Goals and wishes

How is it January 10th? Wasn't Christmas just yesterday? I feel like the last month has been a blur of activity and I'm still trying to get my planner broke in. Though my calendar and planner may be behind, I've been pretty excited dreaming of our goals for this year. Honestly, at times I just want to sit in the middle of the floor and not even try because some projects seem overwhelming.  But if I look at the big picture (which is what we were discussing at Bible study last night), then I'm excited to see what God will do.

Let's start with last year's goals:
1. Read 12 books this year

Update: Update: I finished Cozy Minimalist Home, Peter Pan, Sacred Holidays, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle , Farmer Boy, Faith, The Life Giving Parent , The Middle Matters, and The Prairie Homestead Cookbook, How to Raise a Wild Child, Teaching from Rest, Action Bible, The Trumpet of the Swan (technically we read the last chapter this year, but I'll count it for last year's goal) and Loving the Little Years (such a great book!).

That's 14 books finished! A pretty successful reading year!

2. Explore the alphabet with my preschooler: Goal completed.

3. Identify 5 plants/tracks: Technically…..my goal is completed. But is learning about nature ever a completed goal?

4. Get rid of 50 things: completed

5. Learn to make more things from scratch: done

6. Prepare for secret project: We moved!  We bought our little "farm" and are excited for the adventures to come.

7. Blog/writing (I have ideas…but life seems to take all my time)

8. Finish 2nd kids baby book and do the 3rd kid’s book:  I finished the newborn photo book for the third kiddo, just not all the first year photos.

9. Clean out freezer and use up pantry: The freezer is significantly emptier!

10. Do 10 projects with the little ones: zoo trips, splash park, etc. We had an active summer!

As I think about goals for 2020, I have to remember what I wrote in so many posts this last year. The goal isn't perfection, or mastery or even completion. The goal is ...to do something. Where ever you are, move one step closer to where you want to be. The comparison isn't between you and the person next to you, nor you and the person you want to be. It's between you and who you were.

One of my goals this month is to create a school room. Right now, it's a storage room with boxes from our old basement, office, kids' stuff, and randomness. Today I called it "hopeful discouragement". It's overwhelming looking at the piles that I literally don't know what to do with. But it's hopeful as I see small spaces clear out and give room for dreams of what could be in that space. I can't do it all today or even this week. But I can do this one box. I can unpack those books. I can throw away those items. I can do...something.

As you pray and process what you want to do in 2020, remember to make it realistic with small steps you can regularly take. But more importantly, make them goals that matter. Do these goals align with God's calling for you? Do they enrich the lives of others? Will they make a long term difference, not just for today?

To finish, I'd like to introduce you to our new family member.

Boaz joined our family at Christmas this year and we love him! He is tough enough to wrestle with our Aussie, yet sweet and calm. This summer will be fun watching the dogs run around the newly fenced in yard.  He's going to be a big dog as he's just a pup, yet already 26 lbs. Look at that sweet face though!

I hope your new year was filled with thankfulness for how God worked in 2019 and anticipation for His plans in 2020. 

Sojourning with you,

 Felicia