The Final 10 for 10 Update

I'm a procrastinator. I thrive on the final moment. It's bad. However, as 2010 winds down and I'm beginning to look forward, I need to reflect first.

My one little word (OLW) this year was intentional. I feel that I started off the year being very intentional and slacked off after the summer. I let a lot of things slip, including friendships. Not sure why. I do know that it will shape though how I spend my time in 2011.

1. Read three professional books

• Daily Five by The Sisters (as they are known)
• CAFE book (by same authors as above)
• Boy Writers by Ralph Fletcher

2. Run 5 5K's

• Due to tendonitis, I am in a boot and will be walking one this morning (I think it still counts, right?) - Did it in about 45 minutes
• Ran/walked one over Labor Day weekend.
• And while it may not count (since I was thinking races), I did run 3 5K's on the treadmill this month. Decreased my time from 41 to 38:11 to 37:35.

3. Run a sub 30 5K

• Yeah, that didn't happen. There's always next year, right?

4. Pay off debt to dad (and thus, be debt free except my mortgage)

• uh, yeah, I'm debt free!!!!!!!!!!

5. Go to Honduras on a mission trip (scared of flying)

• Have my passport now and will pay my first installment tomorrow
• Have paid half of the trip
• Went on trip...Wow! I am so glad I went...there will be tons of posts about it.

6. Clean off all of the clothes off my floor and have them put away.

• Uh, this is a work in progress...what must I do to get this in order - Any ideas, readers?

7. See a movie by myself

• Saw Date Night...parts were definitely funny, others a little uncomfortable. I do enjoy Steve Carell though.

8. Give blood 4 times (one down and three to go)

• Signed up for my second one - it's sponsored by CW25 for The Vampire Diaries - I'll let you know how that turns out :)
• Have given twice and will only be able to give one more due to traveling to Honduras in July.
• Have A+ blood...maybe that's why I am so smart! :)
• Gave three times and because of traveling to Honduras, cannot give again till next year. However, if I go to Honduras again next summer - which I am planning on doing - I can't give until a year after I get back...it's a vicious cycle!

9. Write my compassion children three times each this year

• wrote each one once so far
• replied to their letters December 29 and sent stickers
• sent 10 photographs with captions to translate for them December 30
• Want to up this for next year!!!

10. Finish reading whole Bible (on track to finish mid-July)

• About two more weeks and then the OT is finished! On to the NT...excited!
• Reading the NT right now - in the gospels
• Finished the first day I was in Honduras - How cool is that?!

Looking back, I am proud of some and want to continue improving on others. Thankful that I focused on several areas of my life and cannot wait to unveil my 2011 OLW as well as my ambitions for next year!

10 for 10 Update

This year, I am trying something new. I have 10 goals. And some of you will get to help me with them (my running friends)! This will also help me become intentional, I believe.

1. Read three professional books

• Daily Five by The Sisters (as they are known)
• CAFE book (by same authors as above)
• Boy Writers by Ralph Fletcher

2. Run 5 5K's

• Due to tendonitis, I am in a boot and will be walking one this morning (I think it still counts, right?) - Did it in about 45 minutes

3. Run a sub 30 5K
4. Pay off debt to dad (and thus, be debt free except my mortgage)

• uh, yeah, I'm debt free!!!!!!!!!!

5. Go to Honduras on a mission trip (scared of flying)

• Have my passport now and will pay my first installment tomorrow
• Have paid half of the trip
• Went on trip...Wow! I am so glad I went...there will be tons of posts about it.

6. Clean off all of the clothes off my floor and have them put away
7. See a movie by myself

• Saw Date Night...parts were definitely funny, others a little uncomfortable. I do enjoy Steve Carell though.

8. Give blood 4 times (one down and three to go)

• Signed up for my second one - it's sponsored by CW25 for The Vampire Diaries - I'll let you know how that turns out :)
• Have given twice and will only be able to give one more due to traveling to Honduras in July.
• Have A+ blood...maybe that's why I am so smart! :)
• Gave three times and because of traveling to Honduras, cannot give again till next year. However, if I go to Honduras again next summer - which I am planning on doing - I can't give until a year after I get back...it's a vicious cycle!

