Let's Get This Party Started! Two Weeks Later...

Well. Well, hello, there!

Yes, yes this is me. Why in heaven's name would I burst into the blogging scene of 2012? I don't do much bursting in the winter. Slogging is what I do. And oh, how I slog.

But there is so much I want to tell you. And I will. Pinky promise, 'kay?

Like what we did to celebrate a 16th birthday. It was WAY super fun. (We did NOT get a driver's license. Yet. Did you know that out here in the big city/ 'burbs you have to make an APPOINTMENT at your DMV to THEN go wait for hours to take your driving test?? We did not know that until the week before her birthday. Then we did not know until the week OF her birthday that you could make the appointment online. Did you also know that you have to parallel park? Yeah -- if you have any great suggestions on how to teach a 16 year old how to do that, I'm all ears...)

And how I did on my 12 by 2012. Meh. Let's just say that I'm hoping that 50% counts as passing. (I think I may have done a tiny bit better than 50%, but I'm too scared to look right now).

And if I've set any goals for 2012. I did. I even wrote them down. And now I don't remember where I wrote them. Perhaps when I find them I should add "organization" to them. Did you set any goals?

And my word for 2012. I love my word for 2012. God keeps whispering it to me. Ooooh... there's an old hymn by that name, too... I'm not going to tell you now. I hope God is whispering a word to you, too. As a matter of fact, I'm positive that He is. Keep listening.

And... newsflash...! I MADE something from Pinterest! Better still -- it was ADORABLE!!

I know, I know! This post is simply a tease. I shall really write for real later this week.

I'm still applying for jobs right and left. I'm learning that parenting teens is not for the faint (or tender) of heart, but definitely improves your prayer life. And my Christmas present to myself with some Christmas money? This bad boy... Oh, yeah, I got a light therapy box. (and dang, I'm hacked that I linked to that -- now $10 cheaper than I paid for it! Ugh!) I don't winter well (I slog, remember?) and I'm trying to alleviate the slogging through the gray days.

I hear people say all the "you can't appreciate the sunshine if you don't have a little rain" mantras, but some day I shall write and explain the literal fog that comes across my brain after 48 hours of gray. Then the weeping begins. It isn't a dislike -- I dislike the cold. I dislike intense heat. -- this is a physical reaction to a lack of sunlight. And, if you think I'm a whack job that just threw money away on a bright light... I'm totally okay with that, too.

Must run. No license yet means I'm still on carpool duty. Two weeks from today is license test day! Say a prayer for all of us!

Tell me how YOUR 2012 is starting! I've missed all of you!

Marriage Monday: Five Resolutions for Your Marriage This Year

Happy New Year, one and all, you lovely people!! I hope that the year has started off well for you and you are on your way to a prosperous and successful 2012.

My kids started back to school today -- TODAY!! -- and that is a rude awakening, I tell ya. My running partner and I, after some glorious 5 mile runs basking in the sun the last 2 weeks (she is a school administrator in a nearby district) were back running in 35* cold at 5:15 this morning. *grumble, grumble*

I also don't feel like I've had time to really ponder, plan, and meditate like I like to around the holidays. There was just a lot of noise and goin's on around my house -- which is a sign of a full and wonderful life -- but I like to evaluate the last year (perhaps it's just as well I didn't spend to much time thinking on that one) and plan for the next.

Did you make goals and/ or resolutions? I like to call mine goals. Resolutions sound so... well, resolute. Final. Goals are something to aim for (that I may or may not make). Goals have wiggle room to me.

Bob is making a wonderful resolution -- to be more grateful. Don't we all have room to be more grateful? I definitely do. (and now I will say I am thankful for my running partner so that I will drag my rear out of bed on 35* mornings and go run... gratitude).

It's a good idea to make goals or resolutions for our marriage. I say this, partly because Marriage Monday fell on the 2nd day of the new year (being honest!! :-), but being even more painfully honest, the reality is that while I'm here at The Cleft of the Rock preaching to all you good people about taking time for your spouse and your marriage, I simply have not. 2011 was a tough year for our family, and I did what so many people do: took care of everyone and everything except for my marriage.

