I have never been one for truly sticking to goals. This is shocking really given the field of work I was in for about 4 or 5 years. As a Resident Assistant and a Residence Director we were required to set goals every semester and year. Setting them I could do, that was easy. Sticking to them? Well that is just a whole 'nother playing field. I want to stick to them, I really do. I mean I don't have the goals for no reason. I just get distracted or lose interest or maybe lack will power...not sure.
This summer I have thought a lot about that actually. I have thought about my inability to stick to the goals I create and how much this bothers me. I mean, seriously! Why in the world am I completely ok with unmet goals? Who wants to be friends with someone like that or work with someone like that? I know I wouldn't! So can't you learn to meet a goal Sasha? Can't you stick to one thing you really want to do ever?
Ok I am going to quit talking to myself now, but really this is serious. Therefore, I have made a few goals for the next 6 weeks. Now, they aren't going to be hard goals or things I don't really want to do. They are going to be goals that I think are manageable and good for me at this point in my life. I have you, my readers, to hold me accountable. You might think some are a little strange but here are my goals until the end of July.
1. Read and complete 4 books. I have already started my first one, Redeeming Love.
2. Run/walk 2 miles at least 3 days a week. I have to build my endurance back up which is why I added in the walk.
3. Write 1 letter a week to a friend or family member.
4. Floss everyday. (I know I should already be doing this, but I'm not so give me a break already!)
5. Learn 1 new hobby. I don't have a clue what that will be yet, but I need to learn something new.
I am taking on the 5 goals for two reasons. First, I want to stick to some goals for once. I want to prove to myself that I can. Secondly, it is summer and that is the best time to do things you really want to do but never find time or get around to doing. This is my opinion of course, but you should take it as truth.
So that's it. Those are my goals and I seriously need you to hold me accountable! While your at it try a few yourself. Use this summer to rock out those things you never get around to doing! You will love it, I promise.
Happy Hump Day!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
No Backup Plan
Hey God,
I remember when You took me to this place a few months back. I remember because I blogged about it. I had read the Bible and found a place where You talked about unshakable faith. The kind of faith Noah had when he built the Ark. I was so excited at the time because I couldn't believe the amount of examples there were in the Bible of your faithfulness in times of extravagant faith. I was inspired by it.
Today you reminded me of the need for that faith again; only this time I felt a sense of guilt. You see, it is similar to when your parent teaches you a profound lesson and you get really excited because you know you are just going to soak it in and live it out, but eventually the lesson fades and you forget. When your parent comes back to find that you aren't as excited anymore, they get disappointed because they were so excited along with you that you "got it" and were ready to live it. That is how I felt when You reminded me of my faith again today.
I felt like I had let You down because while I do walk in faith everyday, I am not sure it is the kind You taught me about just a few months ago. Truthfully it is not the faith without a back up plan. I know You are capable of everything and I know You will show me the way, but to live it and act like it, well that is just different. Truthfully, God, if I lived like I knew You had a plan and a future for me, as promised in Jeremiah, I might spend less hours on the how as a person and more on the how as God's plan. I might listen more and worry less. I might know you have a plan without my own back up plan in que. I might trust more. I might know that unshakable faith produces unbelievable results. I just might really "get it".
So today, I thank You for Your constant love, grace, and forgiveness. I know my sense of guilt is not necessary because You are always present with more mercy than I could ever ask for. I am learning to believe You WILL and not just that You can. Please take my life back from me. I thought my "just in case" plan was needed, but you kindly reminded me today that it was not. Silly me.
This is step 1 of my faith without a back up plan and if, or when, I fall back into the trap of thinking a back up plan is warranted, I hope you are still there reminding me with all of your love and grace that I can't do it alone...ever. And the best part is I never have to.
Prayerfully,
Sash
I remember when You took me to this place a few months back. I remember because I blogged about it. I had read the Bible and found a place where You talked about unshakable faith. The kind of faith Noah had when he built the Ark. I was so excited at the time because I couldn't believe the amount of examples there were in the Bible of your faithfulness in times of extravagant faith. I was inspired by it.
Today you reminded me of the need for that faith again; only this time I felt a sense of guilt. You see, it is similar to when your parent teaches you a profound lesson and you get really excited because you know you are just going to soak it in and live it out, but eventually the lesson fades and you forget. When your parent comes back to find that you aren't as excited anymore, they get disappointed because they were so excited along with you that you "got it" and were ready to live it. That is how I felt when You reminded me of my faith again today.
I felt like I had let You down because while I do walk in faith everyday, I am not sure it is the kind You taught me about just a few months ago. Truthfully it is not the faith without a back up plan. I know You are capable of everything and I know You will show me the way, but to live it and act like it, well that is just different. Truthfully, God, if I lived like I knew You had a plan and a future for me, as promised in Jeremiah, I might spend less hours on the how as a person and more on the how as God's plan. I might listen more and worry less. I might know you have a plan without my own back up plan in que. I might trust more. I might know that unshakable faith produces unbelievable results. I just might really "get it".
