It came and it went. And I totally missed wishing everyone a very wonderful New Year yesterday. I was totally out of commission yesterday with a whopping headache. I think all the late nights, out of routine sleeping in, constant consumption of unhealthy food choices and not getting outside a whole lot just totally caught up with me.

Does this sound like a lead up to a big resolution post for 2008? Well, it won't be. I don't make them. I gave it a great effort last year because it seemed the thing to do because I now had a blog and it would make me accountable to, like, the whole world, but that didn't change a thing when it came to working toward and accomplishing those goals I listed. As usual I started off with a bang, but totally fizzled out quickly. I can't even remember what any one of the goals I listed was.

I do know a couple things, I want to draw closer to the Lord this year. I do want to spend more personal time with Him. And I want my home to be more of a peaceful place all around. So I will be taking steps toward both of those things this year. The thing that I don't know yet is what I will do to work towards the both of them. I am sure I will be making plans, but I'm also sure those plans will be tweaked and changed as it goes along. As my friend, Laura, wrote so eloquently yesterday, one small thing at a time adds up to big results. I have a feeling, though, that the two definitely go hand in hand.

One of those small steps will be making better use of devotionals featured at Faith Lifts and at CWO Internet Cafe. Both of these sites have wonderful daily posts that help us draw closer to the Lord and help us to focus on Him. CWO has made a cute little button that I will be putting in my side bar to help me remember and I'll link both of these sites under the button. I'll be going to each of these sites daily, with my bible in hand, and notebook and pen, and hopefully an open heart to hear from the Lord. I'm not expecting to spend hours there. But just a small portion to start and end my day. This is my first small step.

Now I want to wish all you who come by place a wonderful year, full of all of God's best for you and your families. I am so very thankful for each one of you I have "met" through blogging. You bless me with your comments, you insights and your sense of humor each day. I'm looking forward to another year spent visiting with all of you!

And We Have Lift-Off!

After rereading my things to accomplish this year list from yesterday, today, a whole day after I wrote it, I'm feeling the same old sense of panic overtake me. That same old monkey on my back whose name is fear of failure. And now it's sorta magnified because I posted it for you all to read and see which calls for some accountability on my part. Sigh. This is why I never make resolutions.

But then my heart speaks up and says these were not resolutions. These were actual things I had prayed over, asked God about, not just flipped off the top of my head so I had something to write. The coffee one almost killed me writing that, because, well, as if you didn't know, I do love my coffee!




Speaking of which, on a little bunny trail here, look what I found. Remember this that I found containing coffee? Well, check this out: Polo Double Black. Men's Cologne. (Not to be confused with Polo Black which is a whole different smell. But same company. I know. Whaaaat? went through my head too!) Ya, so what you say?! Well, let me read you the description.

Spiced fruits: fiery blend of mango and pepper that creates a tantalizing contrast in the overall introduction.

Spiced espresso; a robust burst of roasted coffee is enhanced by our signature spice, Indonesian nutmeg, providing a warm and distinctive flavor.

Spiced woods: the timeless masculine appeal of rich woods merged with the smooth spices cardamom and juniper berry.

Did you catch what was in the midnote? Espresso, roasted coffee. Who knew you could find it in places like this! Maybe if I get it for hubby, everytime I need a caffienne fix I can just go smell his neck.

Now back to our regular blogging. Yes, I was saying I've had on my heart to cut back on my coffee consumption for the sake of my health and the emotional and mental well being of my family who face the fallout when mommy is coming off the caffienne rush. I'm doing baby steps though, because, frankly, I can do without the huge headache that comes with the major cutback. So I'll let you know when and if I take it down anymore, because I know you will all just be waiting with bated breath for that info. Meanwhile, I keep looking for more wonderful stuff to tickle your coffee fancy.

Also from my little list, I gave myself a goal of 30 books to read in 2007. With Katrina's Fall into Reading Challenge, I came across so many great books and I kept a list as I saw them in your lists. So I've published those in my side bar as "Want to Reads". I'll be adding to that continuously as I find more I want to add. Then I'm going to have the list that contains what I actually did read, maybe with a rating, for my own encouragement to accomplish the goal. I've also found sometimes I want to reread a book a few years later, but can just remember the story but can't remember the name or author. So I'm hoping this list will help that. So, I accomplished a goal and made the lists. Yaa!

Now if anyone out there knows how I can actually add a running list into the sidebar without it actually coming up in your bloglines everytime I add something to it, let me in on it would you?

So, to tie in the title of my post, we have lift off on two things on the list. Whew, feeling a little better now.

