out & in

out with the old...
2010 was a year of

• transitions--We purchased and moved into what we hope will be our 'forever' house. This was our 10th or 11th move in less than 10 years of marriage (I lost count 3 or 4 moves ago--ha!).
• travel--We took the kiddos on their first big trip, California. Ted and I went to Paris for a few days, our first European trip together and hopefully not the last! :)
• challenges--I read through the Bible in 90 days with Mom's Toolbox; Ted worked through the hardcore Insanity exercise program. We installed flooring, painted, and made our house company-ready in less than a month after moving.
• hospitality--We hosted friends at Thanksgiving, friends and family on Christmas Eve, and Chinese guests who were attending an area conference. We've also had neighbor kids in and out of our house throughout the year, which can be crazy at times but is a dream come true for me.
• epic motivational fail--We were so busy with looking for a house, buying a house, and fixing up a house that I was overwhelmed and let myself slack off on too many important areas. Menu planning, exercising, school routines, and many more got passed over way too often.

in with the new...

Looking for 2011 to be a year of

• travel--Well, okay, not so new. Ted works in the travel industry, so I guess the wanderlust is in his blood. He and I are taking a short cruise in February (our first--I'm wary, but he has wanted to take one for a long time); I'd like to do more mini-trips, i.e. go on daytrips around the state, visit local museums and sites. We might go someplace special for our 10th anniversary...we'll have to see what Ted the Travelmaster has up his sleeve. :)
• dedication--We are starting several new programs that require perseverance. I'm doing the Bible in 90 Days again, this time as a reader and mentor. Ted is going through P90X. Together we are going to take the next foster parent classes offered at our church. We plan on joining the YMCA, so we will need to dedicate time to exercise there. I also have several tasks as a home manager, mom, and teacher that I need to be diligent in completing daily, no matter what.
• action--I've decided this is my word for 2011. I love to research and plan but often fizzle out when it comes to application. I don't want to be all talk but no walk. Like in Isaiah 6 when the Lord says "Whom shall I send?", I don't want to think about it, consider my options, weight it out. Instead, I strive toward being like Isaiah who immediately calls out "Here am I. Send me!" I want to be spring into action, not just stand on the sidelines waiting for others who are more capable to fill the needs. I want to act, not based on my own skills (which in most categories are sorely lacking), but instead based on a reliance on God for the strength and know-how needed.

I fully realize these are pretty vague--the traditional pie-in-the-sky type of resolution that doesn't make it past January 12th. I hope to expand on each of these goals with specifics in the future. For now, they work for me as a placeholder and reminder of the direction in which I believe God is leading me this year.

sushi: for the love of love

I hate most fish and seafood. Long John Silver's is one of my only exceptions, but I think the malt vinegar is its saving grace for me.

My friend loves sushi. Yes, food made with all manner of fish and seafood and fish eggs and seaweed. *harf*

I hate fish and seafood, but I love my friend so some other friends and I took her out to her favorite sushi spot for dinner last night. I thought I would be brave and essentially go against the good instincts God gave me--I actually volunteered to eat sushi. As my meal. My entire meal.

I wish I could say it was a brilliant success, that I loved it and where had sushi been all my life. It was not like that, not a bit. Normally I eat with gusto, but I had to concentrate on the basic operations. Chew. Chew more. Don't breathe. Swallow. Repeat. Repeat?

I survived, yes I did. I will probably never eat sushi again. But it made for a wonderful, definitely unforgettable experience. I love that my friend got to enjoy some of her favorite food with her crazy girlfriends. I love that we moved to Perkins for dessert, where we laughed til we cried over the weirdest inside jokes, including what we would name our imaginary private homeschool academy (don't ask!). I love that we decided that trying new things is well worth the risk. I love love, way more than I hate seafood for sure.

Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.~1 John 3:18

A couple of us have never had Brazilian food, so that's our next adventure. I can handle that. But I might bring along some malt vinegar, just in case.

we interrupt this bubble bath...

Okay, I'm supposed to be taking a nice, relaxing bubble bath right about now. I sure could use it after the craziness around here lately. We just moved, which is a complete blessing, but it has worn me out--physically, mentally, and at times spiritually. So, my plan is  to continue working on our house slowly but surely and maybe even one day have a few minutes to beautify this blog. Most importantly, though, I'll be seeking peace and joy from the Lord during the days leading up to the celebration of His birth.

just because they make me happy

one of those days

Today was just one of those days...

