Looking Ahead to 2012

2012 Resolutions

After this morning's sermon "Jesus first" I took another look and tried to write reasons behind some of these resolutions and how I can draw closer to Jesus in all areas of life. I will come back to post my progress on these resolutions at least once a month. :)

1. Build a solid foundation in God's Word.

• memorize 1 verse a week--no longer paraphrasing God's Word but having a firm understanding in prayer and sharing with others
• re-read the Old Testament, specifically studying the minor prophets and an overall timeline of historical events during the writing of the OT: following the BRP here

January: Lamentations 3:24, John 12:27-28a, Romans 10:14-15, Galatians 5:16; reading through 1 + 2 Chronicles (studying more in-depth), Genesis (with my Bible as Lit class), Acts & Matthew (church-wide BRP). One thing I have been learning through the stories of David and Solomon is a model of our humble posture before God. For example, as the people give offerings for the temple in 1 Chr 29, David says simply, "But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to make this freewill offering? For all things come from you, and all of your own have we given you." There is absolute humility in the offering, knowing the source from which it came. Later Solomon builds the great temple, but recognizes that even this great effort to build the temple was insignificant compared to God's holiness and faithfulness and that this was simply a place to offer to God, worship, and point people to see Him in their lives, rather than a house to contain Him. There is extravagance in the offering--everything overlaid with pure, fine gold, intricate carvings, cloth made of expensive dyes, yet all this extravagance only a response to God's extravagance. I wrote this prayer in my journal in response: Lord, Help me to have this kind of humility, this kind of focus on excellence and extravagance in my studies, my responsibilities, my relationships. Lord, grant that I may be extravagant in faith, in love. I will fail but rather than be discouraged, help me to run back to you and quickly dive in again. The more I fail, the more I learn. The more I fail, the more I depend on you. May I be daily reminded of your grace and faithfulness. Amen.

2. Continue to develop a more active prayer life, training myself to hunger to hear His voice in everything I do.

• January: regular times of Sabbath prayer/rest throughout the week, extended One Desire Fast/intercession (may blog about further)

3. Blog at least twice a month (mid-way and end). I journal frequently but there's something to be said about learning to reflect in a way that others can actually understand and possibly learn something from.

• January: heheh, will try more for next month :)

4. Learn the basics of playing guitar, continuing to develop a joy and deep satisfaction in both private and corporate worship.

• January: Learned G, C, D, E and can very, very slowly play "How Great is Our God." Faithfulness with practicing got less and less as the month progressed, though, and I still struggle a lot with rhythm.

5. Learn to play chords on keyboard/piano rather than just pounding out the melody.

6. Develop proficiency in Japanese and Spanish, specifically learning to share part of the gospel and/or my testimony in both languages. Also, brush up on French before this summer!

• January: Taking a Japanese calligraphy class with Jenny. It has been helpful to have more exposure to and opportunities to practice speaking/writing!

7. Begin learning Korean. Language has an amazing power to form connections between people.

8. Exercise regularly! It's hard to make the time when the semester gets going but I always feel so much better afterward, especially after prayer runs that stretch me to persevere both spiritually and physically. Specifically, I would like to train up to running 2-3 miles without stopping to walk.

• January: Started off the semester well but stopped during the fast. Hopefully can get back into running in February!

9. Continue working through Life's List as an avenue to continue broadening my experiences, interests, interactions with other communities and cultures (some specifics this year: (a) Traveling abroad with my mom! (b) sit in on an engineering class (c) U of M Hockey game (d) Go to something in Hill Auditorium (e) Go fairy door hunting)

• January: Went to a U of M Hockey game with IMAX, saw Jean perform in Hill Aud :)

10. Start and finish a book list as an opportunity to learn:

25 Books for 2012

January 1. Real Time Connections by Bob Roberts

2. Generous Justice by Tim Keller

3. Desiring God by John Piper

4. The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence

5. The Journals of Jim Elliot

6. Washed and Waiting by Wesley Hill (with Erica)

7. Straight and Narrow by Thomas Schmidt (with Erica)

8. The Master Plan of Evangelism by Robert Coleman

9. Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell

10. American Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us by Robert D. Putnam (a Christmas gift from a year ago!)

