Start of 2018 : Four Months Late Edition
Well, today I sat down at a coffee shop and realized I have done a terrible job at keeping my blog up to date, especially now that we are over four months in to 2018. This semester has been filled with a whirlwind of emotions, new journeys, lots of learning, and much more. However, I thought I would give a brief update about some of my personal goals for 2018, as well as where I am with those and what I am expecting to come for this year. Here are some of the goals I wrote for myself at the beginning of this year:
Goals
1. Read the Bible everyday.
2. Exercise 3 times a week.
3. Find a mentor or two.
4. Get more experiences in ministry.
5. Lose weight, attain a healthier lifestyle plan.
6. Save at least $1,000.
7. Consume no pop (soda, whatever you want to call it).
8. Learn to live minimally.
9. Spend more time in prayer.
10. Continue to work on my habit of biting my nails.
Wow, I remember sitting in my room that day and thinking where to even start and if I was getting in over my head with trying to work on this many different aspects of my life. However, I knew that in order to get where I wanted to be within the next year, to accomplish my further dreams, this is where I had to start. So where am I right now, four months in?
April
1. I have consistently read my Bible everyday which I believe has helped me find peace in other areas of my life. In January, I started rereading the New Testament and I am on track to finish it this week.
2. Haha, that's what I thought when I created this one. During my first semester at IWU, I rarely found time to be alone, let alone exercise. However, I am thankful that I realized I could not continue on with that way of living. For the most part, I have stuck with this goal and have been able to get back to jogging/running a little bit.
3. The Lord is so good, my friends! This is something I was really struggling with last semester as I felt that I had lost my mentors at home as they weren't in my immediate proximity. Although they were still there for me, I really wanted to find someone here at IWU that I could trust. At the very end of last semester and at the beginning of this semester, I began to seek out a few "friendtorship" (friendship/mentoring relationship). I now have three mentors that I meet with for different things and they have been such a blessing to me. This has been a huge provision from God.
4. I have been volunteering at two youth ministries in my area, one connected to College Wesleyan Church and one connected to the parachurch organization, Youth For Christ. Plus, I got to help as part of the youth conference, Fusion that was held at IWU this past weekend. I'm also looking forward to my summer church internship back at home.
5. Again, not the most fun goal to set for yourself, but it becomes more enjoyable once you see results, right?! I have actually been eating healthier and have actually been able to lose some weight within the past few months. I'm still not by any means where I want to be, but sometimes you just have to enjoy those late night donuts with friends.
6. This semester along with some other new adventures, I started an on campus job. Now by all means, I'm not trying to get rich. However as I read Dave Ramsey's Money Makeover book earlier this year as I look for ways to acquire less student debt, this was his first step - having a $1,000 emergency fund. I figured that although it may take me all year to accomplish this step, I thrive off of having goals in every area of life.
7. Although I've never been an avid pop drinker, my first semester of college I consumed so much caffeine that I began to have sleep problems. Plus after doing some research on the ingredients and effects of pop on your body, I decided I needed a break (at least). It's April and I'm not really even tempted to drink it anymore, I'm so glad I made this choice and I can see the positive effects that I am benefitting from it. Coffee on the other hand - that's a different story.
8. Yikes! If anyone knows me, they know my love for shoes and somewhat for clothes, as well. After evaluating my mom's lifestyle and how simply she lives, I have found myself wanting that kind of peace with being content. I am doing slightly better, but this has probably been the hardest goal for me so far. I have found that purging my room at home has helped. Plus, I already living minimally at college (dorm rooms are only so big).
9. Keeping a prayer journal has helped me to stay focused in my prayer life. I have done this for awhile, however consistency is key. Devoting time everyday to lift up my worries has helped with releasing anxiety so I'm thankful for that!
10. DONE! I can't remember a time in my life where I didn't bite my nails, as I always watched my mom do it. However, I have stopped completely!
These goals have really helped me to make progress this year and focus on areas that I needed to work on. There's no way I would've ever been able to do this alone and there have been so many people who have pushed me and loved me along the way. I'm thankful for supportive parents, loving mentors, and adventurous friends that have kept me going. I'm excited to see where the rest of this year takes me and the new adventures that will come with summer and the fall semester as I transition into new roles and become an upperclassmen. Another new blog post is in the making, but I'm taking a little longer to ponder on it.
