Hard to believe that my Summer Sabbatical is half over. I don't think I have ever enjoyed a summer more! I am counting my days and trying to use this time wisely. Am I meeting all my goals? Not really, but it has been good to have them to keep from just being lazy. (The only one I am really on target with, is my running program!) I am making progress on home projects long neglected but also making time for connecting with friends, deepening relationships with them and also having fun with the grans and deepening those relationships. I am trying to focus on reading more. Making good progress in Les Miserables but also plan to start reading Prayerwalking by Steve Hawthorne and Graham Kendrick and have just begun Managing your Emotions which so far is very good.
More than anything this time is giving me perspective. I am seeing things that I have neglected and changes I need to make in my life. My priorities have needed reorganizing and this time is allowing God to reveal what needs to be reshuffled.
This week I hope to finish up some trim painting (we have painted several rooms in the past several years but never got around to the trim.) My focus in cleaning and decluttering is our bedroom, bath and closet. But I also will be having fun with the grans and go walking with a friend. On Saturday we plan to leave for North Carolina to meet our newest granddaughter. I will stay and help Kimberly when Carl returns to work on Monday and Bill will take the older boys camping for a few days. It is his turn to have Dad-Dad Camp!
But more than anything I plan to spend time in God's Word and allow him to speak to me in a deeper way.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Week of July 11 Goals
Writing this down will help me stay accountable (hopefully!)This will be a boring post for anyone but me. Sorry!
Monday:
1.Bible reading (Romans & Eccleciastes) and prayer, lesson 5, #3 & 4,refresh first 3 memory verses
2. Interval Jogging 2 miles
3. Put guest and kid's room in order, collect items left behind and add to box to be mailed to Kimberly.
4. Start laundry.
5. Dust, vacuum & sweep all floors, clean bathrooms, steam clean upstairs bathroom floor, mop kitchen and downstairs bathroom. Clean refrigerator, kitchen fan, kitchen windows. Wipe down cabinets and counters.
6. Finish laundry, fold and put away
7. Les Miserables-finish reading Fantine's story
8. Errands-bank, UPS, library
Tuesday:
1. Bible reading, prayer, complete lesson 5 and refresh Bible memory verses
2. Prime trim in kitchen
3. Gym work out
4. Tiff's to do fun water activities with grans in afternoon. (Possibly stay for campfire supper)
5. Les Miserables-begin Cosette's story, through chapter 7 of Book Three.
Wednesday:
1. Bible reading, prayer,, lesson 6, work on Proverbs 3:5-6 memory verse
2. Paint kitchen trim
3. Zumba class (treat myself to lunch at Subway)
4. Tara's house for cookie baking, book reading and fun.
5. Les Miserables-through Chapter 3 of Book Four
Thursday:
1. Bible reading, prayer, memory work
2. Interval jogging
3. Weight Watchers/meet with Donna to plan Mexican Dinner
4. Possible lunch with friend (if not, work on painting living room trim and steps.
5. Les Miserables-through Book Seven
Friday:
1. Bible reading, prayer, memory work, Begin Lesson 7
2. Gym workout
3. Finish trim work (possible lunch with friend if yesterday didn't work out)
4. Girls' night with friend Donna.
5. Les Miserables-through chapter 8 of Book Eight
Saturday:
Something fun with my honey!
Monday:
1.Bible reading (Romans & Eccleciastes) and prayer, lesson 5, #3 & 4,refresh first 3 memory verses
2. Interval Jogging 2 miles
3. Put guest and kid's room in order, collect items left behind and add to box to be mailed to Kimberly.
4. Start laundry.
5. Dust, vacuum & sweep all floors, clean bathrooms, steam clean upstairs bathroom floor, mop kitchen and downstairs bathroom. Clean refrigerator, kitchen fan, kitchen windows. Wipe down cabinets and counters.
