if I read a book about how to get over my perfectionism, then I'm more focused on whether I'm getting over my perfectionism than I am focused on the Lord. So after accepting that from the Lord I decided to get a One Year Bible from CBD. All I want to read is the Lord's words and keep my focus on Him. I read somewhere that the more we focus on Him, the less we are focusing on our 'problems' and then miraculously our problems sometimes go away. So instead of books filled with words from men, I decided to get this book and I would like to accomplish reading through the bible in one year. I won't get the book for about 2 weeks, so I'll have start the reading schedule with my bible until I get it, but that's ok, I just want to get it started. I also bought a devotional book that is strictly just the Word of God. They take common verses, like verses on joy, and they put them together in a morning and evening readings. I'm really looking forward to reading both of these books, and I pray they help me with my desire to be the Lord's Word more.
I also want to learn more about website design. I talked with Paul about it on our lunch date the other day. I have this idea in my head that if a hobby doesn't bring in money, it's a waste of time. Paul made sure I knew that was just not a good thought, and that it's completely wrong (for us anyway). But because of that thought I was stressing about website design, about my crafts even about reading. Every time I thought of doing a craft, I would hesitate wondering if I could sell it on my Etsy account, very sad I know. So with my husbands blessings, I'm going to try and relax more and just have fun with my hobbies. The two main ones being website design and crafts. There are lots of software I would like to use that is too expensive, but I know the Lord will show me different free things I can use. And if anyone has a Photoshop program or Abode Flash program they are not using and would like to get rid of it, please think of me. (Not pirated or anything, just a program you are getting rid of). But regardless, I'm going to focus more on learning the ins and outs of website design, regardless of if it ever brings in any money for us. I'm also going to do my crafts more, and not worry about selling them. I might even close down my etsy account. I think I would just like to make them and if I don't have an immediate use for them, maybe keep them as possible gifts or something. Either way I'm not going to worry about selling them.
I would like to start playing the keyboards again. I should re-phrase that. I want to learn the keyboards and practice more. I took piano lessons when I was a kid, but don't remember hardly any of it. We no longer have a piano (I'm always bummed I got rid of it), but we do have keyboards. I know a few songs, and I have plenty of books to learn from, I just need to get in the habit of practicing it. That's something I would like to accomplish this year.
As far as blogging, Facebook and Twitter, I want to make a better balance. I do seem to be on Facebook and Twitter far more than I've been blogging, I think mainly because Facebook and Twitter is so much quicker. But I like writing and so I will continue blogging too. I think the biggest balance I will make is I will clean up my blog reader and take lots of blogs off of there that are not ones I visit much. That seems to take up most of my time. If I miss one day of reading my blog reader I have over 30 blogs to try and catch up on. Multiply that by a couple of days, and I feel completely overwhelmed when I miss a day or two. It's taking way too much time. So I will clean that up a bit, so that my blog reading time shortens up and I have more time to do the other things I want to do on the computer.
A couple of odd and end things. I want to put my laptop down more and read more of the books I've been blessed with. I've never finished the Anne of Green Gables series I was blessed with, plus I have some other leasure books I want to read. I just need to set down this laptop more. I'm thinking about a garden this year, but still not sure if its what I want to do, praying about that one. And I would like to get up and move more and eat less. I want to watch my portion size on food, my biggest problem. And though I don't have the Wii Fit, and won't be getting one anytime soon, I can still keep active with wii. I try to walk 4 days a week, I want to keep that going. But I also want to do some of the boxing on Wii, play on the Dance Praise pad my kids have and just move around more.
So there is my list of what I would like to accomplish this year. I leave them all in the Lord's hands because utimately I only want to do what He has for me to do. I want to grow more in Him, and I pray that this list will help me in that. Thanks for reading my list.
That's a great list. I started the One Year Bible too today. I love the reading plan they have. I am glad you are going to relax and enjoy your hobbies. I remember the title of a book called, Do What You Love and the Money Will Follow. I don't know who wrote it, but the title always stuck with me.
Jenn
Looks like a great list with a great focus going into it! Keep your eyes on Him, and you'll get to just where you need to be, even if it isn't all you set out to begin with. Our goal should be to grow in Him, huh? That's what I want this to be - a year of becoming more and more like Jesus!
Those are great things to accomplish. I agree with you on the books thing. I have been through the same thing. I keep falling in that hole though. I hope you enjoy the one year Bible, I've always wanted to do that.
If my current employment should come to an end, I, too. will be looking into web design, Ebay, and other such ventures. I just don't have the time without quitting my job or quitting my family which won't be happening, lol. As for reading directly from the Bible, that's my thoughts, too. I learned many years ago just to ask the Lord to show me then let my Bible fall open. God is good and knows what we need.
Isn't it interesting how the self-help section at the bookstore grows exponentially each year? And yet more and more people feel stuck. Well, you're right, the only real help is in the Lord.
I love your goals. I'll be praying that you'll be blessed beyond your expectations.
This blog is so I can share my journey with the Lord, my journey as a wife and mother, and my journey as a homeschool mom. I pray that you will see the Lord in my life through happy and sad times, and that this blog glorifies the Lord.
This is an award and tag free zone, thank you.
So instead of books filled with words from men, I decided to get this book and I would like to accomplish reading through the bible in one year. I won't get the book for about 2 weeks, so I'll have start the reading schedule with my bible until I get it, but that's ok, I just want to get it started. I also bought a devotional book that is strictly just the Word of God. They take common verses, like verses on joy, and they put them together in a morning and evening readings. I'm really looking forward to reading both of these books, and I pray they help me with my desire to be the Lord's Word more.
Paul made sure I knew that was just not a good thought, and that it's completely wrong (for us anyway). But because of that thought I was stressing about website design, about my crafts even about reading. Every time I thought of doing a craft, I would hesitate wondering if I could sell it on my Etsy account, very sad I know. So with my husbands blessings, I'm going to try and relax more and just have fun with my hobbies. The two main ones being website design and crafts. There are lots of software I would like to use that is too expensive, but I know the Lord will show me different free things I can use. And if anyone has a Photoshop program or Abode Flash program they are not using and would like to get rid of it, please think of me. 
Multiply that by a couple of days, and I feel completely overwhelmed when I miss a day or two. It's taking way too much time. So I will clean that up a bit, so that my blog reading time shortens up and I have more time to do the other things I want to do on the computer.