So today, I thank You for Your constant love, grace, and forgiveness. I know my sense of guilt is not necessary because You are always present with more mercy than I could ever ask for. I am learning to believe You WILL and not just that You can. Please take my life back from me. I thought my "just in case" plan was needed, but you kindly reminded me today that it was not. Silly me.
This is step 1 of my faith without a back up plan and if, or when, I fall back into the trap of thinking a back up plan is warranted, I hope you are still there reminding me with all of your love and grace that I can't do it alone...ever. And the best part is I never have to.
Prayerfully,
Sash
Monday, June 13, 2011
Weekend Bliss
There is nothing like the weekends. They are never long enough, but I suppose if they were any longer they might lose the thrill that they hold. The weekend for us was wonderful for so many reasons. It was the first weekend since being back from the honeymoon that we didn't have somewhere to be or something important to do. I didn't feel like I was trying to catch up. I just felt like I was living it out.
I made pancakes from scratch for the first time. They were delicious, better than anything I have ever been able to make from a box and so simple! I used this recipe with 1/4 tsp less salt and 1/4 tsp of vanilla.
I visited the local grocery store, not wal-mart, and took my time.
Zeb went fishing with his buddy and was so excited to be fishing that the 100 degree heat didn't even phase him.
We made homemade salsa with our new food processor. Those things are awesome!
We watched part of Monte Walsh before the wine put me to sleep. I adore the joy that westerns bring my new husband.
We went to the Bell's for dinner on Sunday night, which is never a disappointing time.
I also realized this weekend that I love our temporary home. I love making it a home and taking care of it the way I would a permanent home. Zeb even said I am getting better with my reactions to the bugs.
Life is good. And despite the minor disagreements and hardships along the way, we are learning what it takes to love and live under one roof. I feel so lucky today.
Happy middle of June!
Friday, June 10, 2011
The Power in One
Last night I went to Ruth's Christian Store. I was just wondering around the store wasting time when I came across a book titled; "Reshaping it All". I didn't recognize the girl on the front cover, but it was located in the health section of the books so I was interested. I picked it up and noticed there were pictures in the middle of the book. I immediately flipped to them. To my surprise I noticed it was DJ Tanner from full house! Candace Cameron Bure was DJ Tanner! I couldn't believe it. She looked so different and had written a christian book! I read the back cover to learn more about the contents of the book. This was sort of an autobiography written about her struggle with food and how it changed when her relationship with Jesus changed. I was hooked.
I didn't buy it right away. I wanted to wait, see if I could find it online for cheaper, and read a little more on the Internet. Well, today I got the chance to watch her testimony online. This DJ Tanner had grown up to be a beautiful and strong woman grounded in her love for Jesus Christ. I was captivated by her story, so much so I wanted to watch it again. Her love for God and the beauty of his grace is so apparent in the way she talks and who she is. This is a woman to be fond of. She has led her husband to Christ thru her actions, not her words and she is raising 3 kids as followers of Christ.
Today, because of her testimony, I am praying for the same undying fire that lives in her. She talked about an analogy that she read one time that she really liked. It stuck with me.
There was a little girl who saw a white sheep and thought the white sheep was so pretty against the grass. It started to snow and the little girl realized that against the snow the sheep was not so white and actually quite dirty. It was the same sheep, but because of the background it looked different to her. Well the same is true for us. When we stand with the world as our background we look pretty clean and good. But when you put the perfect and pure Jesus Christ, who never sinned, as our background we can start to see all of our filth. This story is not meant to make us feel bad, but instead meant to show our need for a savior and the perfect grace that God has to offer.
I would encourage anyone to go and listen to Candace's testimony. It is a beautiful and encouraging story.
Today, be aware of God's constant presence in your life.
Have a beautiful weekend!
I didn't buy it right away. I wanted to wait, see if I could find it online for cheaper, and read a little more on the Internet. Well, today I got the chance to watch her testimony online. This DJ Tanner had grown up to be a beautiful and strong woman grounded in her love for Jesus Christ. I was captivated by her story, so much so I wanted to watch it again. Her love for God and the beauty of his grace is so apparent in the way she talks and who she is. This is a woman to be fond of. She has led her husband to Christ thru her actions, not her words and she is raising 3 kids as followers of Christ.
Today, because of her testimony, I am praying for the same undying fire that lives in her. She talked about an analogy that she read one time that she really liked. It stuck with me.
There was a little girl who saw a white sheep and thought the white sheep was so pretty against the grass. It started to snow and the little girl realized that against the snow the sheep was not so white and actually quite dirty. It was the same sheep, but because of the background it looked different to her. Well the same is true for us. When we stand with the world as our background we look pretty clean and good. But when you put the perfect and pure Jesus Christ, who never sinned, as our background we can start to see all of our filth. This story is not meant to make us feel bad, but instead meant to show our need for a savior and the perfect grace that God has to offer.
I would encourage anyone to go and listen to Candace's testimony. It is a beautiful and encouraging story.
