Necklace from this Etsy shop and I love it.
I am one month into the year of living with the word “light,” and I wanted to share a bit about how this process is going for me. In our prompts this month (for the class run by Ali Edwards) we set intentions and there were some suggested categories to focus on, so that’s how I’m going to structure these update posts.
spiritual
what’s been going well : so far I have been keeping up with my scripture memory challenge (one verse every other week), volunteering to help out at church, being involved in our life group and my own personal Bible study.
still weighing on me : here’s the thing. Being a light and being filled with the light aren’t items you can tick off a to-do list. This is a lifelong pursuit and all I can do is try to be obedient and do better. The one thing that I really want to do better with is praying. I want praying to be such a part of my life that I do it like breathing.
physical
what’s been going well : running has definitely been a positive part of my life. I have one more half marathon to run on February 7 and then I’m going to stick to shorter races. I hope to incorporate other forms of exercise at that time.
still weighing on me : I haven’t been curbing my sugar intake lately and I’d like to clean that up.
emotional
what’s been going well : I started personal journaling again on a private blog. I still hand write in my prayer journal sometimes, but this is much more effective for me on a daily basis. I also conquered a few nagging tasks this month.
still weighing on me : the weather wasn’t good for most of the month and it got kind of depressing. I overbooked myself for a few weeks (granted, we have six close family birthdays in January that had to be celebrated, sometimes in multiple ways). We haven’t made any progress toward paying off debt, and I am very low on PTO at work because of sicknesses.
relationships
what’s been going well : several times when I felt my patience running thin with the kids, and I could tell I was about to lose my cool, I thought to myself light light light and took a deep breath and was able to stay calm.
still weighing on me : I definitely still struggle to stay gentle with the kids, especially Meredith, since she can be so intense. David and I haven’t had a date night in quite awhile, and I am working on not taking out on him any grumpiness I may feel.
creative
what’s been going well : I have a memory-keeping framework set in place now that makes me feel confident (will share soon) and keeping up with editing/ordering photos relieves a lot of stress. I am happy with where this blog is. I am excited about getting knitting supplies & lessons for my birthday.
still weighing on me : just being behind on projects and trying to let go of that self-imposed pressure.
Here is how my album is shaping up:
It’s an 8.5 x 11 album, and I plan to use it every year until it gets full. I’m hoping I can get 3-5 years in here.
This project is a little bit creative but mostly reflective. The album isn’t the focus but I appreciate having a place to keep all my thoughts gathered, and working on the prompts – creative or reflective – will help me keep my word in mind throughout the year.
