Fruitful Words

1. I cannot read and walk on the treadmill at the same time. Things go flying - First the book and then me.
2. Going from the setting of 2 to 6 on the treadmill is not a great idea. Things fly again - this time no book though.
3. The older I get the more I appreciate my sister as a sister, friend & woman. Not only do I LIKE her, but I’m very proud of her as well. I am so sorry for all the times I purposefully made her miserable. Mama’s don’t let your babies tease each other. Otherwise there’s a world of regret just waiting to unload in the adult years.
4. I love doing crafts. This past week its been finishing work on the Retreat bed treats. I was allowed to do the non-technical stuff - I sewed on a flower and a bead. That’s all you’ll get out of me. But, I’m positive you Retreat ladies will like it - A LOT!
5. I eat better when my roomie is around. Roomie is a great example. She exercises (regularly ON THE treadmill) AND eats 3 healthy meals EACH day. Sometimes she cooks for me too. She comes home tomorrow so my sabbatical from healthy food is almost over. Better eat up the Little Caesar’s pizza and M&M’s tonight. And throw away the dead veggies in the fridge.
6. One day, a 24 hour period, really cannot have two different dates assigned to it. Despite all logical thinking, in my brain it can be May 31st in the morning and June 1st from 2-4 pm. Too bad no-one else thought that. I sang Happy Birthday to my daughter this am (on time) and went to a graduation party this afternoon which I knew was on June 1st (24 hours early!).
7. Wishful thinking does not get papers written. So tonight I’ll be eating pizza and M&M’s and working on a paper. Just think, next YEAR this time I’ll be 3 weeks away from receiving my MA.

How has your week shaped up and what did you learn?

Life is whirlwind busy - I missed posting summaries for Weeks 8 & 9.

During these weeks I did the following:

• Downloaded the doctrinal questionnaire to become a licensed CM&A worker. This questionnaire IS A long and hairy beast to complete. I have sent out requests for transcripts and recommendations. I still need to complete the doctrinal questions.
• Scheduled an appointment with my seminary advisory. We figured out the classes (about 11) that I need to complete in order to graduate June 20th, 2009!!!
• Planned a camping trip for July 27-30th at Lake Tahoe with some of mi familia.
• Did 4 Random Acts of Kindness: (1) Did someone’s job before he could - cleaned up the Sunday coffee area (2) Did a friend’s dishes when she was gone from the house (3) Gave $20 to a friend so she could buy a birthday gift for someone. (4) Sent a funny get well card to a child I do not know. I am not telling you these things to brag, but so that it could spark some ideas for you, in case you want to do your own RAK’s. Go here for more ideas.
  
• Spent several hours at Ocean Beach with my daughter. It was overcast and cold. First time I ever walked on the beach with my shoes on. We collected dozens of sand dollars.
• Special time with my daughter - spent the evening at the opening of her first juried art show. Lots of great student art to appreciate. The best part of the evening was that my daughter won “Best Installation.” Go here to read her post titled, “I Won.”
• Crafty thing for May was making corsage pens for women at church for Mother’s Day. We made corsages with silk flowers that were red, pink and white and then attached them to pens Go here for instructions to make a pen with a sunflower.
• Chip and I picked up trash. Plus we went on many walks together.
• God sent extra money so I could tithe to the Building Fund and Missions general budget or special projects.
• Joined Facebook and Twitter - both of these are outside my “internet” comfort zone.

What have you been busy with that will make 2008 a year to remember?

Go here to read about the history of my 51 Things List.

On Twitter you have 140 characters to answer “What you are doing.” Because so few words are available, I am forced to succinctly organize my thoughts.

I just posted the following:

Housework, school, body aches & Retreat details need addressing. Wondering how to organize my week for maximum effectiveness, joy & peace.

Now that I have succinctly written my thoughts, I can now blog about a solution in as many words as it takes.

Overwhelmed. That is the major feeling from the tweet I just posted. Since I am feeling overwhelmed, I jotted down on my white board what needs doing in the 4 categories of . . .

• Housework
• School
• Body aches
• Retreat details

I then chose the #1 item in each category.

• Housework - Clean up from trips this week (Living room and kitchen)
• School - Research for Premillennialsim paper
• Body aches - Make chiropractor appointment & walk (Okay so this is 2 things, but I will read while I walk on roommate’s treadmill - unless I trip and add to my body aches.)
• Retreat details - Gather/print out all information and put in one place for meeting with Reggie

Looking at this list, I realize that there are many steps involved in each category. So I wrote what needs to be done for each category - one item per slip of paper.

For example, Housework slips include . . . .

• Put away sweaters
• Put away suitcase
• Clear off desk
• Clear off table
• Put Goodwill items into car
• Sort out sand dollars (put in bleach water to soak, wash towels)
• Put away dishes
• Wash dishes
• Take trash out
• Wash beach blanket

I put these many slips of paper in a orange-colored gift bag. This time I chose to keep the categories separate. Sometimes I mix the category slips of paper all together into the same bag.

After I am finished with this post, I will set the timer for 30 minutes. Then I will pull out one piece of paper: read it and DO what it says until the timer goes off.