11. Honour Found by Robert Barriger

12. Finish The Complete Works of C.S. Lewis

13. Book of Mormon: 3 Nephi & Moroni

14. The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2010 (edited by Dave Eggars)

15. Love Marriage by V.V. Ganeshanathan (a visiting professor at U of M)

16. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larson

17. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

18. Riding the Bus with my Sister by Rachel Simon

19. Finish Les Misérables by Victor Hugo

20. Dracula by Bram Stoker

21. Finish The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

22. Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie

23. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Hadden

24. John Wesley's Works v. 1-sermons (and also bits of v. 8 with some of his best-known essays and v. 11 with enjoyable snippets such as "A Question Concerning Dew on Coach-glasses" and "Advice to the People called Methodists, with regard to Dress")

25. The Short Stories of F. Scott Fitzgerald

101 things to do before age 60

Apparently I only post on here once every few years now. :) I've thought a few times about resurrecting this blog and haven't decided either way yet, but I've been working on a list and decided to post it. I recently found a list I wrote when I was 15 of 60 things I wanted to accomplish by the age of 30 and I was surprised to see that I had accomplished quite a few of the things (climb a climbing wall, help build a Habitat house, go on a mission trip,fast for 24 hours or more, take a ballroom dancing lesson, give blood, paint my toenails a bright color, preach a sermon, plan a worship service, make something and sell it, sign a petition, vote, give up chicken for Lent--I ended up giving it up entirely the following summer, get my driver's license, learn to do laundry, get a digital camera and take pictures, go to Annual Conference, have a job that I enjoy, mow a lawn).

Life's List

1. Live in another country for at least a year

2. Swim with dolphins

3. Take a dance class

4. Learn how to play piano

5. Learn how to play guitar

6. Teach for at least five years

7. Study at least 10 languages [So far: Spanish, French, Latin, Japanese]

8. Learn a language primarily by immersion in a country where it’s spoken

9. Read a book (not for class) in another language

10. Donate 5 feet to Locks of Love (multiple donations) [currently @ 3 ft, 2 in]

11. Write a book (fiction or non-fiction). Maybe publish it.

DONE 11.3. 11 12. Do karaoke at least once

13. Sky dive or bungee jump

15. Go white-water rafting

14. Go on a road trip

16. Sleep on the beach

17. Make a piece of pottery

18. Write a letter to the editor

19. Be on a retreat for 10 days

20. Run 5 miles (or more) consecutively, not necessarily in a competition

21. Plant a garden

22. Learn to knit well (i.e. start and FINISH a project)

23. Sew an outfit

24. Work for a non-profit

25. Learn to ride a bike

26. Learn to ski

27. Give up shopping for a year

28. Travel abroad with my mom

29. Visit the Grand Canyon

30. Visit Niagra Falls

31. Find my soul mate and get married to him

32. Raise happy and healthy children

33. Make Christmas gifts for everyone on my list at least once

34. Work in a coffee shop

35. See a Broadway play on Broadway

36. Take up photography

37. See a shooting star

38. Stop biting my nails once and for all

39. Become an early riser

40. Build a Habitat for Humanity home in another country

41. Participate in NaNoBloMo

EXPERIENCED 10.15.11! 42. See someone I’m close to come to know Christ (hopefully many more to come!)

43. Disciple someone and see them mature to the point of discipling others

44. Visit the Great Pyramids in Egypt

45. Take a boat down the Nile River

46. Go ziplining in a rain forest

47. Visit Jerusalem & put a prayer in the wailing wall

DONE 1.7.12 48. Go to a U of M Hockey Game

49. Sit in on an engineering class

50. Study the Bible [ongoing]

51. Raise/train a seeing eye dog

52. Eat 100% locally grown food for a week

53. Mackinac Island bridge walk

54. Host a Thanksgiving dinner

55. Bake bread

56. Learn to make sushi

57. Learn to make chocolate truffles

DONE 3.17.11 58. Drink green beer

59. Visit the four corners

60. Get cartilage pierced

61. Ride on the top of a double-decker bus in England

62. Visit where my grandparents lived in Scotland

63. Buy food for the person in line behind me or people at a nearby table

64. Translate a longer work or interpret for a day

65. Learn to manage time efficiently...while still making time for people (ongoing)

66. Sell something—pampered chef, discovery toys, body shop, start an ebay store to sell jewelry...

67. Learn how to write grant proposals

68. Write an article for a magazine or newspaper

69. Publish a poem or short story

70. Throw a dinner party for at least 10 people

71. Learn more about different religions (ongoing)

72. Finish John Wesley’s complete works

73. Finish at least one of the “100 books to read before you die” lists

74. Travel to all 50 states [Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, N. Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, New York, Maine (14)]

