5 Little Things

5 Little Things I'm loving, learning, looking forward to, recommending and more. No rules, no structure. Just 5 Little Things that are on my mind right now.

Easter Blessings

Low in the grave He lay, Jesus my Savior,
Waiting the coming day, Jesus my Lord!

Up from the grave He arose,
With a mighty triumph o’er His foes,
He arose a Victor from the dark domain,
And He lives forever, with His saints to reign.
He arose! He arose!
Hallelujah! Christ arose!

We celebrate Easter this Sunday. A time not for bunnies and eggs, jellybeans and peeps -- Easter's a time to celebrate our resurrected Savior. What blessings that Christ arose!

Making Things Happen: Step 8

I'm continuing to work through Lara Casey's Goal Setting process in preparation for the Making Things Happen Conference which starts TOMORROW! Woohoo!

In my last post, I worked through what I was going to say NO to in 2013. Today, Step 8 works through what I am going to say YES to in 2013. The focus for both? Saying no and yes to things that make your vision come to life.

STEP 8: With everything you have written down thus far in mind (I suggest reading over all of your progress again), what are you going to need to say YES to more often in order to make your vision come to life? Dream big here and write down the things you are afraid to dive into too. There is great potential hiding in your fear.

1. Taking chances
2. Making decisions
3. Being uncomfortable
4. Meeting new people
5. Learning, learning, learning
6. Trying new things
7. Praying over the pathway to my vision
8. Reading God's word for guidance
9. Smiling, laughing, making others laugh
10. Forward progress
11. Hard conversations
12. My church ministries
13. Being a better teacher for the kids ministry
14. Purposeful living
15. Being a good steward of the blessings (money, talents, time) God has given me
16. Breathing
17. Doing what matters. Forgetting the rest.
18. Progress not perfection.
19. My Beagle
20. Staying healthy

Making Things Happen: Step 7

It turns out that I've been wrong in stalling about the dreaded Step 6: What is your 2013 vision? In working through the process, I figured out that my vision doesn't have to be the destination (which would require me knowing what the destination is). My vision for 2013 can just be to take the journey, knowing that in His timing, God will lead me to the destination. 

Next in the process is Step 7: What is NOT in that vision?

STEP 7: Here’s where things get fun. You now know what did work in 2012, what didn’t work and what fires you up. You learned some very valuable lessons in all of this. You are starting to see the bigger picture and have a VISION for your year ahead. So, what is NOT in that vision? 

Make a list of all of the things that are holding you back (or could potentially hold you back) from making this vision coming to life this year. Make your list of 20 things you are saying NO to in 2013.

1. Fear
2. Worry
3. Embarrassment
4. Lack of knowledge
5. Risk
6. Safety/Security
7. Change
8. Exposure
9. Failure
10. The unnecessary that crowds my brain space :)
11. Pity parties
12. Not praying
13. Not reading the Bible
14. Not seeking God's guidance in my decisions
15. Shyness when in groups where I don't know anyone (once I know someone I'm good, but if I don't know anyone, I'm a bundle of nerves).
16. Clutter - mental and physical
17. Spending frivolously
18. Overcommitting
19. Time sucks - friends that drain me, social media, TV
20. Any decision that doesn't align with my 2013 vision.

Making Things Happen: Step 6

I'm preparing to attend the Making Things Happen conference in Chapel Hill this month with Lara Casey, Emily Ley and Gina Zeidler. Back in January I stared working through the Goal Setting posts on Lara's blog, but stalled when I hit Step 6. The question: What is your 2013 vision? When I thought about it, I wasn't sure what my 2013 vision was. Between circumstances in life, accomplishments the past year and everything we all juggle in day-to-day, I was unclear about 2013. Just about that time I saw the announcement about the 2013 Making Things Happen Conference and decided to take the leap and sign-up!

In preparation for the conference, Lara encouraged us all to work through (or in my case, finish) the Goal Setting process. Though I still feel pretty much the same as I did back in January, I am purposing to move through the remainder of the goal setting steps the best I can! :)

So where did I leave off? 

STEP SIX: What is your 2013 VISION?

What kind of life do you want to live this year? Where do you want to be when you’re 80? WHY do you do what you do? What is your mission? What is your CORE? Friends, you are going to have to think long and hard about this one and I have a fun task for you to do while you’re at it. DO more of what fires you up. If dance parties, hugging your kids, laughing with your husband and doing good things for others fires you up, DO those things today.

In 2013 I want to harness my passions and take strides toward refining what I want to do. Do day to day, do during my free time, do with my family and friends, do for a job. I have a lot of things I'm good at, things I'm trained in, things I do freelancing and things I do at my current full-time job. But, what do I want to wake up every morning and look forward to doing? When I meet someone and they ask me, "What do you do?," what answer will make me smile from ear to ear because it embodies my true passions, excites me and FIRES me up? My vision is that during 2013 I'll figure out what that answer is. 

This year I want to live a life that is fulfilling. That has a purpose. That gives me energy. That serves others. That makes wise choices. That takes advantage of the place I am at in my life.

When I'm 80, I want to have lived a fulfilling life full of family, friends and loved ones. A life that was centered on God and served others. A life that had ups and downs, challenges and victories, but that always had a focus on God and a reliance on His always guiding hand.

My 2013 Vision:

Take risks, explore new things, figure out what I want to be, what I want to do...and go do it! Carefully pray over decisions and seek wisdom from God's word on the things to say "yes" to and things to say "no" to and the things to say "not yet" to. Ring in 2014 not with it all figured out, but with more clarity, more purpose, more energy than I began 2013 with.

My 2013 Word:

Purpose.

What is God's purpose for me? How does He intend to use my talents? What is my purpose and how do I figure that out?