6. Finish laundry, fold and put away
7. Les Miserables-finish reading Fantine's story
8. Errands-bank, UPS, library
Tuesday:
1. Bible reading, prayer, complete lesson 5 and refresh Bible memory verses
2. Prime trim in kitchen
3. Gym work out
4. Tiff's to do fun water activities with grans in afternoon. (Possibly stay for campfire supper)
5. Les Miserables-begin Cosette's story, through chapter 7 of Book Three.
Wednesday:
1. Bible reading, prayer,, lesson 6, work on Proverbs 3:5-6 memory verse
2. Paint kitchen trim
3. Zumba class (treat myself to lunch at Subway)
4. Tara's house for cookie baking, book reading and fun.
5. Les Miserables-through Chapter 3 of Book Four
Thursday:
1. Bible reading, prayer, memory work
2. Interval jogging
3. Weight Watchers/meet with Donna to plan Mexican Dinner
4. Possible lunch with friend (if not, work on painting living room trim and steps.
5. Les Miserables-through Book Seven
Friday:
1. Bible reading, prayer, memory work, Begin Lesson 7
2. Gym workout
3. Finish trim work (possible lunch with friend if yesterday didn't work out)
4. Girls' night with friend Donna.
5. Les Miserables-through chapter 8 of Book Eight
Saturday:
Something fun with my honey!
Friday, July 8, 2011
Goals
How am I doing with the goals I set for myself? Let's see:
1. Definitely doing more introspection and examining my life from God's perspective.
2. Spending more time connecting with friends.
3. More time praying, reading my Bible, studying God's Word and memorizing (not an easy thing for a 61 year old brain!)
4. Consistently exercising, increasing my jog time (this morning up to 14 minutes total jogging time, interspersed with 11 minutes of walking.)
5. Making my way through Les Miserables. (Although I confess that I have only been seriously reading for the past week, but now it has captivated me.) Book not in front of me but I am now up to Javert's story for anyone familiar with the book. I may start taking notes of all the Biblical analogies I see. It is an amazing story of redemption. (which Javert rejects and Jean Valjean embraces)
6. Slowing down to spend time with children and reacquaint myself with the wonderful stories for children (everyone should read them, even adults!). I have read The Rag Coat (have tissues handy!), Blueberries for Sal, and The Doorbell Rang (this borrowed from the library, but I HAVE to buy this book...thanks for the recommendation, Margy!) The last one hasn't been read to the grandchildren yet but it will be (accompanied by a batch of chocolate chip cookies...because nobody makes chocolate chip cookies like Grandma! [This is from the book...you have to read it. And there is a great lesson about preferring others over yourself in it.])
7.Okay, the house hasn't received the attention I would like, but there is still time for that. People first, things second!
Best of all this time is recharging me, and making me eager to return to the work I love, serving my church family. Almost seven years ago I reluctantly accepted the job as church secretary, sure that God was asking me to make this change in my life. It was a sacrifice of love and obedience because what I wanted to do was be a full-time grandma. But God gave joy in that obedience and I love each day that I go to "work". But joy became possessiveness and I found myself taking the reins from God as if "I can handle it now." And the result was incredible stress causing constant ocular migraines. I realized that nothing God calls us to causes stress so, after much prayer, decided that I needed to remove my hands from the reins and allow God once again to do the leading. I look forward to what He is doing in my life as well as others as I let Him be God. He is so much better at it than I.
1. Definitely doing more introspection and examining my life from God's perspective.
2. Spending more time connecting with friends.
3. More time praying, reading my Bible, studying God's Word and memorizing (not an easy thing for a 61 year old brain!)
4. Consistently exercising, increasing my jog time (this morning up to 14 minutes total jogging time, interspersed with 11 minutes of walking.)
5. Making my way through Les Miserables. (Although I confess that I have only been seriously reading for the past week, but now it has captivated me.) Book not in front of me but I am now up to Javert's story for anyone familiar with the book. I may start taking notes of all the Biblical analogies I see. It is an amazing story of redemption. (which Javert rejects and Jean Valjean embraces)
6. Slowing down to spend time with children and reacquaint myself with the wonderful stories for children (everyone should read them, even adults!). I have read The Rag Coat (have tissues handy!), Blueberries for Sal, and The Doorbell Rang (this borrowed from the library, but I HAVE to buy this book...thanks for the recommendation, Margy!) The last one hasn't been read to the grandchildren yet but it will be (accompanied by a batch of chocolate chip cookies...because nobody makes chocolate chip cookies like Grandma! [This is from the book...you have to read it. And there is a great lesson about preferring others over yourself in it.])
7.Okay, the house hasn't received the attention I would like, but there is still time for that. People first, things second!