Because I am married to a good and wonderful man, I still have a grace period to get back on track. But, like cleaning a dish right after you use it verses four days later (yes, I have experience with both) it would have been much easier to do a long time ago -- now I have much more work to do.

So, some resolutions I shall be making, and you are welcome to join me:


1) Pray for my spouse: No brainer. On the grouchy days, taking my spouse before the Lord is a way to bring all into perspective. God brought me this man, God blessed our union, and God drug our marriage out of the fire at one point. Praying for my spouse will likely have more effect on me than him, and it won't hurt him, either. Stormie O'Martian has a good book about praying for your spouse, but I have also found this set of cards (it's in the middle of the blog post here) that reminds you to pray for something different about your spouse every day -- and to pray for yourself to be a better spouse. Oh, indeed.


2) Make my marriage a priority: This is pretty all-encompassing. The main thing I'm thinking of here is bringing back date nights (I've been saying we are going to do that for, what,  4 months??) but I want to include reading about improving my marriage, going to a workshop or seminar, things that signify to myself, Troy, and the rest of the world: "This is REALLY important, OKAY??" Because it is.


3) Remember the romance: I don't just mean the physical aspect of our relationship, though that is crucial to a healthy marriage. I mean the small, ooey, gooey things it takes to "date" my husband --  some of that will include little touches and stolen kisses. But it will also be phone calls "just because" and cards and notes hidden away for him. Things we did "back in the day."


4) Let it Go: I've known Troy for over 20 years and we've been married for over 19 now. Sadly, I remember a LOT of times that he has hurt my feelings (I have a good memory -- sue me. I also remember some really cool stuff...). I also now have a list in my head of "he ALWAYS does..." of things that are completely inconsequential -- where he puts things in the pantry, how/ where he parks my car when he uses it (I KNOW how this makes me sound -- I'm being confessional!) If, heaven forbid, God does not grant us all of 2012 together, I do NOT want either of our last memories to be of me griping about where he put the peanut butter back in the pantry.

5) Play together: This one is REALLY hard for us. Again... I'm not talking about our physical relationship. Troy and I don't relax in the same way. Date night is often simply food and a movie. Which is fine, but it could be so much better. We do both enjoy the outdoors, just in different ways. We need to find ways that the two of us can relax together, play together. And I'm open to suggestions -- if you know of anything cool (especially free or cheap) to do in the Dallas area, I would love to hear about it.

I could add several here, but this is all I think I can focus on for now. Trey had some great resolutions for the new year, as well.


What about you? Do you plan to make resolutions for your marriage this year?

From the Archives: Four Words

(I am taking a bit of a bloggy break this week. I am posting some of my all-time top 5 posts throughout this week. Enjoy)

At the beginning of every year, I hear/ read on blogs some people say, "The Lord gave me my word for the year: xxxx" (no, no one actually uses xxxx. You know.) Anyway, some people spend a year focusing on 3 words.

Last week as 'words' kept cropping up on people's blogs and statuses (stati?) I started praying (remember, I'm going to hear from the Lord?):

"Lord do you have a word for me? I think I may need a word? What about a word? Aren't you going to give ME a word? Come ON already...!! A word!"

Surprisingly enough, the word: Patience ...
came to mind.

But so many other words came to mind over the next week, too. Actually, tomorrow is when I was going to give myself to come up with A word. And I have come up with 4 words. Not because I am an over-achiever, or think I'm better. But for two reasons: a) I really like all words. The more the merrier, I always say. and b) I have many more things to work on. Even if I live to be 100 (I still need to tell you the story of my 99 year old grandmother who wants to buy a Christmas sweater for next year) only working on one word a year is too few.

My 4 words and why they are important to me at this season of my life:
1) Patience: in everything. Listening to the Lord. Waiting on my husband. Waiting for the light to turn green. Waiting on the person with a bazillion groceries to check out. Waiting for the house to sell. Waiting for answers. Waiting on my children. Patience in all things.

