The Sluggard Attempts To Arise

In which I try to be accountable and live out my resolution.

January: Get up at 7 a.m. every morning.

Even on weekends. Which means, accordingly, that I should,*ahem* (guilty cough), go to bed earlier.

                 
I thought, in this open Journal of mine called a blog, that I would use it to become more accountable and scheduled...even if nobody reads it.There's that strong connection with other people again...even if it is just a bunch of imaginary readers who are going to hate my guts if I don't live up to my own standards.

It worked.

 I used it to help psych myself into getting up at seven every morning (Okay, not every morning), knowing that I would be writing this at the end of the month, telling how well I did. Or how terribly.

It is a little difficult to pull yourself out of bed when outside, it's cold and the sun has not even come close to showing its light yet. Ugg.

You turn of the alarm, remember all your resolutions and your new fire for life...and doze back to sleep, dreamily wondering what day it is. Four minutes later,  you groan and try to pull yourself out of bed...an effort which looks, disturbingly, very much something like this. Yeah.

I would pull myself out of those cozy sheets, stumble over to my awesome chair, pulling a blanket with me, and blink as I do some reading, turned my laptop on, and start writing my emails and blog posts. Not exactly a chipper start. I was, of course, picturing myself a bonnie lass who would jump up, grab some tea, do some stretches while listening to classical music, exercise,  and be all showered and cheerful and ready for breakfast by eight. HA.

But hey, I was physically out of bed. Aim high and start small, right?

The habit is started. It will get easier. It is all a part of becoming more disciplined, living productively, doing hard things.

Prov 6:6-11, Prov 13:4,  Prov 31:10-31. These verses are also my fuel for rising early. Go on. *friendly poke* Read 'em.

12 Fun, Easy Things To do in 2015

In which we make some fun plans for the upcoming months...just because.

Even though I have a million (Ok, eight) blog post ideas that are halfway written down,

  I couldn't finish any of them in time for my self-inflicted Monday deadline. 

I spent my weekend doing...other things. Possibly unnecessary things, like planning an epic adventure novel, taking personality tests online with my family, and reading. Also there may have been some nephews and a particularly adorable neice that distracted me.

But anyway.

Instead of a wordy post, I thought up something quick and easy, but hopefully fun.

You may remember I made some simple new years resolutions. But I also wanted to make a list of fun things to do in 2015, because I am a epic list maker and a constant planner of many grand ideas. (the doing part, that's...another thing altogether).

Who am I kidding? It's a bucket list. So I'm cliche. Shoot me.

1. Take a picture everyday of your summer this year. Try to make each one different and unique.

(This one is because I am buying myself camera, hopefully this June. A nice camera.)

 

2. Go buy a gift for someone. For a surprise. To cheer them up. Wrap it up. Make it nice. Put some thought into it. Make sure it's someone who will never expect it when you give it to them.

3. Write out a whole chapter of the Bible by hand. I am doing Matthew six.

4. Dedicate a whole day where you are consciously going to be other oriented. Compliment others, show random acts of kindness, listen to them. I know, I know, we should do this everyday. But you know we don't. Really try for at least a day.

5. Go for a hike. At least once. You may be surprised at how refreshing and rewarding it is.

6. Reread a favorite book. (Or several. I'm reading all of The Chronicles of Narnia books again. It's been eight years)

7. Make your closet look professionally organized. (This one actually doubles with my April resolution.)

8. Write a letter. To a friend, to Grandparents, to your future self, to your future spouse. Pick one.

9. Find reasons to get up early and enjoy life. (Blog post(s) on this coming later)

10.  Read at least one book you have never read before. (Not sure yet what this is going to be)

11. Make breakfast for dinner. Because Pancakes.

12.Pray for your future spouse. At least once.

(all photo courtesy via pinterest.)

Climbing Up to It, Part 2

In which we embark on a little journey together...Where I hopefully become calmer, wiser, and a stronger christian...and you become excited to do the same.

