Foremost on most Mainers' minds today is the election of a new governor for our state. This governor is breaking Maine's decades old political norm: he is a Republican. And with him is coming a slue of change. A lot of it is needed, and even wanted. Most of it is making Mainers, and government officials, pretty nervous. But quite a bit of it is getting people excited. Finally, after years and years of the same old political wind blowing around, we're finally getting a breath of something new.
Today, I'm thankful that I live in a state where we not only have, but are entitled to, political freedom.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Thankfulness: January 4
Today I am thankful that the temperature is warmer in our office lately. This may not seem like something even worth thinking about to some people, but it's a huge relief from the chilly temps we had been having. I'm not sure why it has been so cold in the office in winters past, but it's made for some pretty long, cold days. I can't count how many days I sat at my desk with my fleece sweater over my legs, using it as a blanket. Now that's kind of crazy, I think!
Just this week it is a lot warmer in here. I'm not sure why...and I'm not going to question it. I'm just going to be thankful for it! (and give my fleece sweater a break)
Just this week it is a lot warmer in here. I'm not sure why...and I'm not going to question it. I'm just going to be thankful for it! (and give my fleece sweater a break)
Monday, January 3, 2011
Thankfulness: January 3
I've decided that in 2011 I'm going to read through the Bible. I've never committed to reading through the Bible in a year before. Honestly...I never really liked the idea. Now don't get me wrong- I love the idea of committing to reading the entire Bible. It is, after all, our Sword against the Evil One, our daily bread, our comfort, our instruction manual for living the life God has given each of us. The study of the Word should absolutely should be a part of our every day life. But for whatever reason, I didn't like the idea of forcing myself to read chunks of Scripture at a time just to say I read through the Bible in one year. I'd rather study portions at a time and really dig the meat out of each section...I'd rather go to a chapter, a verse, a whole book, that pertains to the issue I'm facing at that moment.
So, as I considered the possibility of reading through the Bible in one year, I did it with all these thoughts in the back of my mind. And I decided to make a yearly commitment that so many "Good Christians" proudly proclaim they do every year...but with a twist.
I am going to read through my new chronological Bible in one year. This idea holds a lot of appeal for me, because I've never studied the Bible in chronological order. I think- no, I know- I'm going to learn a lot this year from my reading, which will actually be studying. I'm excited about this fresh take on a tired tradition that so often is just another notch on an established Christian's belt. (Boy that sounds cynical. And I guess it is. But I just have never heard someone say "ya know, I committed to reading through the Bible in a year, and I did it...and I actually enjoyed it! and learned from it!" it always seems people say "yeah, I said I'd read through the Bible in a year, but boy did I get bogged down in the geneologies, and gave up". Maybe if I heard just one person say that they enjoyed what they committed to doing, then I'd have a different view of this).
So what does this have to do with being thankful, you ask? I'm thankful today that I have so much freedom in my choice of how to study God's Word. And that no matter what course of study is pursued, I am promised that His Word will not return to Him empty.
So, as I considered the possibility of reading through the Bible in one year, I did it with all these thoughts in the back of my mind. And I decided to make a yearly commitment that so many "Good Christians" proudly proclaim they do every year...but with a twist.
I am going to read through my new chronological Bible in one year. This idea holds a lot of appeal for me, because I've never studied the Bible in chronological order. I think- no, I know- I'm going to learn a lot this year from my reading, which will actually be studying. I'm excited about this fresh take on a tired tradition that so often is just another notch on an established Christian's belt. (Boy that sounds cynical. And I guess it is. But I just have never heard someone say "ya know, I committed to reading through the Bible in a year, and I did it...and I actually enjoyed it! and learned from it!" it always seems people say "yeah, I said I'd read through the Bible in a year, but boy did I get bogged down in the geneologies, and gave up". Maybe if I heard just one person say that they enjoyed what they committed to doing, then I'd have a different view of this).