75. See the Great Wall of China

76. Volunteer full-time for at least a year

77. Get to know my sisters on a deeper level (ongoing)

78. Be involved in a church plant

79. Visit Australia

80. Take a cooking class

81. Travel to Japan a second time—visit past host family, exchange students & conversation partners

82. Travel to Latin America

83. Break a Guinness World Record

DONE January 2012 84. Go to a concert or performance in Hill Auditorium

85. Learn to drive stick shift

86. Dance and sing in the rain (a la Gene Kelly)

87. Go on a picnic

DONE 2.26.11 88. Go ice skating

89. Ride a camel in the desert

90. Visit a French café

91. Go to Africa

92. Help someone get into or through college

DONE 9.25.11 93. Throw a block party

94. Live somewhere with a view of a lake or ocean

95. Learn to play Euchre

96. Finish a 5000-piece puzzle

97. Send out holiday cards

98. Eat pizza by the Leaning Tower of Pisa

99. Stay at a bed and breakfast in southern France

100. Blow bubbles from the Golden Gate Bridge

101. Go fairy door hunting

#12: Karaoke with IMAX!

#58: St. Patrick's Day 2011 (21st!)

#88: Ice Skating with JOLT in Detroit

#93: Geddes Avenue Potluck

2009 Resolutions

So, I haven't been doing so well at keeping this blog updated, but I'm going to try to get back to it more regularly--if purely because it's nice to be able to look back and see what I've been thinking about and what I've done during the past weeks, months, years, etc. 

There's something nice about making resolutions at the outset of the year. It just feels like I'm putting everything in order--sort of that feeling I get after doing laundry: that if only for the moment, everything in life is clean, folded, and in order, down to the last sock.

1. spend more time with God daily

• increase morning/evening devotion time to fifteen minutes--enough to spend some time reflecting on the word and praying before/after the busy-ness of rest of the day
• place reminders throughout my day to pray and invite God into the midst of my work

2. be more intentional about use of resources I've been given, including time

• Place a firmer budget for myself (last semester I spent more than I earned!); each paycheck or other deposited money will be divided in this way: 10% to my two savings subaccounts and an absolute minimum of 10% to savings. Thus, spendings in each 2-week period may not exceed the 70% of what has been earned, though it should be much less. This will definitely have a chance to be tested during this first part of the semester as I registered for the HMCC retreat and will be starting my paycheck spendings "in the negative." 
• Get a second job; apply for summer job; work on FAFSA & scholarship applications
• Do not eat out more than once a week (maybe twice during my birthday week!)
• Spend at least two hours a night doing homework (with gchat, phone & all other distractions OFF!) If this allows for ample reading, napping, etc., great. If not, that's okay because the work time will help me to stay on top of (and hopefully get ahead in) classes.
• Pray about those with whom I am in relationship with; be open to where the Spirit leads me to be a part of their lives

3. be more intentional about taking care of myself

• Sleep at least 6-8 hours a night 5+ days a week
• Join one or two Umove classes to be more intentional about exercise. It will help me to feel better about myself and give me more energy.
• No more than one dessert per meal (defined as: 1 slice pie/cake or 1 larger item or 2 smaller items (cookies, pastries, chocolate pieces, etc.)
• No fried food from halfway after 9:00
• No more than 2 snacks a day (does not include anything defined as dessert above)

4. be more intentional about how I respond to others, especially:

• how I keep in touch with friends and loved ones
• the words I say rashly, or even the thoughts I have that harm

So, hopefully if I can keep faithful to these resolutions, I can work on a lot of the areas I've been slipping on, and as a result, just feel like a much healthier, more whole person. 

Grace & Peace!

Summer 2008 in Review

While it may seem odd to only be posting about my summer when this blog reflects that I haven't updated in almost a year, check out my other blog on blogspot to find (some of) the missing months.

