mid year progress report

let's just get to the things that were carried over from 2010:

1. This is probably the most important one to me in 2011. I want to trust God and go where HE leads and go on a mission trip. I attempted this is 2010, but the trip was canceled. I have tried to not let this be completely discouraging, so I pray that God will provide an opportunity where He wants me to be, the passport is ready:)
UPDATE:: I am going to Haiti in October of this year, so excited for this opportunity and for what God is going to do through me in the lives of the children. I am so ready to grow, serve, love, and be forever changed.

2. Still working on this bedtime thing... I will go to bed earlier. My normal bedtime is 1:00 AM or later, so my goal is to get in bed by 11:00 PM each night.
UPDATE: Still trying to improve, but in the past week and a half, I have been in bed by midnight, which is in the 11 o'clock hour, woohoo. I say it is progress.

3. I will get up and do my quiet time in the morning, instead of doing it at night.
UPDATE: Piggy backing off of the last one, this week surprisingly I have gotten up and done my quiet time in the morning, I have been a little tired, but small steps. I am determined to do this as I know my days will be better if I start out spending time with God:)

4. Running made it to the list last year ( I did learn that I will never be a sprinter), but this year my goal is to actually complete a 5K. My goal is to complete one in the cooler months, as I hate to be extremely hot, hehe. [ I do think I am going to need someone to run this with me to hold me accountable. ]
UPDATE: Well, I ran a 5K in March:) Don't worry I didn't finish first, but I didn't finish last. My main goal was to not walk, it had about seven big hills, so I did take like 10 or so steps (walking), but overall I was so proud of myself. I want to run another one in September for CampCare, so I'll keep you posted on that one.

5. Sewing thing, needs improvement. I need lessons, maybe I will take a class. Seriously, I want to get better at this, it means so much to me because my grandmother was so good good. The dress I wanted to make last year didn't happen, so maybe this year.
UPDATE: I did take a beginner's sewing class, learned a few things, but I need to continue. Wish Whit still lived here, she would take classes with me.

6. Make turkey and dressing this year. We will see who will let me be this adventurous, hehe.
UPDATE: Yeah, let's move on.

New this year:

7. Since I tried a new food every month last year, this year I will cook something new every month. If I can try a new food still, that would be awesome. I am sure after seeing the new foods list, you know there are many foods out there I still haven't tried.
UPDATE: Well, the first five months, Lindsey and Crystal were onboard with me, we would alternate who cooked the main dish and it was awesome. With Crystal's wedding in June that made June super busy, but I have been cooking new thing on my own:) I will show pictures at the end of the year!

8. To go zip lining with my family. I am somewhat cheating on this one, as my brother Chris and I got this for him for Christmas:) I cannot wait though, it is going to be so much fun. I will also go with my friends, as we had talked about this, and it is so much, so why not?
UPDATE: Well, the certificates for mom and dad have been purchased, don't know when they are going, hoping I'll go with them. Hoping I can go with my friends, but we tried for Casey's bday and it didn't work out. REALLY want to do this:)

9. Complete the Crown Financial Class, as I want to make smarter financial choices.
UPDATE: Did this and learned so much. I need to apply these principals daily:)

10. Create a collage of old pictures of my great grandparents, grandparents, and parents in my stairwell. I am very excited about this project, as my Momaw and Popaw Abby (great grandparents) , my Momaw Saine (great grandmother), and Mom (my grandmother) meant so much to me.
UPDATE: Did this and oh my gosh, I love walking down my staircase now... these pictures make my heart smile.

11. Give blood as many times as I can in 2011. As many of you know, my grandfather was diagnosed with a type of lymphoma this year and had to have several blood transfusions. I only gave blood like once in 2010, and it is really such a simple thing I can do to help so many who need it. It really could save someone's life... if helped my grandfather!!!
UPDATE: Found out I am a candidate for double reds, so yes I have already given once, you actually can't give as often as a double reds, but my next appointment is in August. Unfortunately, I will not be able to give for a year once I go to Haiti, but I will start again after that year.

