Pulled Into Letting Go

Friday, January 13, 2023

STEPPING HEAVENWARD

Well, we've made it to the second week of 2023 now. How are y'all doing? I'm having a hard time with the weather in my neck of the woods. It's cold and rainy every day. I feel like I'm back in Everett, WA again and I've been craving some crappy Starbucks coffee. Oof. I'd better stay away from it, though. It's more like Five Bucks and never worth the calories or the money.

In terms of New Year's goals, I've been a bit lax on them. I spent a big chunk of last week and the beginning of this week with my right foot propped up due to plantar fasciitis. It was not fun, and for someone with a goal-oriented personality, it was very difficult. As far as getting into a Bible study routine, I have surpassed my goal - so far. I can't get cocky, though. This is the slow season. Time to keep plugging away!

Last week, I really struggled with an old issue - pride, jealousy, and unforgiveness. All toward one person in particular. I put out a call to prayer to some friends from church and asked that they join me in prayer. I was deep in sin and I wanted out ASAP! Two days later, I had a breakdown which lead to a breakthrough. I needed to stop looking at the sins of the other person so much and start praying for God to soften my heart so I can forgive them.

Shortly after becoming a Christian, I was lent a book by my Pastor's wife. It's called Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss. I used to read it at least once a year. It's one of those books that is rife with wisdom that cuts right to your soul and convicts you, gently. One of my favorite parts of the book is when her father-in-law passes away and she's saddened by it. She says she wishes she had spent more time simply loving him, instead of trying to work out why he was so cruel to her. That part always convicts me. When you read the book, I hope it touches you as well.

People will always be cruel. We're human. We hurt. We get jealous. We get tired and cranky. Sometimes we get hangry. Hurt people hurt people and misery loves company. Sometimes we simply do things because we're weak in the spirit and that makes us more susceptible to believing the lies that Satan whispers into our ears. We have to learn to turn away from the lies and turn toward Christ. We can do that by developing a strong relationship with Christ through

Daily time in the Word
Attending church weekly
Prayer without ceasing - when we're happy, sad, mad, grateful, depressed, scared, in need...
Going to Him as a child would and trusting Him to provide all that we need
Fellowship with other believers
Being doers of the Word and not merely hearers
Sitting with God and working through big feelings and hard choices

If you're a parent, think about all the times your child comes to you and what their intent is when they do so. Now repeat that with Jesus in your own life. That's exactly what that relationship is supposed to look like. God is a God of absolutes. Remember - He never leaves us, never forsakes us, and always loves us. You can trust Him.

Go to Jesus like a little child

Stay tuned for another episode. See you next time! And remember, if you or a loved one is in danger, get help immediately, and don't stop talking until someone acts on your words.

National Domestic Abuse Hotline: 800-799-7233 Hours: 24/7. Languages: English, Spanish, and 200+ through interpretation service. SMS: Text START to 88788

National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673 Hours: Available 24 hours. https://www.rainn.org/

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Hours: Available 24 hours. Languages: English, Spanish. https://988lifeline.org/

In Christ alone our hope is found

Run, don't walk for help! You're worth it.

Tuesday, January 3, 2023

MY GOALS FOR 2023 - ACCOUNTABILITY POST

HAPPY NEW YEAR! It's now 2023 and I am so grateful we all made it! My kids were sick most of the last part of 2022 and we were holding our breath, hoping they made it to Christmas healed. Thankfully, they did. Praise God!

How many of you make New Year's resolutions? I used to, but personally, I dislike them. They're usually too vague or too lofty and it becomes difficult to keep up with them. A few years ago, I was introduced to the concept of mapping out my year ahead of time by creating a list of goals for the year and mapping out how I was going to achieve those goals. I like this idea a lot better, and today I'm going to share my 2023 goals with you. Remember that a year is 365 days, so not every goal has to be accomplished immediately.

Here is my big list for the year.

2023 Goals

Financial

• Save $50 per paycheck, totaling $1,300 by December 31, 2023

• Tithe 10% off the top of every paycheck

• Use tax refund to fund a month’s worth of expenses, so that we can essentially “skip” a paycheck, and start funding the next month’s expenses each month, keeping at minimum, a full month’s pay in the bank always

• Create sinking funds for quarterly and annual bills, and for veterinary care, children’s clothing, and car repairs

• Wait 3 days before making any discretionary purchases

• Cut our grocery budget by $300 a month

Spiritual

• Read my Bible every day for a minimum of thirty minutes, starting with three times a week for two weeks, then moving up to four days a week for two weeks, then five, then six, then a full 7 days.

• Attend ladies’ craft nights at church every month

• Spend my Sabbaths media free. Read a book, take a walk, photograph nature, play board games, spend time with people I love, or craft instead

• Reach out to friends at least twice a month to connect over coffee/tea, a walk, a meal, etc.

Physical/Health

• Take 52 walks this year

• Meal prep weekly

• Cut dairy to three servings a week

• Replace coca cola with herbal teas

• Fast food once a month only

• Spend a minimum of 15 minutes a day stretching and moving my body intentionally

Household

• Replace the Catio roof and add more perches

• Tile the bathtub and shower

• Renovate the pantry area

• Tear out the front room and create a seating area using materials we already own

• Create a more functional laundry system that keeps dirty clothing off the laundry room floor

• Replace the torn couches with budget-friendly options – i.e. Facebook marketplace, Craigslist, markdowns, etc.

• Restructure the bedroom closet to make it more functional

• Downsize the home, room by room, starting with the Master Bedroom

• Create a safer play area for the children in the backyard by tearing down the wooden structure and replacing it with something custom-built – utilizing as much of the materials that we already own as possible

• Plant a large garden on our property

• Replace our fence – use up all the materials we already own first, before purchasing more

• Repair the broken laptops for kids’ and personal use

• Purchase a new printer/scanner for the home

• Clean and organize the garage

• Replace the roof before winter

Personal

• Blog twice a week

• Vlog once a week

• Cut Facebook/media time to 30 minutes (TOTAL) a day or less

• Read all the books on my bookshelves and donate the ones I won’t reread

• Try one new recipe a week, minimum

• Increase the amount of canning and dehydrating I do this year

• Be more intentional with my time, by

• Planning out errand days
• Meal planning ahead of time
• Scheduling chore days for myself to keep up on housework
• Allowing my body to rest when I’m tired
• Saying no to any activity that drains me emotionally
• Only scheduling one large project at a time and not starting another until I am finished with the current one
• Setting my phone down and finding something else to do when I feel bored and still have physical energy

So what about you? What are some of your goals for the year? Anything big you'd like to tackle?

My goofy Hubby showing our teen how to shoot