June:

~graduation party frenzy (my own and many others)
~working at Tropical Smoothie & the zoo
~building and auctioning off four picnic tables (which equals sanding, sanding & more sanding; 40-50 hours of labor in all) to raise money for our Appalachia Service Project
~Riverside Film Festival (I made it to five movies in my one day off during the festival!)
~various other meetings, family and friend get-togethers, babysitting, etc.
~reading everything under the Sun

July:

~watching fireworks on TV while at work on the Fourth of July...plus seeing Bay Rd. empty for the first time in my life while holding a sign outside
~leading my first non-youth, over 50 people worship service & preaching for the second time at State Street (July 6)
~Appalachia Service Project in Hyden, Kentucky (July 12-20). Every minute (I might even say every second) was amazing. I can't shake the desire to apply for staff next year. I miss the clan there so much!
~family time up north to celebrate my grandpa's brother's 50th anniversary
~coming back from vacation to be fired from Tropical Smoothie
~grand increase in hours at the zoo
~3-day orientation at U of M

August:

~Ashton & Sammy overnight to catch up after vacation
~Vacation Bible School: 1st and 2nd graders!
~hosting an exchange student for a whirlwind 5 days
~post-ASP reporting
~shopping & getting everything packed for school
~and in between: zoo. zoo. zoo. zoo. zoo!

That's all for now! I wish I had time to ellaborate.

Grace & Peace!

One Thing

This is an idea that first came to me in response to an emerging idea throughout Shane Claibourne's Irresistible Revolution of the "one thing" we do each day, the "one thing" each moment should be centered on--our relationship with God--and how the rest of our lives should center on this.

I put this idea away for awhile and came back to it in response to a Candidacy session centering around grace and our personal responses through devotions and spiritual formation (titled "Grace: Spiritual Formation through Inner Disciplines").

The other focus bringing me to this exercise is a Kingdom Assignment through our local church. I have $100 to spend in God's ministry, no specifications other than that I must report back to the congregation. In my struggle to find one thing that I am most called to do--since I also having a growing sense that this is not meant only to grow God's money but to grow myself and push me out of my comfort zone--I have already missed the first reporting date as I continue to discern. I feel a growing pressure to report but also to remain true to another and greater responsibility to grow the money given to me by God for his purpose.

So, returning to the idea of "One Thing," I will set aside the time each day to write down one thing. This thing may be my response to something I've heard, read or done. It may be one thing I've committed to do. But it is a growth process foremost--to write one thing in response to some driving question in my mind. I committ to 100 days, but it will continue beyond that as the Spirit moves.

Grace & Peace!

A lesson left to learn

My mantra: learn it.

I feel blessed right now with where I'm at and what I'm doing--I really do--but part of that blessing is abundance, and part of that abundance is feeling abundantly drained at the moment. I'm coming off the high of a weekend with the boys. They are amazing, and I had an absolutely great time, but I am physically extremely tired and not particularly prepared for this coming week.

Even from the year's start (all one week of it), I'm getting the feeling of being presented with thousands more options for each one I pare down--and I'm working fervently on the paring... to no avail. I have too much that I want to do, and I seem to have a complex when it comes to being busy. I enjoy it, however much I push myself away from it.

This week as a sample:

~Tomorrow: from school to a three-hour class to picking out light fixtures for our cave of a kitchen--the old one blew mid-week and we haven't had the time to replace it, so I've been enjoying the old-fashioned experience of washing dishes in the dark

~Tuesday: school, probably some phone calls and dinner-making, 7:00 Missions meeting or babysitting

~Wednesday: school, CP meeting, QT, 7:00 worship (& decorating of the church or Sunday School copying)

~etc. I have a few free days sometime in the latter half of the week, but I need them to plow through the growing list. My college recommendations are not even to their respective people. How am I not further? I need to find the time to get thigns ready for the first ICONS meeting. Tip of the iceburg. Sunday School. First youth meeting prep. CROP Walk announcements, bulletin inserts, Sunday school resources, parent letters, decorations, recruiting, organizing. On this last, I'm hoping to unload some at the Missions meeting if I'm able to go.

Sometimes I just struggle with finding the balance between passion and sanity. I love these things I'm doing--or else I wouldn't be doing them--but it's hard to know where the balance lies.