12. Read a book a month. To most of you, you are probably thinking that is nothing, but I am really not a big fan of reading.... I am just a slow reader. January = the me I want to be, February = Mark of the Lion Series, then I'll see how I am doing, hehe
UPDATE: Well, I have not done so well in this category, but I did read Heaven is for Real and Sweet Caroline and yes that is all, haha

13. Work resolution: I am going to try EXTREMELY hard to do my reports ahead of time and not on the last day, no more procrastinating. I think this will be huge for my work/life balance and going to bed earlier.
UPDATE: Started out strong, made some improvements, got slack and trying to do better again:)

14. Challenge myself to not eat out for a whole week, not one time. Also, to most, this probably wouldn't be hard, but for a girl who doesn't like cooking and doesn't think much of eating out every day (especially because I am out of town most days for my job), this will not be easy. If I get good, I'll try to do this once a month.
UPDATE: Kasey and I did a no-spending challenge and I did it:) I only ate out once that whole week for Kathryn and Gilbert's graduation, woohoo:)

15. Only allow myself two starbucks a week. It will help me save money too.
UPDATE: Well, yeah this problem is out of control, haha. Completely 100% addicted to my starbucks.

16. Be a little more confident when it comes to guys, I am sure all of my good friends are laughing at this one, as we all know this has never been something I have been good at... maybe we can all pray together on this one or maybe it will provide more funny stories.
UPDATE: Started a book today, ironically, called A Confident Heart, excited for all that God is going to teach me:)

17. Watch an old movie that I haven't ever seen before (1 a month ) there is a list so long it isn't even funny:: Braveheart, Lord of the Rings, Big, Sixteen Candles, Star Wars, Iron Man, etc
UPDATE: I have watched the following so far:: Sixteen Candles (loved it), Breakfast at Tiffanys (didn't really care for it), Men of Honor (cried the whole time), Can't Buy Me Love and I know there have been more but I can't think right now

18. Lose 10 more pounds, don't worry this is a personal goal and if I don't, I won't lose any sleep over it, but I do want to lose these 10 pounds to be at an ideal weight for my height.
UPDATE: Will let you know at the end of the year:)

19. Try a yoga class, probably going to stay away from a hot yoga class, haha.
UPDATE: Does it count if I did yoga with Casey at her house?

20. Try five new restaurants this year. Should make it more, but we will start with five.
UPDATE: I know I have tried something new, just can't think right now, haha.

21. Get up two days a week, possibly Wednesday and Thursday, and workout before work. Maybe I could do another boot camp:) It was great discipline and got me out of bed.
UPDATE: hahahahahah

22. Go to the mountains, enjoy a hike, and take in God's beauty. Prefer to do this with friends:) Let's plan a trip.
UPDATE: Glad there are still a few months to go in this year, it hasn't happened yet.

23. Make my bed each day, sounds silly for someone who keeps her house extremely clean, I mean, I am OCD about the cleanliness of my house, but this is the one thing that I do not do, haha. So, when I get up, I will make my bed daily:)
UPDATE: Forgot I put this on there, need to do this.

24. Start reading the Bible all the way through, I'm staring Jan. 1. I'm going at my own pace and excited to learn more and grow.
UPDATE: Still need to do this.

25. Spend quality time with grandfather. He is the only grandparent that I have left.
UPDATE: Love the time I do spend with him whether it is on Sundays or Saturday at BBQ King:)

26. Visit a new city, preferably for fun, not for work:)
UPDATE: Well, I did go to Waycross, GA for work, but I hope that is not my new city for 2011, it was a dump:(

27. I haven't scrapbooked much in 2010, get back to it, I really enjoy it.
UPDATE: Made a scrapbook for Whit for her wedding, so that was great. Organized a bunch of stuff so I could scrapbook, but just haven't yet.

28. Be more spontaneous/maybe we will go with adventurous... just go with the flow. I can be creative with this one, I'll blog about my adventures in 2011.
UPDATE: Don't know what I have done that is spontaneous or adventurous, haha

29. Simple: Be more thankful, you only get one life and I shouldn't spend my life dwelling on what I do not have, but thanking God for all the blessings in my life.
UPDATE: I am so unbelievably thankful for my family, friends, job, my church, and the opportunities that I have each day:) I need to remember this more often:)

God is providing an amazing opportunity... I'm going to HAITI

so, i've been praying for more than a year now for God to provide an opportunity for me to go on a mission trip. i've always enjoyed the comforts of home (seriously, i love some air condition and am thankful that God allowed someone to create it); however, I have felt God calling me out of comfort zone and like He is ready for me to experience His love somewhere, i just didn't know where.

i first signed up to go to Senegal (in Africa) for a trip that was scheduled to go in October of last year; I was excited about that opportunity and waited on the trip to begin planning, fundraising, etc. Unfortunately the trip was canceled, so I immediately began praying... I doubted and wondered if God really wanted me to go somewhere or if it was my own desire to go somewhere. I feel like God has blessed so much, and I want to give back to others. It is the least I can do.

