2007 Prayer for Growth

It’s late in January. Most people have completed their 2007 resolutions by now. I’ve not done this in several years, mostly because my goals and resolutions usually seem to end up unreached, a source of discouragement instead of challenge.

This year I feel a bit differently. A bit braver. I feel God's been at work in my heart and leading me to grow in some specific areas. Instead of making a long list of resolutions (which ends up being just a list Satan uses to remind me of my shortcomings), I’m making commitments to growth, with God's help, in just four areas. I’ve always loved that verse in Luke where it talks about Jesus’ growth as a young man and so am basing these ideas on that verse (Luke 2: 52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.)

To make it easy to remember, I focused on the four aspects of our being (and limited myself to just one goal for each area, although I listed several to give you an example of what I mean):

• Physical (health, diet, exercise, homemaking, etc.)
• Mental (career, education, reading, etc.)
• Spiritual (our relationship with God)
• Social (relationships with others, community commitments etc.)
  

To solidify these commitments, I’m making them matters of prayer, hence the title 2007 Prayer for Growth. I've written these out in a prayer format in a Word document which I'll keep with my Bible journal.

I'm not going to share these prayers in detail here, but I will say I've been challenged by those of you who have shared your resolutions or meditations for the year. I didn't want this year to just roll on by and not be able to look back and see how God has worked in specific areas.

If you're not a resolution person, perhaps this idea is something that would work for you too. That's the cool thing about God - January 31 is as important to him as January 1st! It's never too late!

Over the Back Fence

I think if I had to choose another name for my blog, that's what it would be - "Over the Back Fence." Because that's part of what I love about blogging. It's chatting over the backyard fence with the neighbor lady (that'd by you, dear reader). It's a place where we share our smallest of victories, and remind one another that we're not alone in our journey. In my mind, that's what a neighborhood should be.

I have this vision of neat little bungalows with tidy backyards, divided by a white picket fence that exists solely for the purpose of keeping my dog from digging in your yard. It's not a six foot privacy fence, just a three foot little thing that still allows for plenty of friendly hellos and interesting conversation. It'd make hanging the laundry so much easier, to be able to chat with you while I'm doing it. If we're having a barbecue, you'd know you were invited. If we had kids, our kids would play together. When we have time, we enjoy a cup of coffee together in my kitchen. If you were ill, I'd be sure to pop over with some homemade chicken noodle soup. The mailman knows to leave my packages with you if I'm out of town, and thank you for checking our mail, by the way. My dog likes to annoy your cat at times, but then your cat kind of asks for it, by walking along the fence rail, just out of Fido's reach. Our husbands are always borrowing each others tools but hey, we're okay with that - right?

Okay, I know I'm being a bit idealistic here, but growing up in the country, where homes are up to a quarter mile apart, I always envisioned that cozy little neighborhood. I think it's a longing for connection that is a part of all of us. Instead of wiping my hands on my apron and rushing out to the backyard in hopes of sharing a bit of my day, it's just as nice to sit down and chat with you a bit. I appreciate all your great homemaking tips, and enjoy hearing about your kids. I love talking about books with you, and sharing little silly things, like how happy I am that I cleaned out two closets today. I love knowing what's cooking at your house, and I love when you share what God's doing in your life.

So that's a big part of what blogging is for me - sometimes a friendly conversation over the back fence, sometimes a heart-to-heart over a cup of tea. It's a neighborhood I'm glad to be part of. Thanks for being there!

More Library Treasures!

A while back I mentioned some benefits of my local library. I'm pretty pleased with my efforts to become a library reader; it sure is cutting down on all the money I used to spend on books. Pretty much, I borrow fiction and buy non-fiction. Most of the fiction that I do buy I end up giving away, which I'm happy to do!

Anyways, I just discovered some new perks at my local library:

• I can download audiobooks for free. I don't even have to go to the library to do this! So I think that justifies this little MP3 player which will be a mere $29.99 after $40 rebate. Looks like I'll need to pick up earbuds for it, but for $30, it looks like a pretty good deal.
• The Shopping Cart - the library's website allows me to keep a list of "to-be-read" books in a "shopping cart." When I'm ready to check them out, all I need to do is check the box and hit "Request."
• Access to a gazillion databases and useful reference sites
• Free wireless internet access

Just a few more reasons to love my local library. I know some of you mentioned that your local library is rather small and doesn't offer much but I encourage you to check and see if they offer some of these online options, and if they don't - why not suggest it?