Rambling and Numbing

Doesn't that title just grab ya? I'm feeling kind of out of it the last couple of days. My mind is just drawing absolute blanks on things to post. Maybe it's the fact that the holidays just ended. Maybe it's the fact that I let myself get into the bad habit of staying up way, way, way too late and then sleeping in so now my routine is totally out the door, and I'm having to get up for work early but I'm still going to bed way too late. Maybe it's the fact that I haven't stopped putting food in my face for about 3 weeks now and my body probably needs a major fast just to clear it of all the excess. Maybe it's the fact that I majorly need to get some fresh air and exercise. And just maybe it's because the wind has been howling for two days and I mean howling, and that changes the air pressure which changes the pressure in my head to one which causes pain.

Do you think that's enough excuses? Sheesh!

In thinking on and addressing the above, I am sorta appalled at myself seeing how unhealthy I have let myself get in the last 6 months. I'm getting aches and pains that I've never gotten before. But seeing as I hate to make New Year's resolutions, because I just set myself up for failure and then feel even worse, I have basically avoided taking a good look at where I'm sorta sitting right now and how I've done things in this last year. But no more, I feel I must take a look. So in view of that, I think I need to make more definite, defineable, acheiveable goals for some personal areas. I'll post them tomorrow, just 'cause I know you will a shrivel up if you don't know my goals. Ya. More like to keep me sorta accountable. But for today, I think I'll pray on my thoughts a bit and see what God puts on my heart, which sorta falls into my seeking Him more from the post mentioned above.

Boy can I get anymore run-on and rambling in this post?

Yes, okay, let's see. I so enjoyed Katrina's Fall Into Reading Book Challenge, and seeing another is not being done until spring, I thought I'd just keep challenging myself for now. The challenge really helped me to focus a bit more, although I did peter out in reading in December, but again, I'm just blaming it on all the things mentioned in the first paragraph of this very rambling post. Anyway, I've read of a few people who made a year's reading list and I think I will do that too. I'll post it in my sidebar under the exotic title of "Enriching My Mind". I'll post what I'm reading, what's next on the list, and then keep a running list. Just for my own encouragement. And I'm going to make a goal of 30 books for this year. I might up that, I'll have to see, but I'd like to have at least 5 of those be non-fiction. At the end of the year we'll, or I'll, see how I've done.

So, now that I've totally numbed your minds, I'll sign off and get to the seeking God part of my goal. Have a wonderful day and if you have any ideas on how to motivate me back to some exercise, have at the comments.

Resolution Time Already?

It's that time of year again. The time of year where I feel I have to get all introspective and decide what New Year's resolutions I am going to setting for myself. Because, invariably, someone will ask what is your New Year's resolutions, and I always feel like I'm so not with the in crowd if I don't have some lofty goal upon my list.

I am naturally not too much of an introspective person. I do not sit down and go over my whole year to see what was good and what was bad. And then try to write a bunch of goals to fix what didn't go right. Not that I think goals are bad. Don't get me wrong. I probably need to learn how to do that so that I'm not floundering in the sea of wasted time. But goal setting has never been my strong point. I'm more of a last minute procrastinator type. My best work is done under time pressure. If I try to do things too far in advance, I tend to end up picking my work apart anyway, because I've got the time to get disgruntled with it.

But back to New Year's resolutions. Okay, sure, I've got the same old, same old that seems to get passed down every year like a well worn pair of hand me down overalls. Lose some weight, be more patient, be more organized, dust once in awhile. They seem to get recycled over and over. But these all seem so, oh, dull compared with some your wonderful, introspective, well thought out goals that I've been reading. How do you do that?

Okay, I may not be a great long term plan person but I am a list person. I loooove lists. They do help me to see what I do need to get done. They help me to remember; which seems to be an elusive concept sometimes to me. I think it has something to do with 6 pre-schoolers, each needing my undivided attention. right. this. minute. But lists are short term goals. Goals for the day. Which sorta makes me feel like I fail in the plan department. Hence, the trouble with New Year's Resolutions.

Which makes me really glad that God is the King of Planning. He tells me in Jeremiah of plans.

Jeremiah 29:11 -14a

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the
Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a
future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to
you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will
be found by you," declares the Lord,...

I'm thinking I like God's plans. So how does that fit into my list oriented personality? Well, here is how my list will look:

1. Seek God with all my heart


2. Trust God with all my heart


3. Give God daily control of myself so that His plans may be accomplished

This my mind and personality gets. I can break it down. I can do it day by day, hour by hour, and minute by minute. I pray for God's grace to do that in 2007.