Tag: goals

Arrived

Things have improved much on our trip. We talked through some things last night and this morning, and cleared up some important points in how we each were relating to the trip and aspects of it. We had a slightly tough start at the Jack Daniel’s Distillery, but ended up having a lovely time throughout it, and then an awesome time visiting with my sister tonight. We both tend to get very defensive, very quickly, so it is certainly a process to stop relating to things as a potential threat or unkindness from which e must defend ourselves… but we are improving as a whole, and I am certainly grateful for that!

I think this will be a lovely visit with my sister tomorrow and Monday morning. Thank you, God, for these blessings so far. Please, help us to continue to honor you through our love in all its forms. In your name, I pray. Thank you. Amen.

Post-a-day 2022

Prayer

My mom told me the other night, ‘I just listened to Mark Wahlberg say the rosary.’

Uhm… What?????

It’s this prayer app called “Hallow”. I immediately downloaded it and did the daily rosary with narrator Mark, who happens to be the Mark Wahlberg. Super cool.

But it gets a bit better.

The app tracks your use in terms of streaks… ‘Congrats! You’re on a one-day streak!’ We all know that I’m a fan of streaks, what with an 808-day streak on Duolingo right now. So, where I’ve already been wanting to pray more, and I find this app with lots of really cool prayer options – the organization and usability could use some definite improvement, and having the paid options listed all mixed in with the free ones (with no filter) is a bit of a big hassle, though – that not only has Mark Wahlberg for the rosaries, but that also makes it like a game of sorts. I’m in!

Check it out, y’all, and have fun with prayer and meditations and learning all those prayers we hear so rarely but to which everyone else always seems to know the words! (Yes, those are all on there for free, too!)

Post-a-day 2022

Hard Times

It can become extremely difficult to handle tough situations with grace, when our bodies and minds are suffering from a lack or excess of any kind, be it too little nourishing food and too much junk, or too little sleep or too much lazing, too much negative talk and too little kindness and generosity… Life just is harder when we don’t take true care of our bodies and our minds.

And it is a circle of positive feedback – the more we give ourselves the lacks and the excesses, the harder things become.

It is certainly time for me to take a stand and start caring for myself fully again. I cannot care for another or others to any degree truly, if I have not taken care of myself first. If I am not at my best, it will be immensely harder to help others be at theirs.

God, grant me the courage and the certainty that I am worth the efforts of caring for myself fully. Please, that I may do your will wholly. In your name, I pray. Amen.

Post-a-day 2022

Birthday

Today went well, I think. I gave my man his awesome birthday present I had made for rhim, as well as the awesome miniature pancake layer cake (paleo pancakes layered with Nutella and fresh bacon crumbles) I had made. I cooked a filling breakfast, and it was paleo, then headed in to school. Taught classes and did grading. Fast forward to the end of the school day? And so got to go home early by a bit and nap briefly before my mom showed up to decorate.

My man was on a call, so we had everything mostly set up but he time he came out of his office and phone call.

We ate cupcakes and played with a styrofoam airplane, then he and my mom and I went to Topgolf. My mom and so had never been. I think we all had a good time, though. It was fun. Especially considering I’ve had a real lesson, and so could hit the balls somewhat decently every time.

That you, God, for this day, and thank you for this amazing man with whom I get the honor of spending my life. I love you both. In the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.

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A day for rest

I think I am finally remembering why I avoided scheduling and agreeing to things on Sundays, why I wouldn’t work Sundays at the shop. You see, by Sunday, I am worn down, sometimes immensely. I truly think that I need Sundays as a day of rest for me in my life. Yes, it lines up well with Church and the sabbath and all, but it really seems like I just end up sick and stressed and feeling inevitably behind and nearly overwhelmed with everything else in life, when I just keep going over the weekend. However, when I take a Sunday like a rainy day restful day, not really going anywhere but Church, and just hanging around at home, maybe doing household chores, if they’re needed and if I have the energy (though, folding clothes is usually quite meditative for me). I think I need to move back to that.

