Monthly Update

Can you believe we are already one month into 2012?  I am actually pretty pleased with how I've done on my goals so far, and wanted to share that progress with you:

1. Support raising: We started the month at 7%.  Now we are at approximately 22%! We need to increase this by 5.6% every month to get to 50% by June.  Even better is 7% a month to guarantee we're at 85% by October!

2. Date night: We have been so busy that for our few nights off, we've just chosen to veg at home and watch a movie.  And I am totally ok with that :)

3. Save 53% of our Emergency Fund: We started at 40% and end the month at 41%.  We are definitely on track to achieve this goal.

4. Go to bed before 11 on work nights: I've done better than I have in a long time, but I definitely need to improve on this.  Staying up late is a hard habit to break.

5. Read through the books on my reading list: I'm flying through this goal (thanks to all the study halls I subbed for :))!  You can see what all I read this month (and what I thought about them) here.

6.  Exercise regimen: Ray and I have been discussing this, but haven't nailed down what we're going to do in the winter (I don't venture outside in the cold unless absolutely necessary...and I definitely don't exercise in the cold!).  We're thinking of walking in the mall down the road.  But I've given myself until February to have a workable plan.  *phew*

7.  Daily schedule: This is still a work in progress.  I have a somewhat workable plan, and have been doing *okay* with sticking to it on most days, but we have a pretty variable and hectic schedule some evenings, so it's hard to schedule for everything.  Still, I feel like I've been more productive and time-conscious than if I hadn't made the schedule at all.  I'm sure this will go through some revisions and revamping as I figure out what does and doesn't work for me.

8. Scripture memory: After waffling between the book of Philippians and the book of James, I decided to start on the book of James.  My main problem with memorizing Scripture is lack of accountability.  My Mom is memorizing James, too, so that solves that problem (and removes that excuse :))!.  If I finish that book before the end of the year, I'll probably start Philippians, but we'll start here.  I'm still polishing up chapter 1 (which I memorized once a couple years ago...so it's mostly review), but basically that's where I'm at.

9. Stop popping my knuckles: This has been torture at times, as it helps my wrist feel better, but I'm really pleased at the progress I'm making!  Only a couple times have I forgotten and popped my knuckles.  I'm very proud of how far I've gotten!  The past week or so, I've gotten complacent and popped them a couple times, though, so I need to get back on track.

How did you do on your goals in January?

Books read in January

So, here are all the books on my list that I've read in January, as well as my impressions :)

1. Anthem by Ayn Rand - I first read this book in Ms. Riddell's 10th grade English class, and it still intrigues me.  I can't say it's a "favorite," but it's such a fascinating look at what happens when a society forbids any individuality and embraces total collectivism.  It's also a pretty short and easy read (I'll admit...I cheated and read it New Year's Eve! :)).  One of these days, I might actually get around to reading her massive book "Fountainhead," which has been sitting on my shelf since high school.  Perhaps after I finish these 24 books :)

2. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde - bizarre read (Dorian's portrait ages and shows his flaws and sins while he stays young and innocent looking), but at least it was interesting and easy to understand.  I see why it's considered a classic, but still...very odd.

3. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - I definitely lucked out to sub for a teacher who had nothing but study halls for me to cover all day AND a copy of this book on her desk (instead of having to wait for 14+ other people to read it at the library or go buy it myself :)).  I absolutely LOVED it, cannot wait to see the movie, and am really excited to see what she does in the next two in the trilogy.

4. Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynne Truss - who knew a book about grammar could be so hysterical!  I snorted with laughter while reading this book, sympathized with the author as she encountered horrendous grammatical errors, and learned quite a few interesting things about the development of our language and punctuation.  If you're the type that is forever correcting people's misuse of its, it's, their, they're, there, and all those other common mistakes, you will love this book!

5. Room by Emma Donaghue -  very moving book about a woman and her son held in captivity, told in the voice of 5 year-old Jack.  I had to get used to Jack's different way of talking, but it was such a beautiful story, sad and triumphant at the same time.  Really loved it!