9. Write my compassion children three times each this year

• wrote each one once so far

10. Finish reading whole Bible (on track to finish mid-July)

• About two more weeks and then the OT is finished! On to the NT...excited!
• Reading the NT right now - in the gospels
• Finished the first day I was in Honduras - How cool is that?!

Spilling my guts

For those new readers, you're about to get a gutful (I know it's not a word). This summer I am going overseas (for the first time) to Honduras for a week long mission trip. Let's see...what am I anxious about? Let's list them.

• flying
• heat
• humidity
• flying
• no air conditioning and traveling
• flying
• did I mention the flying?

To help with this, I have been visiting my counselor (saw her years ago when I went through natural weight loss to better my insides) and it's been helpful. However, tonight was tough. I went through so many Kleenexes that as I left the building and looked at my puffy eyes in the rearview mirror (wasn't driving yet), I noticed white bits left behind. Wow...that's a bunch of crying! In fact, I was so cried out I had no appetite and was emotionally exhausted.

Through tonight's session, we left with another possibility. Maybe my fear of flying isn't as big as my fear of appearing weak? Ever since I was young, crying was a sign of weakness. Missing my mom on the weekends while visiting my dad was weak. Showing vulnerability and talking about my emotions was met with a "get over it".

It's an interesting thought. I've always cared what people thought about me. In fact, I've cared too much. I'm reading Beth Moore's book on insecurity and also just began The Forgotten God by Francis Chan which is about the Holy Spirit.

I'll let you know how it plays out.

10 for 10 Update

This year, I am trying something new. I have 10 goals. And some of you will get to help me with them (my running friends)! This will also help me become intentional, I believe.

1. Read three professional books

• Daily Five by The Sisters (as they are known)
• CAFE book (by same authors as above)
• Boy Writers by Ralph Fletcher

2. Run 5 5K's

• Due to tendonitis, I am in a boot and will be walking one this morning (I think it still counts, right?) - Did it in about 45 minutes

3. Run a sub 30 5K
4. Pay off debt to dad (and thus, be debt free except my mortgage)

• uh, yeah, I'm debt free!!!!!!!!!!

5. Go to Honduras on a mission trip (scared of flying)

• Have my passport now and will pay my first installment tomorrow
• Have paid half of the trip

6. Clean off all of the clothes off my floor and have them put away
7. See a movie by myself

• Saw Date Night...parts were definitely funny, others a little uncomfortable. I do enjoy Steve Carell though.

8. Give blood 4 times (one down and three to go)

• Signed up for my second one - it's sponsored by CW25 for The Vampire Diaries - I'll let you know how that turns out :)
• Have given twice and will only be able to give one more due to traveling to Honduras in July.
• Have A+ blood...maybe that's why I am so smart! :)

9. Write my compassion children three times each this year

• wrote each one once so far

10. Finish reading whole Bible (on track to finish mid-July)

• About two more weeks and then the OT is finished! On to the NT...excited!
• Reading the NT right now - in the gospels

My 10 for 10 update

This year, I am trying something new. I have 10 goals. And some of you will get to help me with them (my running friends)! This will also help me become intentional, I believe.

1. Read three professional books
2. Run 5 5K's
3. Run a sub 30 5K
4. Pay off debt to dad (and thus, be debt free except my mortgage)

• uh, yeah, I'm debt free!!!!!!!!!!

5. Go to Honduras on a mission trip (scared of flying)
6. Clean off all of the clothes off my floor and have them put away
7. See a movie by myself
8. Give blood 4 times (one down and three to go)
9. Write my compassion children three times each this year

• wrote each one once so far

10. Finish reading whole Bible (on track to finish mid-July)

1 for 10

Cross one off for the year...Clean my room!

Here are pictures...and by the way, I am being very vulnerable with you, my lovely blogging friends. I am proud of what I accomplished. And it's stayed clean...maybe one shirt here and there, but it feels great and I want to keep it that way!


By my bed...(can you tell I like to read?)


I tend to pile my clothes instead of hang them up.


A basket of sweaters that just needed to be gone through and hung up and a pile of give-away...




This pile of clothing is now donated to Goodwill...gone off of my floor!



And while my bed may not be made, I'm tackling one item at a time...