I considered doing it today. But it felt like a wasteful idea, to lie on the sofa and watch a movies or series and, maybe, doze… I think, however, that it is more beneficial to me and to the week at large if I actually do laze around on Sunday afternoons, truly giving myself space to do nothing for a little while. From that, I am able to go to sleep early, and wake up actually refreshed on Monday morning.

I certainly wish that were the case right now… alas, I know how to handle things going forward!

Post-a-day 2022

Prayers answered

You know the story of the man in his home as a storm hits, how the neighbors ask in a truck for him to flee with them, and he replies that God will save him? The flood waters rise, a boat comes, offers a ride, and he declines, saying God will save him. The waters rise more, a helicopter comes to him as he sits on his roof, surrounded by water, but he declines the ride. ‘God will save me.’ He then is sealed up by the waters. As he approaches the pearly gates, he asks God why God never saved him. God asks him what he thought the truck, the boat, and the helicopter were.

I felt a version of that story today, coincidentally right after having a student mention that story in class.

You see, I hit this issue with my part-time job, right? I prayed for clear guidance from God as to what to do. I needed to know if I was staying with the job, and, if so, how to go about picking up an extra shift, in order to meet the new requirements.

I felt initially like it might be to pick up a shift this weekend, today, but it had to work out just right. There was then an open invitation for 7pm to midnight work for tonight. But it just felt like too much struggle for me, staying out and up so late. It was too likely I would end up sick, as I usually have whenever I stay up and out like that.

Then a shift was available for 2pm to 7pm today… still later than I wanted. But let me think on it. It’ll still be there, if it’s meant to be. I trust you… After a bit, I decided to go ahead and go for it; suck it up and make it work. But the shift was gone. I couldn’t take it. I looked into it, and saw that no one had actually picked it up. So, I potentially could reach out to the original person and ask if she still wanted it covered… but that didn’t feel right.

Something kept pulling at me, though… there was something about today, since I was finishing at school so early. There had to be something… please?

Then, in our group message thing, I saw the most recent message from about 45 minutes beforehand. Someone had an issue arise and couldn’t go in. Could someone go in from now until 5pm?

Seriously?!

‘I could go in about an hour,’ I offered. It was true. I could handle enough work to have only a bit left to do before school Monday, and head out by noon, work until five, and get to my man not too long after he would be finishing work for the day. And it would fulfill the extra day I needed to work before the end of the month, without giving up tomorrow or a Sunday.

A manager responded, saying they would love to have me. So, I got my work handled quickly after all my classes ended, and I headed in just a few minutes after noon. I was ready to start working before 12:30, and was blown away when, halfway through the shift, a manager tells me that I’m only supposed to be there until 4:30. Even better! I love working at this place, but for four hours at a time. Beyond that, and it kind of wipes me.

So, I got home feeling really great this evening. Added bonus is that, when I have to work next weekend, my man will be playing golf with his brothers and dad for his birthday. Score on timing!

Anyway, the manager person who had sent me the surprising e-mail the other day talked to me intentionally today, apologizing for how it had been shocking, that she had had no idea that we weren’t aware of the new policy, and that I had not been alone – others had responded similarly when she’d e-mailed them about the same thing. We had a great talk about it all, and I felt quite relieved at having been heard in my shock and upset and concerns. I actually agree that the policy is a good one to have – it was just not communicated to any of us workers, and it was practically the opposite of what we had always been told previously. So, there was a major ball-drop on the leadership side there. She is now working to sort that out, though, fortunately.

All-in-all, it was a positive day, and I am grateful for how lovely it all turned out to be. Thank you, God.

With the whole available shifts thing, it really felt like offerings from God to handle the situation, combined with my own stubbornness, and also standing for my own health and well-being, being my best self. I feel as though, because I never got angry or nasty, but just stood with courage, I was given the beautiful opportunity I was.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for that helicopter. In your name, I pray. Amen.