Photo credit http://www.grantordelheide.com/

Don't roll your eyes when I say it: New Years Resolutions.
Are you sick of that one? Yeah...Me too.

  To quote a friend:
" I mean, come on, they like never last past January."

But I'm only going to do one in January.
And then one in February.
And then we'll work on March...See where I'm going with this?

Apparently, it takes anywhere from 21 days to six weeks to 66 days to just, months and months,  to form a habit. I'm expert because I just googled it. Nobody really seems to be sure.

So I'm starting small. Giving myself a month to improve myself in one way or the other.  And I wanted you to know because when I've tried the resolution thing in the past and told no one, it didn't last for a week. Pathetic, I know.

Some of them, I really do want to make a daily habit. Others, well, they are just things that I need to get done. I would be thrilled if you joined me.

Here are the first six months. Once I've come up with six more, I'll let you know.

(And hey guys, I'm open to suggestions)

January: Get up at 7 a.m. every morning
Even on weekends.Which means, accordingly, that I should, *ahem* (guilty cough), go to be earlier. 

February: Only Pinterest on Mondays.
Lemme explain. I am a bit of a Pinterest addict, and it wastes time. I can't do it so much anymore without feeling guilty, Since Mondays are my day at home, this will leave so much more during the rest of the week for other things...like blogging for example.   

March: Get the hardest three things of the day done first. 
According to Pinterest (don't judge me) the most successful people in history got up early and tackled whatever was most difficult about their day first. Since theoretically by this time I will be up a seven all the time, this one should give me plenty of time for the rest of the day. For what? We'll find out.

April: Rid myself of at least one thing, every day.
I'm talking clothes, unwanted beauty products, random useless pens, my ipod (I don't even remember how I ended up with some songs on that thing.) And I don't even want to think about a certain pile   of receipts, pay stubs, and bank statements. 

May: Purposefully encourage/uplift a different person.

Every. Single. Day. 

   This one is going be a habit.

June: Read my bible every single day.
Because if I am going to be brutally honest with you, I don't. And I really need to study it. I miss out on thankfulness, cheerfulness, being content to my core, seeing the world in a sharp new focus everyday...all because I am lazy and don't read it.  

I'll be checking in at the end of each month to tell you how I did.  
 

Climbing Up to It, Part 1

In which you get to find out whats happening here.

There is a book I have, that says you should just start writing. Just write.

  Later, you can edit, rewrite, chop your literary work up and glue it back together so that it comes out (hopefully) polished, professional, beautiful, and worth reading. 

 So what am I doing right now? Just writing. Because I need to have introductory post, starting this blog out, telling you why I'm here and what to expect. I've been thinking a lot about what I was going to say, how it was going to be all profound and make you feel as if your day were somehow more fulfilled because you read my post. Not sure if that's going to happen.

We are on a constant, never ending journey once God puts us on this earth. We change and grow and learn, and when we learn, we change again. And if we are blessed, we will find Gods love, find out how He saved us. And life will take on a whole new meaning. Life becomes a struggle, looking up to our goals and Gods word and trying to piece it all together. All the while we are pulling through the muck and the good and the painful and the guilt and the joy.

We are climbing. Trying to be better, realizing we can't without God there, His hand the one that pulls us up through all those thoughts and confusions, all the times we fall back down, having to get up again with scraped knees and a sometimes battered resolve.

Maybe it's just a young person thing, but I would like to make a difference by sharing that with you.

 I would like to be one of those people that makes other people have a better day.

I would like to be one of those persons who brightens up a room and encourages you to keep going. 

I would like to tell you that I struggle through those everyday things too.

I would like to be there for you, putting a different pair of glasses on you, with each post, so that you can look at the world around you just a little differently.

 Because I have those moments where I just got my eyes opened in a whole new way and oh man guys Ihavetoshareitwithyou you have to look at life this way too!

We'll make it interesting. 

To find out more about me and this blog, have a look at  The Girl, and, Why is She Curious?