Today, be aware of God's constant presence in your life.
Have a beautiful weekend!
Friday, June 3, 2011
Your Love is Deep
"And they just keep comin', comin' and comin', comin'"
I'm baaaaacccccckk!
Don't ask me where those first two lines came from, but when I opened this post and stared blankly wondering what to write those were the first two things that popped into my head. And that is how I operate...at random.
This morning I arrived at Starbucks just after 6 am. Zeb and I are carpooling at the moment due to some vehicular problems and he has to go to work much earlier than me. Therefore, I needed a place to kill time. The temperature was perfect on the outside and cold on the inside. As I thought about that and where I wanted to plop down for the next hour or so, I immediately thought about those descriptors and myself. Perfect on the outside and cold on the inside. Perfect in the sense that on the outside I like to have it together and laugh and show love to those that cross my path. Cold in the sense that on the inside my spiritual fire has almost lost its light and not lost it, like it is dying, but lost it like there is a bowl on top suffocating it. The bowl is this life and everything that comes with it. The ease of getting caught up in the day to day, the ease of worrying what others think, the ease of putting value in the value that you assume others put in you, the ease of dealing with life on your own. And just like a light from a candle, once that bowl begins to suffocate you, its a matter of seconds before the light is gone. And it is a lot harder to re-light than it is to just stay lit. Remove the bowl, please remove the bowl!
I decided to sit outside and dwell in the perfect temperature and the perfect light and the perfect breeze in hopes of soaking in the perfect grace that God gives in every circumstance, but more noticeably in times like this. I prayed a short prayer, I am never one for long ones, and asked for direction. I didn't know where I wanted to start or end in the Bible for that morning, but I knew it had been far too long since I had opened it and I needed God's direction.
"Show me where I should be right now and allow me to hear your words."
He led me to Jonah. Just as perfect as can be he took me right to where he needed me to be this morning. The bowl was lifted and I could start to feel my insides warm. I smiled at one point because it was that familiar feeling of love and mercy. I walked to work this morning and felt renewed. I felt like you do in 1st grade, like I had just worked things out with my best friend and we were walking hand in hand again. And then he continued to talk to me when he put this song in my head as my walking entertainment.
"Your love is deep.
Your love is high.
Your love is long.
Your love is wide.
Your love is deeper than my view of grace
higher than this worldly place
longer than this road I travel
wider than the gap you fill
Your love is deep
Your love is high
Your love is long
your love is wide"
Go ahead and pledge your devotion to Jesus today. If you do, your life is guaranteed to be beautiful! Let Jesus shine through you.
I'm baaaaacccccckk!
Don't ask me where those first two lines came from, but when I opened this post and stared blankly wondering what to write those were the first two things that popped into my head. And that is how I operate...at random.
This morning I arrived at Starbucks just after 6 am. Zeb and I are carpooling at the moment due to some vehicular problems and he has to go to work much earlier than me. Therefore, I needed a place to kill time. The temperature was perfect on the outside and cold on the inside. As I thought about that and where I wanted to plop down for the next hour or so, I immediately thought about those descriptors and myself. Perfect on the outside and cold on the inside. Perfect in the sense that on the outside I like to have it together and laugh and show love to those that cross my path. Cold in the sense that on the inside my spiritual fire has almost lost its light and not lost it, like it is dying, but lost it like there is a bowl on top suffocating it. The bowl is this life and everything that comes with it. The ease of getting caught up in the day to day, the ease of worrying what others think, the ease of putting value in the value that you assume others put in you, the ease of dealing with life on your own. And just like a light from a candle, once that bowl begins to suffocate you, its a matter of seconds before the light is gone. And it is a lot harder to re-light than it is to just stay lit. Remove the bowl, please remove the bowl!
I decided to sit outside and dwell in the perfect temperature and the perfect light and the perfect breeze in hopes of soaking in the perfect grace that God gives in every circumstance, but more noticeably in times like this. I prayed a short prayer, I am never one for long ones, and asked for direction. I didn't know where I wanted to start or end in the Bible for that morning, but I knew it had been far too long since I had opened it and I needed God's direction.
"Show me where I should be right now and allow me to hear your words."
He led me to Jonah. Just as perfect as can be he took me right to where he needed me to be this morning. The bowl was lifted and I could start to feel my insides warm. I smiled at one point because it was that familiar feeling of love and mercy. I walked to work this morning and felt renewed. I felt like you do in 1st grade, like I had just worked things out with my best friend and we were walking hand in hand again. And then he continued to talk to me when he put this song in my head as my walking entertainment.
"Your love is deep.
Your love is high.
Your love is long.
Your love is wide.
Your love is deeper than my view of grace
higher than this worldly place
longer than this road I travel
wider than the gap you fill
Your love is deep
Your love is high
Your love is long
your love is wide"
Go ahead and pledge your devotion to Jesus today. If you do, your life is guaranteed to be beautiful! Let Jesus shine through you.
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