In February of this year, I go to my eye doctor's appointment. My eye doctor (who said to call him Chuck) or Dr. Knudson was so nice and very personable. He ask me a question, and somehow I mentioned my desire to go on a mission trip, and he got really excited. he said, i have a friend who organizes trips to Haiti and i think it could be perfect for you. i mean, are you kidding me, God totally shows up at my eye doctor's appointment. long story short, my eye doctor emailed his friend, george, and now i am traveling to Haiti with BlessBack Worldwide:)

God is soo good. I just needed to be patient, he had something in store for me all along. I cannot wait to love on the children in the orphanage, to help where needed (if that is painting, cleaning, triage, filling prescriptions, etc). I know that God is going to use me, and I will be praying daily for my trip.

What can you do, you can pray for our trip and team. We are going October 1-8th. I know that there will be specific prayer requests as we get closer to the time we are going, but for now, please pray for our team in general.

"Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms." 1 Peter 4:10 (NIV)

the results of the spending challenge

so a week of not spending any money, what did i learn? several things:

1) that i have self control and that i did it
2) contrary to my belief, i can eat at home (every meal, except the meal i paid for kathryn and gilbert's graduation - monday night)
3) that all of these things on earth are just that, material possessions that i do not need; however, i did not lose my ability to spend, i went to target tonight and oh my, haha
4) God totally provides little surprises... i had a meeting with one of the pastors at my church about leading a lifegroup and he bought me a coffee, i was totally having withdrawls from no caffeine, haha. also, my mother purchased lunch for me yesterday so i wouldn't break the rules:)

kasey did a great job too, she only had to buy stella (her cat) treats during the week as she didn't feel the need to torture her cat:) I did have to go to target and get my two prescriptions, as i didn't have time on sunday to go by and get them and i ran out on wednesday. the good news is, i didn't have to fill up my gas tank this week, so i used gas sparingly; i told kase and em today that not spending money kind of changes your social life too.

all in all, it was a great challenge that made me evaluate how i eat out way too much, buy starbucks way too much, and just spend when i want, i need to make smarter, wiser choices (this will start post my target trip today), hehe.

if you feel like challenging yourself for a week to see if you can do it, i encourage you too.

kasey even sent along some bible verses throughout the week that she felt spoke to her; i'll share them with you.

Jeremiah 10:23-24
23 Thus says the Lord: "Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches,24 but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord."

1 Timothy 6:608
6 Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment,7 for we brought nothing into the world, andt we cannot take anything out of the world.8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.

"Which commandment is the most important of all?"29 Jesus answered, "The most important is, 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'31 The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." 12:30-31

7 day spending challenge

okay, so my friend kasey and i are going to try a seven day spending challenge starting on monday morning going through sunday night. this may not sound like a lot to most, but for me this will be a challenge. no eating out, except a pre-planned dinner with the kids i used to babysit for to celebrate their graduation, no starbucks (what in this world will i do, probably lose a few pounds), no giving into cravings for dinner, no random trips to target, and absolutely do not step foot in the mall.

here are a few of the things i am going to do:

* eat lots of things out of my pantry
* cook meals all week at home
* use anything that i am running out of sparingly
* go to the grocrey store saturday to make sure i have bread/essentials
* fill up my gas tank on sunday
* already purchased crystal's wedding present (so i don't even have to buy that)
* if i feel the need to go do anything outside of the house, watch a movie at home with friends or go on a walk or go to the pool (ALL FREE)

okay, i'll post next sunday and let you know how it goes:)

oh, and the best part:: every time i feel the need to go buy something or want to eat out, i am going to pray!