6. PT 190: John F. Kennedy in WWII - not a fan.  Not sure if it was just poorly written or not the most exciting war story, but I just couldn't get into it.  Definitely don't recommend.

7.  The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis - I always love C.S. Lewis books.  This one is no exception :)

8. The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson - Mezmerizing.  Weird in that every character definitely had major issues and probably could've used extensive therapy, but I simply could not put this book down.  I was intrigued throughout every page and passage!

I also read a couple others that weren't on my reading list:
--The Seer of Shadows by Avi (kind of creepy/bizarre, but I absolutely love and appreciate Avi's writing style and how educational he is while still drawing you in)
--Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (Really enjoyed listening to this audiobook while driving to and from work every day!  Neat insights into the Great Depression, circus life, and prohibition.  And while I won't spoil it, I LOVED the ending.  Didn't see it coming, but it was so perfect :)).

Temporary Home

I want to share something I've been wrestling with recently: moving.

I've moved all my life; growing up, it was usually every three years, though it varied, depending on my Dad's military responsibilities.  And I absolutely loved that lifestyle.  It was all I'd ever known, after all (a "lifelong friend" you grow up with is still a foreign concept to me), so how could I complain?  And we got to live in neat places and experience so many great things (did you celebrate your 10th birthday in the Pentagon?).  I would never trade my childhood for someone else's, and I've always said that growing up that way has prepared me to the life Ray and I have been called to now.

But it is tough.  Answering the question: "Where are you from?" is a much longer answer than most people are willing to sit through.  I have ties to a lot of places, but no real roots.  I've struggled to make connections in churches and communities where everyone else has known each other for most of their lives and I'm still somewhat of an outsider where I am now.

I've lived in PA now for just over 3 years, and I am finally starting to feel like I sort of belong.  Like I have "bosom friends" with whom I can be real.  Like if I'm out of town or at home sick, someone will actually notice that I wasn't in the Sunday service.  I finally feel like I'm "home."

And yet I know that is all about to change yet again.  I know that soon we will have to pack up our belongings and begin building a life in a new city, a new country, a new culture.  I've really been struggling with fear and selfishness.  I don't want to leave my friends and family.  I don't want to try to pack up my life here.  I truly am excited about this ministry we are called to and part of me can't wait for it to begin.  But part of me is petrified.

But HE has been so gracious in reminding me of truths in HIS Word.  These are the things I'm clinging to:
-You know the phrase: "Home is where the heart is."  Well, my heart is "hidden with {Him}" (Col. 3:3) and so my forever home is in heaven.  My temporary home is wherever He leads me.
-No matter what happens to my current earthly dwelling, I have a building from Him, not made with hands, eternal in the heavens (2 Cor. 5:1).  (I was reminded of this all the more when my parents' house took a direct hit from lightening several months ago.  Thankfully, the house and my family are ok, though :))

I'm trying hard not to let fear overtake me, but instead give my anxieties to Him (1 Pet 5:7).  If you have any other eternal truths to share from His Word, I'd definitely welcome them.  Thanks for remembering me and allowing me to be vulnerable with you :)

PS - I actually wrote this blog post several weeks ago, but I thought it kind of a "God-thing" that in the latest magazine our organization put out this week, they included this quote from my testimony in Candidate Seminar (which was way back in July):  "I grew up in a military family and moved around very frequently.  I count that as a blessing now because I feel like that's impacted who I am, that I don't hold dear to the place that i call home right now.  It's just a temporary home.  And when He calls me to move on, I'm ok with that."  I guess this really is a common theme in my life right now :)

Time Management and Clutter

Recently, I finished reading a pre-release copy of Crystal Paine's (the genius behind www.monesavingmom.com) new book.  It was so good (you can read my review here), but I wanted to share something I realized about myself while reading it, something that has prompted some of my 2012 goals:


I. am. so. disorganized.

I probably could've told you that before reading that book (ok, so nix the probably), but what her book helped me realized is that even though I'm horribly disorganized and my life is full of clutter, there is HOPE!  And trust me...if there's hope for me, there's hope for you too (don't you feel better now?).  Crystal's book only touched briefly on time management and organization, but she recommended several books on the topics, and after reading three of them, I wanted to share my thoughts with you (because please tell me I'm not the only disorganized, frazzled, busy person out there...please?).

