A Fresh Start

September is a good month for me - and not just because it's my birthday month. September for me always invokes a sense of new beginnings, hope, and excitement - for a new school year, new season, and chance to settle into routine after summer's inevitable roller coaster. It's when mornings slowly become fresh and crisp again, the summer heat and muggy air dissipates, and I can start pulling out my scarves and layers for fall.

This September I'm planning on living out my fresh start in a number of different ways. I know realistically I probably won't be able to keep all of these things up, but I've decided to just go for it and take the risk of putting all my ideas out there, so here goes! (who knows, maybe I'll hold myself more accountable this way and end up doing more!?)

1. Follow the 30 meals in 30 days plan from Canadian Living (www.canadianliving.com/30meals30days) I'm aiming to take the guesswork out of meal choosing and planning, and challenging us to prepare and eat a few meals out of the comfort zone!

2. Start a 10week running plan with the goal of running a 5km race by the end. Okay, so I've technically already started this in the summer, but it's through work and it's awesome so far - not to mention I get some accountability to keep going in my desire to exercise more. Check it out here: www.teamworldvision.ca

3. Apply to go back to school. Gulp. Yes, I'm going to actually look it up and actually apply and then hopefully take a class in the fall, if I can. I've put it off for a good 2.6 years now, and it's about time I get back on finishing those CHRP courses. Look out college, hear I come!

4. Blog more. Being a good HR Rep, I'm even going to create a SMART goal for this one. I want to blog minimum once per week, for the 4 months of Sept-Dec. Doesn't have to be particular or focused, but just thoughts, put to 'paper', once every 7 days. Not necessarily even about me (not looking to become narcissistic here) but just about what's happening en la casa de merinos - for the record books, ya know?

5. Memorize Bible verses while brushing my teeth. Kind of a specific goal, but one I want to do none the less. I'll start easier, maybe revisiting previously memorized verses I don't totally recall now (thinking Psalm 8, Philippians 2 and "New Normal" verses to start). But I know I can grow a lot more in this discipline, and reading Proverbs has reminded me so much of the need to "Bind them on your hearts always";"Get wisdom, get understanding" and more.

Do you have any September beginnings waiting to be started?
Ready. Set.... GO.

r.

The problem with being a doer...

...is that sometimes you just really want to do something, but you can't. And not because the thing you want to do is bad per se, but rather it is not the right time for doing that something. At least that's what someone said, and that someone has the power to say wait, which is fine but you want to know why...and that explanation is not forthcoming.

Frustrating? You betcha.

Causing growth? I can only hope and pray and trust God.

"But the fruit of the spirit is Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control; against such things there is no law" Galatians 5:22-23

Yupe. I'm learning. It sucks, but it's also good...right?

r.

Posted with Blogsy

2 months, 2 weeks and 2 changes

2 months and 2 weeks have led me to realize 2 changes that I would like to make on this here blog, but also reflect on 2 changes that have happened in the last 2 months and 2 weeks. Confused yet? I am!

It was about 2 months ago that we started the process to adopt the newest member of the Merino family: Boss aka jefesito aka perrito besador! It's been a big change to our lives, but something I wouldn't take back either. I've learned a lot about dogs, but also a bit more practically about being a 'parent' and how having something that relies on your care causes you to become less selfish - at least that's the feeling I've been facing (and it makes me somewhat more scared yet also slightly more prepared to have kids).

In the past 2 weeks I'm finding that I'm being challenged in how I live out my trust in God - namely that he has a superior plan for my life and I'm not going to get to know it before it unfolds. As I've come to realize this isn't just a time in my life that I'll experience, but rather a change that needs to happen long term and on an ongoing basis, I'm also thinking I need to make a change to how I view this blog. If I really want to make this a record of my life, then I've got to get a little more real about everything that happens in it. Not just the fluff and the food and the prettiness, but also the nitty-grittiness. Not to say that it'll be doom and gloom, but it does have to be real day-to-day. It's not called "pieces of a day in the life of the merinos' - it's a day, a whole day.
While I'm not sure about the practicality of changing this on my blog now, I do know that I'm going to making a different sort of effort to post about life more regularly on here (topic wise and # wise). And most of all, I'm going to be doing this posting stuff for me, to record my journey of life - all of it. Feel free to come along with me...or not. Either way, it's gonna be a wild ride!
r.

Posted with Blogsy