my first nascar experience

so last week, christine was able to score us some free tickets to the coca-cola 600!!! kase, em, and i headed to the race, and oh my what an adventure. i am pretty sure kase was the most entertaining one of the three. em was pumped from the minute we found out we got the tickets. we got into a little traffic on the way, passed several parking lots, and i am pretty sure em was irritated at me thinking i had passed by all the lots that we were supposed to park in, but don't worry i somehow stumbled upon FREE parking, score another one for us!!! we found a line for a shuttle that would even take us a little closer to the gate, which was greatly appreciate seeing as it was nearly 100 degrees that afternoon. we met a nice group of people from charleston while in line; i am pretty sure everyone enjoyed the fact that it was our first race.

we got to take coolers into the speedway, so that was a huge relief that we didn't have to spend tons of money on water, as it was so hot that i felt like i needed an iv of water. once we got to our section, we realized it was the nonsmoking section, CAN WE SAY, WAY BLESSED!!! i could not believe it.

we sat down and watched the pre-race festivities which were great, and then the engines started and the race began. good thing kase and i stopped and got us some earplugs or we would have died. i decided i would pull for denny hamlin (#11), em decided she would pull for carl edwards (#99), and kase decided she would pull for kasey khane(#4). it was very hard to keep up with your driver, as they are going soooo fast.

we lasted til lap 300... not bad for such a long race. by the time we got to the car, there were 40 laps to go. kase and i listened all the way home, so heartbreaking what happened to jr. junior nation is no joke.

there is no place like home, maybe?

i don't really have a lot of fears/phobias (you all probably know my biggest one:: someone breaking into my house), but i may add a new one after this week.

so, monday morning i awake to the news that there has been a horrible EF5 tornado that devastated Joplin, MO. obviously, the devastation that i saw in these pictures broke my heart, and i immediately began praying for the people affected by this storm. it became a little more real for me, as i was leaving for Kansas City, MO in just a few hours. i had a face to face meeting with all the other monitors for work in overland park, ks. i thought, i really do not want to go to tornado alley, but i have no choice. as you can imagine, once we arrived, all we heard about was Joplin. It was on every newscast and the threat of more tornadoes was on the way.

fast forward to wednesday, the last day of our meeting. presentations were scheduled to be over at 11am and then we were to be given an exam on the knowledge that we had gained while at the meeting. (really, is this a college class?) around 10:55 am the tornado siren goes off... the monitor who is from the area obviously knew what the sound was, and she said, we need to take cover and head downstairs (we were on the 4th floor). we walk out into the hallway, and all the employees from this office look like they are freaking out (some are even crying). i am thinking, wait, yall are from here, aren't you used to this? I was trying to stay calm, pray, find my cell (to text my mother and friends), and get to the "Safe Zone." we finally get to the first floor and it is total chaos. people are crying and heading to the bathroom, people are trying to call loved ones, and my crazy team leads huddle us up and say, "we really have to have you guys take this exam, as senior management needs to know this meeting was beneficial." i am thinking are they nuts, i am trying to pray, text updates to my mother (who I am pretty sure was beyond freaking out), and not freak out. how am i to focus on this test on heart failure; let's face it, i already have major test anxiety anyway. so, we take the test and we've been down there for about 40 minutes.

at this point, our super shuttle arrives to take us to the airport. i am thinking, i may not know a lot about tornadoes and what not to do, but i do know the car is the worst place you can be. regardless of my thoughts, decisions were made and we piled in. we arrive at the airport only to be delayed for quite a while, but in the end it all worked out.

i was so thankful for God's protection that day. after seeing the destruction in Joplin, you just never know. we did later find out that a tornado did touch down three miles from the Quintiles office building.

So, I get home on Wednesday night and think about how thankful I am to be back in NC where I cannot be affected by tornadoes; however, last night on my way home I get a call from my mother and brother telling me that there is a tornado on the way to my house, no seriously, the meterologists were saying, the tornadic activity, swirling winds, etc are heading to mt. holly-huntersville rd and paw creek, well if someone could put a bullseye on my house, that would be it, literally. i literally have no ever been that scared, as the whole time i am driving they are giving me minute by minute updates. i am pretty sure i was driving right into the path of the storm; cereal boxes, tree limbs, and sideways rain were blocking my view. my car started swaying back and forth and i was terrified. my brother told me to get out of the car and get in a ditch, but i was determined that i was going to outrun a tornado, am i stupid. i finally get to my townhouse, literally i think i pulled into my front yard, and the wind was blowing so hard that i could barely get myself into my house. i run in and get in the hall closet and hold on with all my strength. my mom and i prayed while i was in the closet. i had peace, but i was scared at the same time. ten minutes later, the warning passed and once again, God protected me:) Seriously, PRAISE THE LORD.

