Finding My Way...

Advent Conspiracy

Angie finds the best stuff, and she is constantly feeding my soul.  She is a blessing to me.  I am sharing this, which I learned about on her blog.

Tomorrow I plan to share this with my daughter and ask her to help me brainstorm ways to make this a part of our Christmas this year.

In 2008 I resolve...

* to get back onto Weight Watchers and eat better.

* to get back into a routine of exercising at Curves 3x/week.

* to take a photography class to learn to use my DSLR to a fuller potential.

* to remember 12 of 12 each month for a year to create a scrapbook album.

* to work scrapbooking back into my weekly schedule now that I am in more of a rhythm with the new job.

* to host another small group Bible study at our home one evening a week.

* to read at least 2 books (without pictures) each month.

Last year I didn't feel moved to make any resolutions, but I was also at a real low last winter.  I am doing much better this year on my medicine regimen, and I really want to make some life choices with purpose.

What do you resolve for 2008?

I Love Spring Break!

I love to read, but most often I read in fits and spurts.  Spring Break always seems to present me with lots of time to read.  For the second year in a row, we drove down to Alabama to visit my husband's grandmother and lots of other family.  We stayed with his Aunt and Uncle.  His Aunt has a fabulous collection of Christian fiction.  I especially like to pull down the Beverly Lewis books, set in Amish country.  This week I read the "Annie's People" trilogy.  I also picked up a story set in the time of the Gold Rush of California called The Measure of a Lady.  I finished each in about a day apiece.  I feel so indulgent when I get to read lots like that.

I had been on the lookout for a new devotional.  I need to add more quiet time with God to my day, and I have been looking for something to read as a part of that.  I picked out A Place of Quiet Rest: Finding Intimacy with God Through a Daily Devotional Life to help me get started.  Then I selected Going Places with God to read afterwards.  It's a 90 day journey through places in the Bible.  I'm looking forward to them both.  A couple of Sundays ago, Rev. J. preached about deeper understanding of the Word by praying the Bible.  She shared a verse she intends to pray daily for a year.  The idea of selecting a verse or small selection of verses and praying them for a year was intriguing to me.  I have been reading the letters in the New Testament for a verse to pray, but nothing has jumped out at me.  This week I plan to look through some of the books of the Old Testament, starting with Isaiah.

I want to finish with a small word of encouragement to my friend Angie.  She has been looking forward to the Easter holiday, as she and her husband have been preparing themselves to join the Catholic church.  Though I am not Catholic, I have been following this part of Angie's faith journey, and it has helped encourage me to re-examine my own.  So today I say a prayer of thanks to Angie for inspiring me to find my way a little closer to God, and for blessings on Angie and her family as they take this step of joining the church.