2) Humility: This is one of those blessings that comes with the wrinkles and gray hair. Help me to be ready, nay eager to say: "you don't have to do it my way" "but I could be wrong" "what do you think?" "as long as it makes you happy".

3) Gentleness: This will come with humility, I suppose, since my non-gentleness seems to stem from my matter-of-fact-ness: "This is the way it is. Put your happy britches on about it. Move along." Part of that is my parenting gene (and it wouldn't kill me to pour some gentleness into that, either) and part of that is my logical gene. The Spirit needs to smooth out those rough edges in me.

4) Wisdom: So thankful scripture tells us that as we pray for wisdom it will be granted. For instance, if God also grants me humility, how will I know when to stand up with a solid backbone and speak Truth into someone at a difficult time? Wisdom (and love) will have to be over all and in all of these words.

I commissioned my dear (and talented) friend, Abby, to paint this piece.

I commissioned a dear and exceptionally talented friend, Abby, to paint this piece for me. It has survived staging, shuffling, and a move. It still doesn't have a permanent home, but rather is propped on my entry way table. The word I see most prominently as I walk by is "wisdom." Still working on all of those words, though.

Does anyone else use words in a year? I would love to hear yours!
I am currently pondering my 2012 word. I think I have it. Do you have one for 2012? Share!

Four Words

At the beginning of every year, I hear/ read on blogs some people say, "The Lord gave me my word for the year: xxxx" (no, no one actually uses xxxx. You know.) Anyway, some people spend a year focusing on 3 words.

Last week as 'words' kept cropping up on people's blogs and statuses (stati?) I started praying (remember, I'm going to hear from the Lord?):

"Lord do you have a word for me? I think I may need a word? What about a word? Aren't you going to give ME a word? Come ON already...!! A word!"

Surprisingly enough, the word: Patience ...
came to mind.

But so many other words came to mind over the next week, too. Actually, tomorrow is when I was going to give myself to come up with A word. And I have come up with 4 words. Not because I am an over-achiever, or think I'm better. But for two reasons: a) I really like all words. The more the merrier, I always say. and b) I have many more things to work on. Even if I live to be 100 (I still need to tell you the story of my 99 year old grandmother who wants to buy a Christmas sweater for next year) only working on one word a year is too few.

My 4 words and why they are important to me at this season of my life:
1) Patience: in everything. Listening to the Lord. Waiting on my husband. Waiting for the light to turn green. Waiting on the person with a bazillion groceries to check out. Waiting for the house to sell. Waiting for answers. Waiting on my children. Patience in all things.

2) Humility: This is one of those blessings that comes with the wrinkles and gray hair. Help me to be ready, nay eager to say: "you don't have to do it my way" "but I could be wrong" "what do you think?" "as long as it makes you happy".

3) Gentleness: This will come with humility, I suppose, since my non-gentleness seems to stem from my matter-of-fact-ness: "This is the way it is. Put your happy britches on about it. Move along." Part of that is my parenting gene (and it wouldn't kill me to pour some gentleness into that, either) and part of that is my logical gene. The Spirit needs to smooth out those rough edges in me.

4) Wisdom: So thankful scripture tells us that as we pray for wisdom it will be granted. For instance, if God also grants me humility, how will I know when to stand up with a solid backbone and speak Truth into someone at a difficult time? Wisdom (and love) will have to be over all and in all of these words.

Does anyone else use words in a year? I would love to hear yours!

Resolutions? Goals? Po-tay-to? Po-tah-to?

I mentioned yesterday that I have really balked at setting goals/ resolutions because of our state of transition/ whatever. I have also, always in the past, really steered away from setting hard- and -fast resolutions only to fail and feel crummy about myself.

So. I have goals. Some are 'this-year-specific'. Some not. Some I will share with you to hold myself accountable. Some not (though I do plan to share them with SOMEONE to hold me accountable -- I think that's a great idea).