So what does this have to do with being thankful, you ask? I'm thankful today that I have so much freedom in my choice of how to study God's Word. And that no matter what course of study is pursued, I am promised that His Word will not return to Him empty.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Thankfulness: January 2
Today I'm thankful for the variety of seasons that we get to enjoy in Maine. I'm thinking about this today as it's January 2, which for Maine usually means below freezing temperatures and lots of snow. However...yesterday it was in the upper 40s and today it's in the upper 30s. The foot of snow we got about a week ago has melted quite a bit, so much so that we saw several bare spots on people's lawns this morning on our way to church. Our own lawn is showing in spots. Just because this is the case today does not mean that we're going to have a mild rest of the winter though. We could get slammed with another foot of snow at any time. That's part of the fun of living in Maine- you never really know what you're going to wake up to for weather.
I'm thankful for the variety of weather we get. And I'm hoping for more snow for this winter, too. :)
I'm thankful for the variety of weather we get. And I'm hoping for more snow for this winter, too. :)
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Thankfulness: January 1
Today I am thankful for the privilege of owning our own home. The Firefighter and I have done a lot of work on this place since we've been together. In fact, we were remodeling the place even before we were married and I'd moved in!
I often lament the fact that the house isn't the biggest, and that it isn't as close to my family as I'd like, and that it's a bit too far from our church and church family. Instead, I need to choose to be thankful that we have a warm, dry, safe place to live. That it's our own, thanks to our hard work. That we have the freedom to do whatever we want to the house to make it our own. That it's a place where we have welcomed many friends and family over the years. That we have shared so much laughter within these walls. We have together fought through hard times here in the privacy of our home, and have found comfort and rest here.
Today, I'm thankful for my home. May it continue to be a place where God comes first, our friends and family are warmly welcomed, and love and kindness are a consistent part of our days.
I often lament the fact that the house isn't the biggest, and that it isn't as close to my family as I'd like, and that it's a bit too far from our church and church family. Instead, I need to choose to be thankful that we have a warm, dry, safe place to live. That it's our own, thanks to our hard work. That we have the freedom to do whatever we want to the house to make it our own. That it's a place where we have welcomed many friends and family over the years. That we have shared so much laughter within these walls. We have together fought through hard times here in the privacy of our home, and have found comfort and rest here.
Today, I'm thankful for my home. May it continue to be a place where God comes first, our friends and family are warmly welcomed, and love and kindness are a consistent part of our days.
A Year of Thankfulness
Every day this past November, I focused on one thing I was thankful for. It was a great way to focus (do I see a theme here) on all the blessings in my life. I've been thinking about that, and how it's not something I should do just once a year, but rather should have an attitude of thankfulness at the forefront all the time.
I've declared 2011 the Year of Thankfulness. I am making it my goal to focus on one thing I am thankful for every day of this new year. It's quite a goal, and will take determination to see it through. I'm going to challenge myself to post my thankfulness here, so that I can go back over the year and see how much I really do have to be thankful for.
Happy New Year to you! Here's to a year full of refocusing and thanksgiving.
I've declared 2011 the Year of Thankfulness. I am making it my goal to focus on one thing I am thankful for every day of this new year. It's quite a goal, and will take determination to see it through. I'm going to challenge myself to post my thankfulness here, so that I can go back over the year and see how much I really do have to be thankful for.
Happy New Year to you! Here's to a year full of refocusing and thanksgiving.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Sharpening My Focus
For the past month or so I’ve slowly begun to realize that I’ve lost my focus. I don’t mean that I’ve lost my focus in the sense that I don’t know where I’m going or what I’m doing or I’m unable to concentrate on anything. My problem, I’m finding, is that I can’t focus on just one thing at a time. Here are a few examples of what I’m talking about:
At work: I’m on the computer all day. Almost all my tasks come to me via email, which is fine; I love the efficiency of email. But I also like to multi task. Which is fine…to a point. The Firefighter and I got smart phones a few months ago, and since then, I have it sitting on my desk at work (charging most of the time, because the battery dies so often!). So, while I’m checking my work emails and beginning a project, I often also have my phone in my hand, checking Facebook or texting or reading home emails. And I’m doing all this while I’m answering the phone and trying to do paperwork. Not the optimal attention to detail that my job- or really any job- requires.