what a crazy week of storms, bad weather, and tornado warnings... i am so thankful for His love and protection... also for my mother and brother who were looking out for me. also, i want to throw out there how thankful i am for aaron, jenn's husband, calling me five times while i was in the closet and checking on me.. thanks!

now, here's to a fun memorial day and NO MORE tornado warnings, please:)

Guilty as charged!!!

so, i get this little nugget or devotion the other day and read it this morning. can i just say that i am totally guilty of this. praying that i will be patient and remember that God is trying to teach me, build my character, and that He loves me:) I hope you enjoy this devotion as well. The truth is every time another one of my friends goes on a date, gets married, or has a child, I need to read this devotion. I know that my God hasn't forgotten me, and I will be completely fine if I do not get married. There is more to life than finding a husband. God has a calling for my life, and I pray that I will continue to seek His will, and that I will not lose sight of the most important thing which is to grow closer to my personal Savior.

Answer Envy
Karen Ehman

"Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know." Jeremiah 33:3 (NIV)

Do you ever envy God's answers to someone else's prayers?
I remember almost choking on the words, "I am so happy for you!" in response to the breaking news that friends of ours from North Carolina had sold their house after it had been on the market for twenty days.
To them it had been a long twenty days. Houses were normally snatched up quickly in their area. In our shaky Michigan economy, however, it takes a bit longer. In fact, on the day she announced that her home now had a "sold" sign in the front yard, we turned another page on our calendar — marking how long our house had been for sale. Not twenty days, but twenty months to be exact.
Although I was genuinely thrilled for my friend, I was also a tad green with jealousy.
I call this answer envy. It is that "poor me" mentality that creeps into my heart when God answers someone else's prayers more quickly than mine. Or when He responds to them with a "yes" but His answer seems to be a "no" for me, or at least a "not right now."
I've had my fair share of answer envy outbreaks over the years, at all stages of life.
As a child, I was envious of the kids who came from two-parent homes while I resided in a family torn apart by divorce. No matter how hard I folded my little hands and prayed to God, my daddy didn't come back to us.
In high school, it was other girls' good looks, cute clothes or even cuter boyfriends that I longed for. Instead, I was granted average looks and wore department store blue-light-special fashions. And, as sports editor of our school paper, although I was every guy's pal, I was usually nobody's gal.
In college, I envied those whose prayers for a knight in shining armor, complete with sparkly diamond ring, were answered while I remained single. Once married, I struggled with miscarriage and dashed dreams of motherhood. So, for five long years, I slapped a smile on my face to mask my broken heart and attended yet another pale pink or baby blue church shower.
Over the years I have discovered that the cure for answer envy is not always easy because I must play an active role in my own healing.
What I need is a shift in perspective. When I "call to God" as encouraged in today's key verse, I must trust that He will keep His word. He will tell me "great and unsearchable things" that I do not know. Sometimes those things are the answers to my request. However, do you know what those great and unsearchable things more often are? They are the reasons He seems not to be answering my original request!
So, instead of only begging God to "sell my house" or "take away my pain" or "fix my kid," I need also to ask myself some questions. Questions like, "What is my Creator trying to teach me that I might never learn if He were to suddenly pluck me out of this situation?" Or, "What character qualities is He trying to grow in me? Patience, trust, compassion, contentment?"
Not available in quick microwave form, the cure for answer envy must be cultivated moment by moment.
We must believe that God will answer. He will clearly say "yes," "no," or "not right now." He is able, ready and willing to answer our prayers — here is the catch — as He sees fit and to grow us to be more like His Son in the process.
It took two years until our "for sale" sign was finally replaced with a "sold" banner. It was a long stay in God's waiting room. However, I now know this to be true: I must not merely seek the answer to my prayer. Instead, I must seek a deeper relationship with the answer Giver.
Dear Lord, thank You for Your perfect plans... Your perfect timing... and the perfect way Your development happens in my times of waiting. In Jesus' Name, Amen.