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P.S. For a birthday on a Wednesday, how soon can we give the first birthday present? Is Saturday too soon, or must we wait for Sunday, so it’s officially in the birthday week? Or Monday for the mostly European one? Or simply Wednesday????? What would you do, hmm??

Golf!

I had my first golf lesson today. We started and ended early, because a massive – and I truly mean massive – storm was rolling into town. I even had to go alternate routes to get home, though it wasn’t far from the driving range, because the pouring rain filled the streets so badly. I couldn’t even see more than a few feet for a bit.

Anyway, golf lesson. It was awesome. I hit the ball and everything, and I even hit it well a handful of times. Two of them were just like… Whoosh!… That was nice… And the coach even said so on those. It felt really good on those, having good form and balance and everything, blowing the ball out onto the range smoothly, as though I had done it before already. My body liked it. It liked it a lot.

So, it looks like I will enjoy this new hobby, specifically going to the driving range. We’re already going to Top Golf next week for my man’s birthday (the whole reason I took a lesson now in the first place, since I couldn’t even hit the ball when I’d gone with my brother to a range once, several years ago). But the coach let me hold onto the starter club for now, so I can practice, and I intend to practice. Boy, do I intend to practice. I can hardly wait to fulfill one of my dreams of hanging out at the driving range, hitting balls alongside someone I love.

I was nervous, a bit scared. But this has turned out perfectly. I’m so glad I got ahold of the instructor the other day so easily, and I trusted the feeling that he would help me beautifully as I needed help.

Dear God, thank you. Thank you. Amen.

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P.S. God, please, help us both keep level heads – literally and figuratively – when we go to the range together. Please. Thank you. Amen.

P.P.S. I even had a sport skirt and cute shirt to wear, like I knew what I was doing. No collar required at the range, but I still looked very nice and very cute! Woohoo! Thank you, again, God. And thank you to my man for making this all possible. I love you. 😉

Let it go…*

And, some days, life is just tough. Things can go up and down and back and forth from high stress to, ‘I can do this,’ and back all day long. Sometimes, too, it can continue into the night.

Dear God, help me to let go of whatever it is to which I am currently clinging that is causing me such stress and pains. Help me to open my hands and myself fully to you and your will. Help me to release, to let go and let God… in your name, I pray. Amen.

Post-a-day 2022

*Ironically, I’ve had one of the Frozen songs in my head all afternoon and evening today, but not that one! “…finish each other’s…” “…sandwiches!”

Friday night

We had a birthday dinner at Benihana for my sister-in-law tonight. We brought gifts that all were shades of purple, and the smaller ones were wrapped somewhat Japanese style, what with the wrapped item then put inside a decorative bag and tied closed, while the larger was simply wrapped in purple wrapping paper. The money was green, but it was wrapped in a cute pink Japanese gift-giving cloth. (My mom had gotten a money envelope, but I couldn’t remember the kanji that were right for birthdays or general events, so I wasn’t sure it was the right kind, and thought it actually was a wedding one…, so we didn’t use that.)

We also brought glow sticks for everyone to choose and wear. And Haribo Goldbären and Kit-Kat minis and mochi doughnuts – also wrapped in Japanese style baggies with colorful ties and stickers – were the party favors we gave everyone.

Basically, it was a silly little surprise-party-type dinner, without being an actual surprise party. Just the level of festivity was a surprise, I guess. Oh, and we also had a candle that we stuck into her ice cream when they brought that out and sang to her.

And I am exhausted right now. But that’s okay. I actually had a great time at dinner, even though it went until around 9pm, which is already late for me to be out, but especially so after this tough, tough week and the start of school.

And we’re going to a dance event tomorrow night, just for the night. I’m slightly terrified.

God, please, help me to have the energy and comfort in my body and mind to enjoy tomorrow and tomorrow night fully. Help me to help my man enjoy it all fully, please. And thank you for getting me through everything this week. In your name, I pray. Amen.

Post-a-day 2022