In the wee hours of the morning I wasn't feeling well, so I couldn't sleep.

When I finally was sleeping soundly, my son woke me up because he had an accident in his bed.

After I'd cleaned him up and put his wet sheets and PJs in the washer, I once again couldn't sleep.

I read for awhile--Daniel 3 and The Road to Reality by KP Yohannan. Boy, I thought Crazy Love was convicting. Road to Reality had me thinking way too deeply for 6 a.m.

I returned to bed, only to be woken up shortly thereafter by my hubby leaving for work.

I went back to sleep, but was woken up for good by my children who were ready for breakfast.

I switched out the laundry.

I emailed my Good Morning Girls group and read my version of the daily news--new blog posts in Google reader.

I found out I would not be able to fly back home for the kids and I to see my mom this weekend as we had been planning.

I called my mom to let her know, talked way too long, and didn't get the kids ready in time for their ice skating lessons.

I checked our family email--mortgage guy said we will not be able to bind home insurance while there is an active hurricane around, which 'might present a problem.' We will probably have to push back our closing date yet again. Sigh...but faithfully giving it over to God and His perfect timing.

Then I opened my personal email and found out I won a Bosch Universal Plus Mixer from one of my all-time favorite cooking blogs.

I literally jumped with joy.

I don't remember much else about today after that...

I'm glad that today was one of those days.

so now that I'm done

Yesterday I mentioned that I recently finished reading the entire Bible. During the 90 day challenge I became accustomed to reading long passages in one sitting. This type of reading plan was challenging, but at the same time it created this extreme hunger for the Word. During the challenge I was intrigued by and knew that I wanted to revisit several books in more depth, including Daniel and Romans.

God must have agreed that those books were good ones to come back to, as He put resources for both in my path during this time. I found a Kay Arthur inductive study workbook on Daniel at the library bookshop for super-cheap (just how I like it!). I snatched that little book up and am working through it for the next 13 weeks. It is a complete change-up from the Bible in 90 Days pace. I'm reading and re-reading one chapter for an entire week. I've been reading different versions and the study notes from our homeschool Bible (NLT Study Bible) and my hubby's two Bibles (ESV and NIV Archaological Study Bible). It's neat to take the time to compare the different translations and commentaries, take notes, and just dig in to scripture. I must admit, though, that the slower pace is difficult.

As for Romans--one of my favorite pastors, Bob Coy, from one of my favorite churches, Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale, has a podcast called The Active Word. I subscribe to the podcasts and listen to them when I go for walks or when I'm cleaning the house. Well, as God would have it, the subject for the past couple of months was going verse-by-verse through the book of Romans! I haven't devoted much time to walks or deep cleaning in the past week or so (bad, but true) but when I get back on the wagon I have some great teachings waiting for me.

I also just finished reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan. I read through it quickly for an overview and just to kind of fix my mindset. We are in the process of buying a house, and it's so easy to start thinking that we 'need' this or that for the new house. This book is a reminder to me to be careful about distinguishing between needs and desires and to focus on the eternal. Of course, there is so much more to Chan's message, but this is just one of the surface issues that came to me and spoke to me in the moment. A friend also read this; I'm totally hoping we can both re-read and maybe get some other friends to read it and have a little book club.

good reading, bad blogging

Since I started this blog to chronicle our attempt at reading through the Bible in 90 days, I guess I should follow through with the results. So without further adieu...I finished reading the entire Bible in 85 days! It was only through the grace of God that I read the entire Word in that amount of time. It certainly wasn't due to any super routines or phenomenal reading skills on my part. When I got behind--which I did a few times, once more than ten days off of schedule--I prayed for God's help.

Obviously I wasn't praying for God's help in blogging, as one can tell from its poorly neglected state. But I'm okay with that, because I wanted to prioritize reading the Bible above all else.

I'm hoping to undertake the next online session of the Bible in 90 days program starting January 3. Not only do I want to read again, but I have other goals in mind as well. I will be praying between now and then that God will help me:

• Take notes on my readings in a more organized manner.
• Be a cheerleader to those participating, either through mentoring and/or regular prayer.
• Encourage people in my life to read along (including my dear hubby who did not finish this time).
  
• Have my children read through the Bible on an abridged kid's plan.
• And oh yeah, I almost forgot, blog more!

I'm looking forward to the challenge--not because I know I'm up for it, because honestly it seems overwhelming. But when I'm doing God's will and it gets difficult, He always shows up to carry me through!