At home: We have a laptop with a wireless connection, which is fantastic. I can’t imagine being tied to a desktop computer any more. But having a laptop means it can be used in any room at any time. This usually translates to being used in the living room, where the TV is often on. And the Firefighter is often found. Mix all this together and you get the perfect storm: distracted television watching, conversation that lacks depth, quality, or even interest, which leads to frustration by one or both parties.
Anywhere where there’s lots of people: Whenever I’m in a group of people that I know, I always want to visit with everyone. With my newly discovered focus problem, this often leads to broken conversations, incoherent responses, frustration for the speaker and the listener, disappointment on the speaker’s part because I’m not 100% committed to the present conversation, and ultimately, a less-than-fulfilling visit with someone.
I can’t devote my entire attention to anything when I’m trying to do a little bit of everything.
And so, as the old school paper writing lessons say, identify the problem and develop strategies to address it.
I’ve identified the problem quite readily. The strategy? Sharpen my focus. When I’m at work, focus on the task at hand. If I get a text message, wait until I’m at a good stopping point to respond- and even read!- it. When I’m at home, make the Firefighter my priority for all things conversational and attention-taking. Put the laptop away if we’re watching TV together. Shut the TV off if I’m home already when he gets home. When I’m in social settings, show the person I’m talking with that he/she and what he/she has to say really is important to me- and listen. Don’t try to catch someone else’s eye because I need to talk to them, too. Don’t try to listen to another conversation while I’m trying to carry on my own (I can’t imagine I’d EVER do that….). In essence, be present in the present. Completely.
This is my goal, starting today. Can I do it? Yes…if I give the situation my full attention.
At work: I’m on the computer all day. Almost all my tasks come to me via email, which is fine; I love the efficiency of email. But I also like to multi task. Which is fine…to a point. The Firefighter and I got smart phones a few months ago, and since then, I have it sitting on my desk at work (charging most of the time, because the battery dies so often!). So, while I’m checking my work emails and beginning a project, I often also have my phone in my hand, checking Facebook or texting or reading home emails. And I’m doing all this while I’m answering the phone and trying to do paperwork. Not the optimal attention to detail that my job- or really any job- requires.
At home: We have a laptop with a wireless connection, which is fantastic. I can’t imagine being tied to a desktop computer any more. But having a laptop means it can be used in any room at any time. This usually translates to being used in the living room, where the TV is often on. And the Firefighter is often found. Mix all this together and you get the perfect storm: distracted television watching, conversation that lacks depth, quality, or even interest, which leads to frustration by one or both parties.
Anywhere where there’s lots of people: Whenever I’m in a group of people that I know, I always want to visit with everyone. With my newly discovered focus problem, this often leads to broken conversations, incoherent responses, frustration for the speaker and the listener, disappointment on the speaker’s part because I’m not 100% committed to the present conversation, and ultimately, a less-than-fulfilling visit with someone.
I can’t devote my entire attention to anything when I’m trying to do a little bit of everything.
And so, as the old school paper writing lessons say, identify the problem and develop strategies to address it.
I’ve identified the problem quite readily. The strategy? Sharpen my focus. When I’m at work, focus on the task at hand. If I get a text message, wait until I’m at a good stopping point to respond- and even read!- it. When I’m at home, make the Firefighter my priority for all things conversational and attention-taking. Put the laptop away if we’re watching TV together. Shut the TV off if I’m home already when he gets home. When I’m in social settings, show the person I’m talking with that he/she and what he/she has to say really is important to me- and listen. Don’t try to catch someone else’s eye because I need to talk to them, too. Don’t try to listen to another conversation while I’m trying to carry on my own (I can’t imagine I’d EVER do that….). In essence, be present in the present. Completely.
This is my goal, starting today. Can I do it? Yes…if I give the situation my full attention.
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