So that's my mantra: Balance. Balance. Balance. Balance. Balance. Balance. Balance. Balance. Balance.

This coming from the person who always fell off the balance beam.

Grace & Peace!

Beginnings

School is starting up again soon--next Tuesday in fact. Spanish Comp. started Monday night but it doesn't seem like things are really back since I don't have class again for two weeks. I'm definitely ready to get back to things though. This last part of my summer has been incredibly slow--at least physically; it certainly hasn't been emotionally. My grandpa has completely shut down this past week. He won't do anything unless someone does it for him, and he's been so resistant and bitter. He's a new man everytime I see him, mostly sleeping away the day to avoid his own head. I don't always know what to say or do. Sometimes I wish I could just hold him in my arms and hug him to somehow make it all go away.

I am ready for the start of school, but I know how busy it's going to be. Even more so with my grandpa and family needing more of my time. Getting back means senior year which means getting serious about college apps, writing those darned scholarship essays, continuing the endless job search--seriously it's getting kind of ridiculous...and um, mayble finally getting that appointment for senior pics set up? All I seem to want to do these days is get my butt down to Albion. I'm ready.

Meanwhile, our church hauls itself out of hibernation September 9th. My mom and I are watching the boys for the weekend of September 7-9. CROP Rally is the 8th so I need to at least start getting the word out the next day, or at least a teaser BECAUSE Sunday School starts back on the 9th along with 2 services, communion and a baptism...and I think youth are popping popcorn. phewwww. At least youth meetings don't officially start until the next Sunday. Appalachia Service Project, we're on our way!!!

Another beginning: I received a letter from the District Superintendent this last week approving me to continue on with Candidacy Process. My CP mentor of awesome is Reverend Kathy. I was doing mind cartwheels all day last Wednesday--since I can't actually do them however much I try. I have balance issues, but I am incredibly excited. We're meeting Sept. 12.

So, summer is winding to a close. I finished a good deal of what I wanted to, but not all. My bathroom is still at half-way point. The windows of our house are unscraped. I did however go on many amazing trips, get to see lots of awesome people including the incredible Ashton & Sammy duo, and spend many wonderful mornings and afternoons curled up with books from my summer reading list. I made my way through a quarter (with a week left to cram). The list is over here

So, in close, a smaller and more manageable list for fall (only 12)and hopes for a good and productive fall.

DONE 1) A Thousand Splendid Suns Khaled Hosseini
DONE 2) Wicked Gregory Maguire
DONE 3) Welcome to the Monkey House Kurt Vonnegut
DONE 4) Irresistible Revolution Shane Claiborne
DONE 5) Strange Pilgrims Gabriel Garcia Marquez
DONE 6) Noises Off Michael Frayn
DONE 7) Not Buying It: My Year Without Shopping Judith Levine
8) Talking about Homosexuality: A Congregational Resource Karen P. Oliveto
DONE 9) Prisoners of Silence Jonathan Kozol
10) Les Miserables Victor Hugo
DONE 11) Catch 22 Joseph Heller (because I need to finally finish this!)
DONE 12) Genesis

Grace & Peace!

A small snapshot of this past week

We got home from church today to find my grandpa's pajama pants and bathrobe on a chair by the stairs to my room and him curled up in my mom's bed sound asleep.

He's home now, at least for a day or two.

Pray

My grandpa's tucking in at our house tonight in preparation for a 5-6 hour session at Covenant tomorrow and the next few days also. The procedure is meant to measure fluid levels in his brain, which if at a certain level may be adding to his memory loss. If they do detect raised levels, a surgery can put in a stint that will keep them closer to desired levels. I'm hoping it goes well. It's just another step along the way I suppose. We're doing our best to keep him at comfort though.

I haven't heard any updates by way of Virginia folks. The last I heard was that my aunt didn't end up having the surgery but that it may be postponed for another day. With her discontinued insurance though, and some fairly low spirits, I think she can use all the prayer she can get.

I'm also centering my prayers on the family of Alyssa Grant this week. She was one of the youth to come to our Conference Youth Assembly just a few weeks ago, and I received an email that her father passed away after a massive heart attack. I can't imagine what her family is going through right now. May he rest in peace and may some peace be granted to her family as they struggle through this.

"The Eye of God"