1. a call or summons to engage in any contest, as of skill, strength, etc.
2. something that by its nature or character serves as a call to battle, contest, special effort, etc.
3. a call to fight, as a battle, a duel, etc.
This blog was intended to be a challenge to myself, but I find myself becoming awfully nonchalant toward achieving all my goals. So, tonight as I sit here I think to myself...."what is wrong with me?" and "why am I not able to keep my mind focused." Of course, there's always the well-used excuses...such as stress from work, home, and family. I work 12 hour shifts AT NIGHT three nights a week, so for three or more days out of the weeks, I only have free time for about one hour (the rest is consumed with eating, sleeping, and working). I am currently in the midst of trying to move; packing some things, looking at houses, etc. In addition to all that, my husband and I live with my mother in law and my sister in law in a 3bedroom/2bath 1090 square foot home. Take into account that I am a newlywed (married just under 2 years ago) and am longing for privacy and for time spent alone with my husband. So it is well said that I may have applicable excuses toward not achieving my goals...
HOWEVER...I am reminded of Scripture that tells me
"Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4
"Come near to God and he will come near to you." James 4:8a
"I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13
"Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.'" Mark 10:27
How can I dare call myself a Christian and then say that these goals are not achievable? I must dig deeper and use the Holy Spirit that God has given to me through salvation in order to do these things. I cannot do them on my own. If i try to do them on my own, I will fail. If i try to do them hardheartedly as I am, I will most likely fail. But, if I do them with the power of the Holy Spirit to guide and Jesus Christ in my heart, then "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength!"
As far as my goals from last week, I will explain briefly how I did with them...
~ Spend time with God every day: Probably spent about 2 days last week with God. Obviously since I cannot "half-meet" a goal, this one was not met.
~ Walk (literally) with God [prayer walks]: didn't do this one at all. I had big plans of going for walks outside or in the hallways at work during lunch breaks to do my prayer time with God. Instead, I spent my time in bed in the morning whispering a faint prayer to Jesus before I woke up.
~ Worship Christ with music: probably the only goal I met 100%. When I was in the car, I played Christian radio only or my Christian music cds! I love singing praise songs to the Lord at the top of my lungs.
~ Say nothing negative to my husband (from Day #1 from Love Dare): Well, this one was not quite met either. This was mostly due to the fact we had a fight a couple days ago and were bickering a little bit. I'm sure I said something negative to him and vice versa. This one will be a little bit harder to meet than most.
~ Do unexpected gestures to my husband throughout the week (from Day #2 from Love Dare): I did this one day. I came home from running errands to find my husband on the computer reading his video game stuff online and I greeted him with a kiss and gave him a backrub for a while.
~ Cook dinner for my husband every night we are home together this week: Did this for about the last half of this week, but not the first.
~ Workout as scheduled: I worked out twice this week, and not what I planned previously.
~ Eat clean! I ate bad this week, we went out to eat a lot...Del Taco, Mexican food, etc.
I like the dictionary.com definition #2 up there: "something that by its nature or character serves as a call to battle, contest, special effort, etc." I need to look at these goals this week as a challenge which serves to "call me to [put forth] special effort." I like that phrase, "special effort." That is a perfect phrase to sum up what these goals are challenging me to do. So this week, with renewed strength and vitality and with the Holy Spirit's help, I will take these challenges on again.
Goals for this week:
~ Spend time with God every day
~ Walk (literally) with God [prayer walks]
~ Worship Christ with music
~ Say nothing negative to my husband (from Day #1 from Love Dare)
~ Do unexpected gestures to my husband throughout the week (from Day #2 from Love Dare)
~ Cook dinner for my husband every night we are home together this week
~ Workout as scheduled
~ Eat clean!
This blog was intended to be a challenge to myself, but I find myself becoming awfully nonchalant toward achieving all my goals. So, tonight as I sit here I think to myself...."what is wrong with me?" and "why am I not able to keep my mind focused." Of course, there's always the well-used excuses...such as stress from work, home, and family. I work 12 hour shifts AT NIGHT three nights a week, so for three or more days out of the weeks, I only have free time for about one hour (the rest is consumed with eating, sleeping, and working). I am currently in the midst of trying to move; packing some things, looking at houses, etc. In addition to all that, my husband and I live with my mother in law and my sister in law in a 3bedroom/2bath 1090 square foot home. Take into account that I am a newlywed (married just under 2 years ago) and am longing for privacy and for time spent alone with my husband. So it is well said that I may have applicable excuses toward not achieving my goals...
HOWEVER...I am reminded of Scripture that tells me
"Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4
"Come near to God and he will come near to you." James 4:8a
"I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13
"Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.'" Mark 10:27
How can I dare call myself a Christian and then say that these goals are not achievable? I must dig deeper and use the Holy Spirit that God has given to me through salvation in order to do these things. I cannot do them on my own. If i try to do them on my own, I will fail. If i try to do them hardheartedly as I am, I will most likely fail. But, if I do them with the power of the Holy Spirit to guide and Jesus Christ in my heart, then "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength!"
As far as my goals from last week, I will explain briefly how I did with them...
~ Spend time with God every day: Probably spent about 2 days last week with God. Obviously since I cannot "half-meet" a goal, this one was not met.
~ Walk (literally) with God [prayer walks]: didn't do this one at all. I had big plans of going for walks outside or in the hallways at work during lunch breaks to do my prayer time with God. Instead, I spent my time in bed in the morning whispering a faint prayer to Jesus before I woke up.
~ Worship Christ with music: probably the only goal I met 100%. When I was in the car, I played Christian radio only or my Christian music cds! I love singing praise songs to the Lord at the top of my lungs.
~ Say nothing negative to my husband (from Day #1 from Love Dare): Well, this one was not quite met either. This was mostly due to the fact we had a fight a couple days ago and were bickering a little bit. I'm sure I said something negative to him and vice versa. This one will be a little bit harder to meet than most.
~ Do unexpected gestures to my husband throughout the week (from Day #2 from Love Dare): I did this one day. I came home from running errands to find my husband on the computer reading his video game stuff online and I greeted him with a kiss and gave him a backrub for a while.
~ Cook dinner for my husband every night we are home together this week: Did this for about the last half of this week, but not the first.
~ Workout as scheduled: I worked out twice this week, and not what I planned previously.
~ Eat clean! I ate bad this week, we went out to eat a lot...Del Taco, Mexican food, etc.
I like the dictionary.com definition #2 up there: "something that by its nature or character serves as a call to battle, contest, special effort, etc." I need to look at these goals this week as a challenge which serves to "call me to [put forth] special effort." I like that phrase, "special effort." That is a perfect phrase to sum up what these goals are challenging me to do. So this week, with renewed strength and vitality and with the Holy Spirit's help, I will take these challenges on again.
Goals for this week:
~ Spend time with God every day
~ Walk (literally) with God [prayer walks]
~ Worship Christ with music
~ Say nothing negative to my husband (from Day #1 from Love Dare)
~ Do unexpected gestures to my husband throughout the week (from Day #2 from Love Dare)
~ Cook dinner for my husband every night we are home together this week
~ Workout as scheduled
~ Eat clean!
