2014 Resolutions

It's early (well, 10 or so days early), but here are my resolutions for 2014.

1. First of the month photo journal
Take a picture of the view out my front door (or wherever, as long as it is the same place/time each first of the month). In the likely event that we move (just to a different house, probably), or if we happen to be out of town on the first of the month, I will find a different front door view. Will start this January 1st, of course.

2. Lectionary Blogs 
A blogpost reflecting on the day's Scripture from the Revised Common Lectionary. I have already started on some of these (thanks, scheduled posting!) for the likely event that I fall behind on this. Basically I am just going to read through the Scriptures and blog about whatever the Lord places on my heart. I'm guessing the quality will change from day to day...but mostly this is an exercise for me. If you are blessed/challenged by reading it, then thank God! I really desire to be in the Word regularly, and not only that but thinking about it and reflecting on it. So this is my attempt at that.

3. Prayer Life
I am terrible at praying. Period. Anything will be an improvement. Currently, my most consistent prayers are in the middle of the night when I am rocking with my son, who has trouble sleeping. I pray for obvious things like rest, and for our little family. If someone asks me for prayer, I pray right then and there, because I don't want to say, "I'll pray for you" and then completely forget. Let's face it. I will forget. Sorry. I don't want to forget. Ultimately I think that wanting to be a better pray-er is a twofold thing. I want to be closer to God, and I want to think of others more than I think of myself. The way I hope to accomplish this is yet unknown. I think that writing them down is a good start (or more likely, writing a note on my phone), and then checking the list throughout the day. That's all I have so far. I think a journal is a good idea...but I have never been a consistent journaler (journalist?). Blogging doesn't count.

4. Be the person I want to be
Continue working through this list. Basically I want to be a better wife and mom, and a better me.

That's it. Instead of doing something crazy like 14 goals for 2014, I've just taken the last number, 4. Four goals. Working through them daily is the goal (except for the first one, obviously)...but we'll see how I'm doing come January 3.

EDIT/ADDITION

5. 5K
I'd like to run a 5K sometime in 2014. Probably toward the end.

Productivity

I'm working on a project...a Lent project! It will look verrrry similar to my Advent/Christmas/Epiphany project, and will start, Lord willing, on February 10: Transfiguration Sunday! Ash Wednesday isn't until the 13th of February, but like the other project, sometimes it's nice to get started a couple days in advance.

As always, I hope you enjoy (and even if you don't, I enjoy. So this is what you get, dear blog reader!).

Dream Big.

First off let me start by saying that I have already driven a car today.

...

But while I was driving, I was daydreaming a daydream I often have, about how I would love it if cars weren't "necessary." Now of course I got a taste of this living in Europe, where we didn't own or really even drive a car for 2 years. Yes, sometimes it would have been more convenient, but mostly, we didn't miss it. I liked having the grocery store and work and church, etc, all within walking distance. And with sidewalks that led to these places. And for a reliable bus system that had bus stops within walking distance for those days when your destination seemed to be too far away. For longer trips, we were within easy walking distance to the train station and bus station. There were always shuttles to and from the airport. There was always a way to get to where you needed to go without having to worry about taking care of a silly car.

Here in the US (or, at least where I live), we don't have good sidewalks. We don't have reliable bus systems. I can't just walk to the grocery store, or to church. I can't walk somewhere that will shuttle me to Pittsburgh, or to the airport, or to a bus station. People complain about gas prices all the time, but really it falls on deaf ears* when you're talking to me. I don't think the "solution" is for someone else to lower gas prices. I think the solution is for us to drive less...but unfortunately we're not set up for it. 

But I wonder how my life would be different if I insisted on not driving for most of the time? Would I be able to survive on the few groceries I could scrounge up? Would I be willing to walk all the way downtown to buy a few groceries (uphill on the way back...and 1.1 miles away). What sort of things would I have to give up? In what ways would we benefit?

Maybe a project for this summer. If it isn't 1000 degrees fahrenheit out every day.

The first picture I could find on the computer that had people walking.

*Pun recognized. I know I am hard-of-hearing.

Brief Hiatus

Not from reading or commenting, but from posting. In all my social medias.

Happy Advents to you and yours!

Made by Steve, a while ago. Both the oats and the picture. I don't think it has anything to do with Advent, or a hiatus. But I like it. The picture. Not the oats.

Love your neighbor.

It seems that I have been going through some sort of blogging slump lately. Not too many pictures or meaningful posts. The same goes with certain other social media venues that I employ (except Twitter, which I have no problem using on a minutely basis). Facebook is becoming more and more like email to me. Checking it only to see if there are any notifications, or if I need to get ahold of anyone (and skimming through pictures of people's kids...and quickly skimming through all the political unrest, etc). Little blurbs about what is going on in my life, but nothing too thoughtful. I have really yet to see the use for google+, as I forget to check it, and don't really know what service it provides that I can't get elsewhere. Ho hum. Doo dedoo.


Anyway, since I have no problems coming up with things to say on Twitter, I went there to see if I could find something to blog about. Last Sunday, I posted this tweet:

Thinking about what it really means to "love our neighbor." Considering Galatians 5:13-15, 6:1-10 (esp 2), Romans 13:8-9, &; Luke 10:25-37.

Sounds like the perfect thing to blog about, thought I don't have too many solutions to offer. Just thoughts and some Scriptures.

I have been failing at taking pictures lately, though have enjoyed the occasional impromptu stovetop photo shoot to try to illustrate something. These two are neighbors. And saltshakers. If you think the girl is salt, you would be mistaken.