Best of all this time is recharging me, and making me eager to return to the work I love, serving my church family. Almost seven years ago I reluctantly accepted the job as church secretary, sure that God was asking me to make this change in my life. It was a sacrifice of love and obedience because what I wanted to do was be a full-time grandma. But God gave joy in that obedience and I love each day that I go to "work". But joy became possessiveness and I found myself taking the reins from God as if "I can handle it now." And the result was incredible stress causing constant ocular migraines. I realized that nothing God calls us to causes stress so, after much prayer, decided that I needed to remove my hands from the reins and allow God once again to do the leading. I look forward to what He is doing in my life as well as others as I let Him be God. He is so much better at it than I.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Sabbatical Thoughts
I am now in my third week of my Summer Sabbatical adventure. The first week was a time of adjustment. I found myself stressing over not "wasting" time and making sure I accomplished something. I filled that first week with lots of time with friends as well as days with my grandchildren and it was wonderful but I found myself feeling guilty about not getting anything done. By the end of the second week I was relaxing and getting into a rhythmn of being home. Still lots of time with friends but now I found myself really wanting to get into home related projects and Bill came home one day to find the house sparkling and the front and back porches cleaned and rearranged into comfortable living spaces.
This third week we are back from a weekend in North Carolina with Carl and his family. We brought Alex (12 years), Williams (11 years), Nathan (9 1/2 years) an Esther (8 years) home with us. Today is our first full day with them and we are enjoying getting back in touch with them. It is important to us to stay involved in their lives even though they live 300 miles away.
Each summer I look forward to having the grandchildren over for three days of NiNi Camp. This year we are doing it a little differently because we have three brand new grandchildren who have been a part of our family or two months now. It would be a little overwhelming for them to be away from their parents for several days. So tonight Tara and Eric will be bringing their kids for some fun with their southern cousins and a campfire, roasting hot dogs and making s'mores and memories.
Tomorrow we will have fun with just Carl's kids, maybe spending the day at the Hammerman area of Gunpowder Falls State Park on the beach and doing a little kayaking. Then on Friday the southern grans will meet the Columbian grans. We will take NiNi camp to their house for some games, crafts and fun with them.
Saturday is still unplanned as yet, although the kids tell me we have to go to Broom's Blooms that night because it is "tradition" to go there on their last night. Because on Sunday afternoon we will be driving south to meet Kimberly's sister so that they can visit with their cousins in Northern Virginia for a week before returning home to meet their brand new baby sister who is to arrive, Lord willing, on July 13.
More than anything during this time, I am enjoying unhurried time in my Bible each morning. This year we are taking a discipleship class with our small group so I have time to spend memorizing God's Word and discussing with others what God is saying to us through His Word. Time to sit on the front porch just enjoying swinging and gazing out over the farm across the street and having time to just "Be". Time to finally realize my goal of reading the book "Les Miserables" cover to cover.
My goal is to return at the end of the summer refreshed and recharged to be better used of God for whatever He has in store for me. So far, so good! So very, very good!
This third week we are back from a weekend in North Carolina with Carl and his family. We brought Alex (12 years), Williams (11 years), Nathan (9 1/2 years) an Esther (8 years) home with us. Today is our first full day with them and we are enjoying getting back in touch with them. It is important to us to stay involved in their lives even though they live 300 miles away.
Each summer I look forward to having the grandchildren over for three days of NiNi Camp. This year we are doing it a little differently because we have three brand new grandchildren who have been a part of our family or two months now. It would be a little overwhelming for them to be away from their parents for several days. So tonight Tara and Eric will be bringing their kids for some fun with their southern cousins and a campfire, roasting hot dogs and making s'mores and memories.
Tomorrow we will have fun with just Carl's kids, maybe spending the day at the Hammerman area of Gunpowder Falls State Park on the beach and doing a little kayaking. Then on Friday the southern grans will meet the Columbian grans. We will take NiNi camp to their house for some games, crafts and fun with them.
Saturday is still unplanned as yet, although the kids tell me we have to go to Broom's Blooms that night because it is "tradition" to go there on their last night. Because on Sunday afternoon we will be driving south to meet Kimberly's sister so that they can visit with their cousins in Northern Virginia for a week before returning home to meet their brand new baby sister who is to arrive, Lord willing, on July 13.
More than anything during this time, I am enjoying unhurried time in my Bible each morning. This year we are taking a discipleship class with our small group so I have time to spend memorizing God's Word and discussing with others what God is saying to us through His Word. Time to sit on the front porch just enjoying swinging and gazing out over the farm across the street and having time to just "Be". Time to finally realize my goal of reading the book "Les Miserables" cover to cover.
My goal is to return at the end of the summer refreshed and recharged to be better used of God for whatever He has in store for me. So far, so good! So very, very good!
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