Other ways I have seen folks go about goal setting recently:

Rob has a very ambitious 101 Things in 1,001 days (almost 3 years) list.

Erin Doland of Unclutterer plans to have monthly goals (but she also plans to plan each day to the hour. Wow.). I have tried a variation of monthly goals before.

Michael Hyatt (I have no idea if he also does New Year's Resolutions on top of this) creates an overall Life Plan, working toward the end result of the person he would like to be. He reviews this each quarter.

I started and created myself a Life Plan, as well. I have always LOVED the word 'intentionality'. If there is someplace you want to end up (being a good parent and spouse, skilled writer/ basket weaver, certain level of fitness, etc.) you need to PLAN to end up there on purpose. It rarely happens on accident. So I have a life plan -- I have a few areas I still need to work toward writing out (blech -- who wants to face a plan for their finances? We just want LOTS of money, right??)

These are a few of the things I am working toward this year (and I think most of these are on my Life Plan):

*Read more books. At least 2 fiction, 1 non-fiction per month. I know for you big readers that isn't a lot, but I just get sucked into blogs and facebook and my own stuff and let it get away from me. I have gotten a running start on this by using the library and the Kindle on my iPhone and my laptop (you can get Kindle software on almost any electronic device now). This page will help you find some good deals on Kindle, but between Amazon 1-click and iTunes, I can drain my bank account $1.29 at a time!

*Complete 2 half-marathons this year. I am already registered for the Dallas Rock -n - Roll in March. So, Lord willin' and barring injury, that will be #1. My 2nd will be in the fall and I'm not sure which that will be. My overall goals for running is to continually better my time (I would almost have to stand still to make it worse than it was last fall!)

*Memorize 52 verses of scripture. I am participating in Beth Moore's Scripture Memory Team which only requires that you memorize 24 (2 per month). I knew that wasn't enough of a challenge for me, considering how much scripture I want to be rolling through my head. 52 is an ambitious goal, no doubt. But I know I can do it. (and you can totally do 24 -- it's not too late to start if you want!)

*Consistently be in the word and in prayer. Because I always have my time in the word first thing in the morning, it's also the first thing to get dropped off when life gets crazy. I have been catching my Bible reading here, and "praying without ceasing", but I miss the structured time. This is one of the reasons I have made myself have monthly goals -- to get back to this.(Y'all, I found this "Bible Reading Plan for Slackers and Shirkers". Can NOT tell you how much I love it!!)

*No Diet Cokes. Again. I was off of Diet Cokes for almost a year because of my migraines and for some crazy reason, started ooching back onto them this summer. When one didn't bother me, I had one or two more. Then a LOT more. However, now that winter has hit, the combination of my migraine preventative and the Diet Cokes keep my fingers and toes miserably cold, and the carbonation affects my running (as in, my breathing). Why do I drink that junk? Because it is yummy. But I will not put one to my lips for 2011. About to take the last of a 12-pack over to a friend's house now.

These are all I can think of right now. What about you? Goals? Plans? Resolutions?

A New Year, Same Old Junk

So. 2011. *sniff, sniff* Still smells like 2010 to me...

Remember how before the holidays I wrote (quite a bit) about not moving, etc.? Yeah, still not moving. Still tired of people asking when we are moving.

Resolutions? Plans? Goals?

See, I don't want to do ANY of that because it isn't neat and tidy. You see, it should all be color- coded on my calendar in my goal-setting and checking off and how to go about it. Yet, when I don't know when I'll be moving or my forwarding address, or any of that, I balk at planning ahead very much.

Yes, yes, grinchity, grinch. However, I have come to see the blessing in facing the black hole that is my 2011.

You see, I thought I had my 2010 all mapped out for me last year. I had goals and plans. I had ideas. I had thoughts. I boxed up my Christmas decorations having NO idea what 2010 would hold for me. And what a blessing that was. Sure, I was blindsided when tough times came, but I'm glad I didn't spend the first 6 months of the year dreading that moment.