There's probably little disagreement among Christians that we need to love our neighbor as ourselves, it is in the "how" we love our neighbor, and the "who" is our neighbor question that we can't seem to figure out/agree on. 


Jesus, when He was asked the question, "And who is my neighbor?," launches into the familiar story of the good Samaritan. Now, there is a lot that could be said about this particular story, of the history of why the Samaritans weren't liked by the Jewish people, or why the priest and temple assistant didn't even want their shadow to touch the man who was beaten and robbed, but let's look at the answer of who the neighbor is.  The neighbor is the one who showed mercy on the person who needed it. Jesus says that this is what we are to do in order to be a good neighbor. So, who needs mercy? Probs everyone at some point, right?  Even ourselves!


Ok. I have lots of thoughts that I've typed and then deleted. They are merely speculative, and not sure if they are helpful.  I guess a lot of what I have been thinking about lately has to do with two things (that could have to do with each other, but not necessarily).
1. How do we care for the poor, both among us, and in the world. If we just give them the resources we think they need, are we really helping? What can we do on a relational level with people before we just give them yesterday's t-shirts? If we go downtown and start up 10 businesses, will it really help, or will it just force the poor to live somewhere else? If we know the people, and what businesses they would shop/work at, it would be better. But that takes a lot of time, and we are not creatures that are known for their patience. If we are doing relational ministry, there are a lot less statistics that we can give to people who want to give us money to help.  What do we base our "success" on?
2. How do we care for and show love to people who are difficult to love/care for? It is easier to love our neighbor who is just like we are, for better or for worse. How can we show love for those who drive us crazy, or who have a different worldview, or whose sins are seemingly different from our own? Is it ok if one person's style of loving his/her neighbor is different from our own?


Lots to consider. There is a lot, a la-hot, of Scripture that is all about loving our neighbor. The last 6 of the Ten Commandments are all about loving our neighbor. Both old and new testament talk about loving our neighbor. There must be something we can glean from this and apply to today. Here is the tip of the iceberg:


In Deuteronomy, the people are told to leave some of their hard work behind during the harvest time, so that the poor can come and take what they need afterward.


In Leviticus, the idea of leaving part of your harvest behind and following the neighborly part of the Ten Commandments is discussed (This is not meant to discredit the first four commandments. Loving God and loving your neighbor tend to go hand in hand).


Galatians 5:13-26 points to the entire law being summed up in, "love your neighbor as yourself" and gives examples of how to live in the Spirit.


Galatians 6:1-10 also talks about harvesting, but harvesting good. I especially like verses 2-3, "Share each other's burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important." How can we practically share each other's burdens? This could start in the home/family, and reach out to the community, and to the world. Sharing burdens implies that both parties take on each other's burdens. It isn't just one important person with seemingly no burdens helping out the poor person they don't know. No one has the upper hand when burdens are being shared. There are probably implications that joys are being shared as well in this scenario.


Romans 13:8-9. Sorry Mr. Ramsey, but I don't think these verses are so much about being a good steward with your money as they are about loving your neighbor.


Hebrews 13:15-16 says that sharing with those in need and doing good are ways that we can give a pleasing and continual sacrifice of praise to God.


Ok. Lots to think about. What do you think it means to love your neighbor? How does that look? What verses help you to think of this?

Hula-hooping is the poorman's treadmill.

You may or may not remember that a few months ago I decided I would try to work out on a regular basis (well, I mean, I tried last summer too...and a few years back....but this time I really meant it).  You may remember that I tried out Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred.  While I have no real complaints about it (other than I hate jumping-jacks), I couldn't see myself making it a habit (as in, once 30 days was up, and I had mastered all the modified workouts, I couldn't see myself doing it for the next 80 years).  And really, I didn't want to lose the 20 pounds it said I would (I didn't). All I really wanted to do was find some sort of workout routine that I enjoyed, that was low cost/ low maintenance, and would qualify for my "30 minutes a day."  I am in it for the feel-good hormones that working out provides, and the long-term health benefits.  And also so my pants aren't so tight.  But really for health. 
Anyway, shortly after I "completed" the shred, I read somewhere that Hula-hooping is a legitimate form of exercising.  Good cardio. Burns calories. Works the muscles in one's torso and thighs. Etc.  Really, what more could I ask for?  Plus, I am a really good hula-hooper.  There has never been a time where I remember not being able to hula-hoop. 
So, I went out and bought a hula-hoop for five bucks, figuring, if it was just too silly to hula-hoop for 30 minutes a day in my living room, I was only out five dollars, and could probably easily find a kid somewhere who wanted the hula hoop.
Turns out, I have a high tolerance for what's silly, because I have kept up with it all summer!

Top Five Reasons Why Hula-Hooping Is My Main Form of Formal Exercise:
5. Inexpensive
4. Doesn't take up a lot of space (seriously, we have a tiny living room, and I manage just fine with out knocking anything over while hula-hooping).
3. You can watch TV or read a non-school book pretty easily while hula-hooping, making 30 minutes fly by.
2. While Jillian seems to think that my upper body needs to be toned, it's really the middle part that needs the most work, which is exactly what hula-hooping focuses on.
1.  It is low impact, and I don't have to wear any sort of athletic gear (shoes, sports bra, etc) to hula hoop.  I can just roll out of bed and hula hoop if I want to.

A recent picture of me hula-hooping.  Well, the most recent I could find.  My haircut and sense of style are the same as when I was 4, so does it really matter?