Goals
1. Read the Bible everyday.
2. Exercise 3 times a week.
3. Find a mentor or two.
4. Get more experiences in ministry.
5. Lose weight, attain a healthier lifestyle plan.
6. Save at least $1,000.
7. Consume no pop (soda, whatever you want to call it).
8. Learn to live minimally.
9. Spend more time in prayer.
10. Continue to work on my habit of biting my nails.
Wow, I remember sitting in my room that day and thinking where to even start and if I was getting in over my head with trying to work on this many different aspects of my life. However, I knew that in order to get where I wanted to be within the next year, to accomplish my further dreams, this is where I had to start. So where am I right now, four months in?
April
1. I have consistently read my Bible everyday which I believe has helped me find peace in other areas of my life. In January, I started rereading the New Testament and I am on track to finish it this week.
2. Haha, that's what I thought when I created this one. During my first semester at IWU, I rarely found time to be alone, let alone exercise. However, I am thankful that I realized I could not continue on with that way of living. For the most part, I have stuck with this goal and have been able to get back to jogging/running a little bit.
3. The Lord is so good, my friends! This is something I was really struggling with last semester as I felt that I had lost my mentors at home as they weren't in my immediate proximity. Although they were still there for me, I really wanted to find someone here at IWU that I could trust. At the very end of last semester and at the beginning of this semester, I began to seek out a few "friendtorship" (friendship/mentoring relationship). I now have three mentors that I meet with for different things and they have been such a blessing to me. This has been a huge provision from God.
4. I have been volunteering at two youth ministries in my area, one connected to College Wesleyan Church and one connected to the parachurch organization, Youth For Christ. Plus, I got to help as part of the youth conference, Fusion that was held at IWU this past weekend. I'm also looking forward to my summer church internship back at home.
5. Again, not the most fun goal to set for yourself, but it becomes more enjoyable once you see results, right?! I have actually been eating healthier and have actually been able to lose some weight within the past few months. I'm still not by any means where I want to be, but sometimes you just have to enjoy those late night donuts with friends.
6. This semester along with some other new adventures, I started an on campus job. Now by all means, I'm not trying to get rich. However as I read Dave Ramsey's Money Makeover book earlier this year as I look for ways to acquire less student debt, this was his first step - having a $1,000 emergency fund. I figured that although it may take me all year to accomplish this step, I thrive off of having goals in every area of life.
7. Although I've never been an avid pop drinker, my first semester of college I consumed so much caffeine that I began to have sleep problems. Plus after doing some research on the ingredients and effects of pop on your body, I decided I needed a break (at least). It's April and I'm not really even tempted to drink it anymore, I'm so glad I made this choice and I can see the positive effects that I am benefitting from it. Coffee on the other hand - that's a different story.
8. Yikes! If anyone knows me, they know my love for shoes and somewhat for clothes, as well. After evaluating my mom's lifestyle and how simply she lives, I have found myself wanting that kind of peace with being content. I am doing slightly better, but this has probably been the hardest goal for me so far. I have found that purging my room at home has helped. Plus, I already living minimally at college (dorm rooms are only so big).
9. Keeping a prayer journal has helped me to stay focused in my prayer life. I have done this for awhile, however consistency is key. Devoting time everyday to lift up my worries has helped with releasing anxiety so I'm thankful for that!
10. DONE! I can't remember a time in my life where I didn't bite my nails, as I always watched my mom do it. However, I have stopped completely!
These goals have really helped me to make progress this year and focus on areas that I needed to work on. There's no way I would've ever been able to do this alone and there have been so many people who have pushed me and loved me along the way. I'm thankful for supportive parents, loving mentors, and adventurous friends that have kept me going. I'm excited to see where the rest of this year takes me and the new adventures that will come with summer and the fall semester as I transition into new roles and become an upperclassmen. Another new blog post is in the making, but I'm taking a little longer to ponder on it.
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