And now? Now I'm glad that I know that 2011 will be a year of change, upheaval and transition for us. Obviously, I can't lie: I loathe the blackness stretching in front of us. The Unknown of when and where and how long. I LIKE having my calendar squared away and filled in. But I do know that God is here, through it all. God has ordained every day of my life before it ever dared to get written on a calendar. I don't HAVE to see the road ahead, because God is in it. I am thankful that I have that reminder through this time.

I have claimed Joshua 3:5 as a verse for our family for this year:

Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.”

We are living expectantly that this road we are on will take us amazing places with the Lord.

Happy New Year!

I have successfully spent this day doing basically nothing and loved every second of it. I started my day with Bibles and journals and notebooks and digressed into blog reading, internet perusing, and TV flipping. Did you know that you can carve abs in bed? Home shopping network says you can... Troy said not to consider it, but I thought about it.

I really hoped my day of doing nothing would rest me up and lead me to really want to get busy tomorrow -- putting away Christmas, organizing, decluttering, what have you. Not so much. I would like another day or seven of doing nothing.

I have just been completely out of sorts this holiday season. Don't know exactly what it is, but I wasn't ready for Christmas, I don't feel as rested as I usually do coming out of the holidays, therefore I am not very ready to greet 2010 (though I am almost 22 hours into it) and be all exuberant about plans or goals about it.

I've been reading writing blogs that tell me how or why I need to be making goals for my writing. And I haven't yet. And I know that to aim at nothing you'll hit it every time, right? But I am just without enough gumption to make a year-long goal for my writing. Maybe I will start with monthly goals and see how that works.

So, I have no plans, dreams, or goals for the whole of 2010 yet. Other than to have all of my Christmas decorations put away by the end of the weekend. And a pedicure with my daughter for her birthday sometime next week. Other than that, I'm aimless.

So... speak to me: what are your goals/ hopes/ dreams? I've heard some good ones on Facebook.

Not Resolutions, Exactly

Vann pointed me to this article/ blog post about summing up your goals for the New Year in 3 words. When I first heard the concept, I immediately came up with 3 words, but as I read the article, my words evolved to be more inclusive.

Here is what I settled on for 2009:

Seek. Do. Purpose.

Seek -- the Lord with all my heart; what's best for my family; health; order (always seeking order...)

Do -- as in, 'Just Do It'; stop planning, procrastinating, rationalizing, but DO!

Do Something. If it works, do more of it. If it doesn't, do something else. Roosevelt, Franklin D.

Purpose -- do on purpose; have intention and purpose; Intentionality, my favorite word

I would love to hear yours. Do you have 3 words for the year?

3 Resolutions + a freeby

First, I have to say it like my grandmother, Maxine, would have, "HAPpyyyy New Year!!" I can't ever hear it or say it without thinking of her. Every New Year's Eve in my childhood memory, my brother and I spent the night at Max and Maxine's. They supplied streamers, noise makers, and balloons and Kevin and I would decorate the room (in secret -- or, better yet, just to get us out of their hair). Tremendous fun, tremendous noise, tremendous memories.

Doesn't anyone think the Day of the Blog is over yet? I'm thinkin' the Day of THIS Blog is in its sunset...

Troy and I went to not-our-usual church Sunday morning. Heard a FABULOUS New Year's sermon. It wasn't even that congregation's regular preacher -- he had been on staff at that church, then moved away for one job, and was starting another this week. Anyway, he spoke of a few resolutions he would like to keep in the New Year. I think I shall adopt them as my own. What do you think?

1) I will remember with wonder and awe all the times God has been faithful since my childhood.
2) I will speak to God more and more of His greatness so that it leaves no room for murmuring.
3)I will tell the story of His salvation the rest of my life.

And for the freeby -- (if you were one of the blessed recipients of my Christmas letter, you already have heard this): in December I was struck by Ephesians 4:1: "As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received." and then a little later: "And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way;" Colossians 1:10a

So, for me, I will try those three, plus the freeby:
4)I will live a life worthy of the calling I have received, worthy of the Lord so that I may please him in every way.