Tell Your Time is a 30 page e-book by Amy Andrews.  It's jam packed with practical advice, the accompanying website has worksheets to help you do the things she suggests.  She single-handedly convinced me that my schedule CAN be managed and productive and I actually do not need to run around every day like a chicken with my head cut off.  It is now officially on my list of fave books.  It's also SUPER affordable, since it's an e-book!

168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think by Laura Vanderkam was another worthwhile read.  She gives lots of tips that can be implemented to make small and large dents in your to-do list (or multiple to-do lists, if you're me :)) and give you more time to spend with the people who mean the most to you.  LOVED this book.

Eat that Frog! by Brian Tracy was just ok.  I love the title, which is based on a Mark Twain quote: “If you eat a frog first thing in the morning that will probably be the worst thing you do all day,” the premise being that you should do the one thing you LEAST want to do FIRST and you'll get a lot more done the rest of the day.  It didn't appeal to me as much as the other two because it focused more on accomplishing things in a typical corporate office setting, which doesn't apply to me at all, but I garnered some useful tips and it was a quick read.

I'm working on writing out goals and establishing a schedule that works (meaning I actually stick with it longer than my typical 4 days), but I've already been enjoying the feeling that comes with the small changes I've made.  For instance, I've resolved not to go to bed without cleaning up the kitchen--dishes done, counters wiped down, etc.  I'm still establishing this as a habit, so it hasn't happened every single night, but even if I only accomplish this goal half the time, I still have a clean kitchen more frequently than I used to!  And waking up to an empty sink and clean table helps me start my day more relaxed.

I'd like to share this journey with any of you who are interested.  I think most of us benefit from accountability, so feel free to call, e-mail, etc. and ask how my kitchen is looking (or you could pop over and see for yourself :)).  Ask me how my schedule is coming along and how I'm doing in organizing my clutter and my time.

How do you do with clutter and time management?  Do you have any tips for me?  I'll take all the help I can get!

2012 Goals

One of the important things I've learned this past year is how to live purposefully through writing out specific goals.  I've never been a fan of New Year's Resolutions because they always seem so vague and unattainable.  But specific, qualified, and quantified goals?  Those I can do.  I feel like I've done a lot better in my goal writing for 2012 they pertain to some of the long term goals I have in my life, they're challenging, but not overwhelmingly so, and they address multiple areas in my life (physical health, mental/emotional health, relationships, career, etc).  Some of these goals need a little more fleshing out, so I've given myself appropriate time to do that, but I wanted to put them out here now.

Kat's 2012 Goals

1. Attend EMC and Field Prep (the training we need before we can leave for Asia...we must reach 50% of support by June to be able to attend EMC in July and 85% by October in order to attend Field Prep in November).
2. Go on one date night with Ray “out and about” a month.
3. Save 53% of our Emergency Fund (We start out the year at 40%. We are definitely hoping to save much more than that, but with paychecks varying month-to-month, we figured we'd stick with whatever we thought we could reasonably set aside every month and make that our goal.  If we're able to attack this goal with the same intensity we attacked our debt, though, we'll do way better than 53%).
4. Go to bed before 11 every work night.
5. Read my 24 books from the list I made.
6. Create an exercise regimen that I can stick with (I've given myself to the end of February to figure this out...I'm awful at sticking with exercise!).
7. Create a schedule that allows me to make better use of my time (I've given myself until the end of January).
8. Come up the Bible verses I want to memorize and have Ray quiz me on them once a month (list of Scriptures due by the end of January).
9. Stop popping my knuckles.

So there you have it!  What are your goals for 2012?