2012 Goals

Since I shared with you all my "One Word" resolution for 2012, I thought I'd share my goals for this year as well. So, here they are:

1. Pay off my credit card-while I use my credit card mainly just for gas to help me build credit, I've had to fall back on it a few times when we've been slow at work in order to pay bills. So I've built up a bit of a balance and haven't been able to pay it off just yet. My tax return is going towards this, and I plan on putting a little money aside each pay day specifically for paying it off.

2. Save more money-I'll admit, I was really bad about saving money last year. I didn't put very much into savings each pay day, not as much as I should have. Some weeks I neglected to put anything into savings...not good, I know. My goal is to put at least $50 a week into savings. (I get paid weekly.) If I can afford to, I'll put more in. This isn't including what I'll be setting aside to pay off my credit card. I'm hoping to be able to save enough that I won't have to fall back on my credit card during slow periods at work so I'll be able to keep it payed off.

3. Stick to my budget-When I first got my own place I did really well at sticking to my budget. After a while, though, I started to stray from my budget and spent more money than I should have. If something that I want is more than I budgeted for, then I'll have to wait and save up for it or go without. I plan on sticking to a strict budget on everything that I can. Bills like water and electric, which are different amounts every month, are harder to budget for, but I plan on sitting down this weekend & averaging out what they were each month last year. I've been here for almost seven months now, so it should be pretty close to accurate.

4. Read through the Old Testament in a year-I want to read through the entire Old Testament this year.I'll admit,  I've never read all the way through it before, mainly because some of the books are just plain difficult to get through. So I'm making it a goal to read through it this year. I know, most people choose to read through the entire Bible in a year, rather than just the Old or New Testament, but my format for reading the New Testament (which I'll explain sometime) is a bit different, so I won't get through the entire Bible this year.

5. Get into better shape-I really, really want to get into better shape. Since I've moved out on my own I've found myself eating more, most of the time simply because I'm bored. I live on a dead end street which is off of another dead end street. Since neither road gets much traffic, they're ideal for walking. So once it's gets warm out again, I plan to start walking each evening before I go to work. I'd also like to try to walk in the mornings once I get home from work, but we'll see. I'll just start off slow for now.

6. Start school-My biggest goal for 2012 is to start school. I was hoping to start this summer, but now it's looking like I may not be able to start until this fall. I'm not ruling out starting this summer, however, because I know that God can work miracles. If it's His will, then He will provide a way for me to start this summer. If not, then I'll be patient and just trust that it wasn't His will for me to start them. There's a whole bunch of little goals that fall under this one, such as applying for financial aid, figuring out what courses I want/need to take and when I'll take them, and registering for classes (I've already applied and been accepted to Liberty University). So this goal is really a whole bunch of little goals, just like most of my other goals are.

Well, there you go. Those are my goals for this year. I chose six because that gives me two months to really focus on each one. One month to focus on getting it started and really working hard at it, and another month to revisit it and see what I've accomplished towards it and any ways I can improve what I'm doing. Granted, most of them, such as reading through the Old Testament and sticking to my budget, are things that can't be accomplished in just two months, but I can use those two months to really focus on the goal so that I will hopefully be able to accomplish it.

At the beginning of every month I will post the goal that I'm focusing on for that month, and at the end of the month I'll give an update on what I've accomplished towards that goal. I also plan to, if I have time, break that month's goal down into smaller weekly goals to make it easier to accomplish. I'm excited about what this year has in store for me!

Thoughts on Love

Tonite I was reading in Genesis chapter 2. It's a passage that I've read many times, and heard read many times. However, no matter how many times I read it, something new always seems to pop out at me. Tonite it was verses 21-24.  "(21) So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. (22) And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. (23) Then the man said, "This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man." (24) Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." 

