Living Life On Purpose

Part of finding my way is doing my part to chart my course.  But wait, you say.. aren't you supposed to let God do that for you?  I absolutely agree with that on some things.. but I believe there are somethings that I have to plan for or life will completely take over and pass me by. 

It's kind of strange, I work with salespeople every day and I tell them you MUST set goals in order to achieve them.  I see this work every day but I never really do it in my personal life.  This year will be different. 

I've broken these goals down how they make sense to me.  I figure if they don't work for me I won't ever do them.  I'm sure they will change along the way but this is where I'm going to start.

Personal

• Run 12 miles per week
• Read through the Bible in a year using this plan.
• Read 2 books per month.  My book list will be posted later
• Complete ChFC designation by June 2012
• Complete organization/declutter of extra room by end of January
• Complete playroom/office redo by end of February
• Weekly meal planning
• Freezer cooking using 15 minute method.
• Find or develop some cleaning method that will work for my family (will take any help I can get here!!)
• Take lots of pictures!! I've read about taking one a day.. I don't know if I will be that good.

Friendships & Family

• Have guests for supper at least once per month (This goes back to stewardship of our time and home.  It will also make my entire family pick up!)
• Increased involvement in church and school
• Write one handwritten note per month for as encouragement. (I saw this on MSM and loved the idea so I'm completely copying!)

Colton/ Mommy goals

• Continue to strengthen reading skills by daily reading and other activities.
• Work with Colton's teacher to develop a good summer academic schedule to prepare for second grade.
• Schedule fun field trips and activities for Mommy/Colton or all of us for 2012.

Marriage

• One date night per month Jan - March and Sept - Dec.  We have a wholesale produce shipping business that is heavily in season April - August.  I will be lucky to talk to my husband for five minutes straight during those months, let alone have a date night.  I want these goals to stretch me but I want them to be realistic as well :)

Financial

• Continue to tithe 10% of our income.
• Monthly budget meetings.  We attended FPU last year and this has been the hardest thing to implement and STICK with for us.
• Retirement planning for Bobby.
• Emergency fund with 6 months of living expenses.
• Look for opportunities to bless others, give additionally when we can.

This list is a bit daunting to me when I look at what I just typed.  I know that broken down into the weeks, this will be much easier for me to manage.  I plan on using this template for a weekly goal planning sheet for now.

I'm interested in how others are developing and tracking their goals this year.. please leave me a comment and let me know!

Becoming...

Oh, how I wish I could live up to the title of this blog at this very moment.  When I sit and think about the vast amount of "things" I've accumulated/gone through in my 35 years it makes me pray that the Lord gives me plenty of time on this earth to make different decisions. 

I don't mean that to say that I have been greedy or completely wasteful, because I haven't.  My husband and I are blessed enough to be able to tithe and give other gifts.  We are also able to give much of what we no longer use to those who can use it (I love going to yard sales and consignment sales, don't like having or participating in them so much!). 

I am truly on a journey to figure out what I'm going to be when I grow up.  Part of that includes identifying my spiritual gifts and becoming a faithful steward of them.  Another part is just finding my path in life - including my job, mothering, running my household, and everything else. 

I recently read (devoured may be a better word) Crystal Paine's book The Money Saving Mom's Budget literally from cover to cover.  In the acknowledgments, Crystal says something that may have made more of an impact on me than anything else in the book.  She said "Finally, I owe all I have and all I am to my Creator.  Without Him, I am nothing.  I want to faithfully steward what he has given me so that someday I may hear the words, "Well done.""  I literally got chills when I read those sentences. 

I am a Christian and believe that everything I am and am blessed to have is because my Lord has given it to me but I when I read those words it all hit me.  I have been running a rat race and letting my life pass me by.  I wake up exhausted and go to be exhausted.  How am I supposed to minister, encourage, show mercy or grace to anyone when I'm barely functioning myself.  My choice of not living a purposeful life is making a choice to not be a faithful steward of the time and talents the Lord has given to me. 

I have prayed over and over that the Lord would just give me "my book" so I would know what to do.  Although this one isn't mine, I'm so humbled and excited to have a path to start on and this blog will  be a way I can look back over that journey and hopefully share it with some others too!