The verse that really got my attention the most was verse 23a, where Adam says, "This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh;." What an amazing thought! In reading that , I can just imagine the love Adam must have had for Eve. She was truly a part of him! How much love he must have had for her, and what a desire he must have had to protect and lead her. It's such an amazing picture of how a man & woman should be as husband and wife. They should love each other as if they were truly one flesh. Their love for each other should be so strong, as if they were one. I imagine that is how the love between Adam & Eve must have been.

In searching on the internet for a quote that I had seen awhile back in reference to that, I came across also came across a story that was quite similar to the quote. I don't know if the quote came from the story, or if the story came from the quote, but here's the story. It's an explanation of why God made Eve from Adam's rib.

“When I created the heavens and the earth, I spoke them into being. When I created man, I formed him from the dust of the Earth and breathed life into his nostrils. But you, woman, I fashioned after I breathed the breath of life into man because your nostrils are too delicate. I allowed a deep sleep to come over him so I could patiently and perfectly fashion you. Man was put to sleep so that he could not interfere with the creativity. 

From one bone I fashioned you. I chose the bone that protects man’s life. I chose the rib, which protects his heart and lungs and supports him, as you are meant to do. Around this one bone I shaped you. I modeled you. I created you perfectly and beautifully. Your characteristics are as the rib, strong yet delicate and fragile. You provide protection for the most delicate organ in man, his heart. His heart is the center of his being; his lungs hold the breath of life. The rib cage will allow itself to be broken before it will allow damage to the heart. Support man as the rib cage supports the body. 

You were not taken from his feet, to be under him, nor were you taken from his head, to be above him. You were taken from his side, to stand beside him and be held close to his side. You are my perfect angel. You are my beautiful little girl. You have grown to be a splendid woman of excellence, and my eyes fill when I see the virtue in your heart. Your eyes: don’t change them. Your lips: how lovely when they part in prayer. Your nose so perfect in form, your hands so gentle to touch. I’ve caressed your face in your deepest sleep;

I’ve held your heart close to mine. Of all that lives and breathes, you are the most like me.

Adam walked with me in the cool of the day and yet he was lonely. He could not see me or touch me. He could only feel me. So everything I wanted Adam to share and experience with me, I fashioned in you: my holiness, my strength, my purity, my love, my protection and support. You are special because you are the extension of me.

Man represents my image, woman - my emotions. Together, you represent the totality of God. So man: treat woman well. Love her, respect her, for she is fragile. In hurting her, you hurt me. What you do to her, you do to me. In crushing her, you only damage your own heart, the heart of your Father and the heart of her Father. Woman, support man. In humility, show him the power of emotion I have given you. In gentle quietness show your strength. In love, show him that you are the rib that protects his inner self. 

I thought that was an amazing story of why God chose the rib to make woman from. I don't know where it originally came from, but I wanted to share it here.

One Word 2012: Share

One word, one wish, one dream, one goal, one resolution for 2012. That's all. Just one. Not a whole list, not even a short list. Just one simple word: share.

That may seem like an odd resolution to many of you. After all, sharing ins't exactly a word usually found in many New Years resolutions. It's not something we often think about. When we do think about it, we usually think about it in relation to children learning to share.

If you really think about it, though, children are the ones who share the most. We really need to learn from them about how to share. I'm not talking about sharing toys or food or anything like that; I'm talking about sharing in words. A child is always willing to share with you what they're feeling or thinking. When a child is excited about something you know it because they're constantly talking about it. In their innocence, they're not afraid of what people may think about them for what they're sharing. They're not concerned about that.

As Christians, we should really think that same way. Too often we're scared of what others may think of us, so we don't mention that we're a Christian. We try to avoid talking about the LORD or the Bible. We're hesitant to share the Gospel with others. "What if they reject it? What is they laugh at me? Maybe they won't want to be friends with me anymore." Those are just a few of the many excuses we make up for not sharing the Gospel with others.

God has recently been dealing with me and convicting me about sharing more. I need to be more willing to share. I need to share what God has done for me. I need to share the good news of salvation to those who need it. I need to stop worrying so much about what others may think of me. I need to SHARE.