Then I will “reward” myself for about 20 minutes. Unfortunately, I hardly ever reward myself. I think this lack is one reason why I have a hard time accomplishing things on some days.

I am too hard of a task master on myself. When I add the “rewards” to my day, I find that I have more joy.

Here are a few rewards I could get used to . . . .

• Eat a nutritious meal.
• Chat with a friend.
• Read a chapter in a “fun” book.
• Take a shower.
• Rest on an ice pack.
• Write a note.
• Water my garden.
• Say out loud, “Job well done, Susan.” ( I probably wouldn’t do this for 20 minutes. I think that then borders on megalomania.)
• Pray.

Then I’ll start the cycle over again with the timer and the orange bag of “job” slips of paper. Every finished slip of paper, brings me closer to peace. I’m trying to learn to live in peace even amidst the unfinished tasks of my lie.

So what do you do to help yourself when you are feeling overwhelmed and in a procrastinating mode? How do you organize your week for maximum effectiveness, joy & peace?

Nancy Marmolejo, CEO of Sizzibility™ has a beginner’s explanation about Twitter. Go here for the Youtube version. My notes are below.

Twitter is a MIcroblog.

• It’s text messaging, instant messaging and blogging all in one.
• You have only 140 character per post - so get to the point NOW.

Why use it - To communicate . . . .

• what’s going on in your business
• observations
• updates
• comments to others
• links and messages

And it is used to build relationships.

Twitter Definitions : Pick the answer that applies:

• Tweet = (a) post (b) status update (c) sound made when message is sent (d) both a & b
• ANSWER: (d)

Find people who use Twitter well. Read their stuff and learn. Marmolejo recommends the following 6 people:

1. Mari Smith
2. Leesa Barnes
3. Web Success Diva
4. Warren Whitlock
5. Coach Deb
6. Sherman Hu

So what have you learned about Twitter today?

Since joining Facebook I’ve had a small flurry of emails letting me know that . . . .

• “Jene” has confirmed me as a friend
• “Jon” added me as a friend
• “Jasmine” requests that I be her friend
• “Jamal” asks that I confirm or deny that we are related

Yesterday I received an email that made me scream out loud, “No Way!” It was a friend request from a classmate in high school. I haven’t talked to her in, well, too many decades. I look forward to catching up and hearing about her life since our last reunion party which was probably for the 15th year.

As I looked over her friend list, I saw the name and picture of Mickey, one of my best high school buds. I had lost contact with her many decades ago too. Of course I put in my own friend request late last night.

• At 6:45 am I checked to see if she had responded yet. NO.
• At 7:10 am, still NO.
• By 7:30 am she hadn’t friended me yet.

Okay. I’m turning off the technology and getting on with my real life. I have a few things to do before going to a conference with some work mates. (Doesn’t that sound so professional?)

But wait, one last look. But alas, still NO email friend confirmation. This waiting is gonna be hard on my curiosity. And my imagination because I’m thinking, “Maybe she doesn’t want to be my friend and that’s why I haven’t heard from her yet.” Yes, part of me realizes that it is still before 8 am in her part of the world.

I don’t do rejection well. It seems like Facebook has the potential to bring a lot my way. What am I setting myself up for?

BTW - anyone from Peter Pond High School know where Char is? I’d like to send her a friend request too.

I became a twitterite this week. Not sure who uses it for what. My sista and Daughter are on there though. Evidently you get 140 words to tell what you are doing.

This is what I posted a few minutes ago:

I just recuperated from a HOT day in an 80 degree classroom. Should I go to bed, make tapioca, put away the laundry, write a paper or surf?

After I hit send, “laundry” wins the coin toss.

What you doing in 140 words or less?

It is unlikely that I’ll be blogging for the next two weeks.

This week I have 3 days of school and next week it’s 3 days at a conference and maybe SF with my children.

I could use your prayers so that I’ll learn and integrate well the new material into my life and for a good sleep schedule so I can be energized. I want to enjoy these two weeks.

My Roomie is in Israel for school for 3 weeks. Pray that she has energy, health, safety, learns well, has a good time with the other students and doesn’t suffer from severe jet lag either way.

Thanks!

Habits and Events from my 51 Things List didn’t get much attention last week. The first excitement of engaging in a new project has passed. I need to be more intentional about what I’ll be doing week to week.

So this week I’ll do the following . . . .

• Download and complete the doctrinal questionnaire to become a licensed CM&A worker. I hear this questionnaire is a long and hairy beast to complete.
• Schedule an appointment with my seminary advisory to officially figure out what classes I need to take to graduate in May 2009.
• Plan my summer camping trip. PEI or Hawaii are probably too far to go for a weekend, eh?
• Continue working on a 10 p.m. bed time.
• Tell my three jokes to 2 people. Find another joke and memorize.
• Install a clothesline.
• Finish transcribing my notes from the John Wesley prayer book so I can start a new book on prayer.

Okay - looks like this might take two weeks, but at least I have a plan.

Come on, don’t be shy. How’s it going with your own list of yearly to-dos?

I made my last payment a few minutes ago.

What a relief that is.

When I started Seminary several years ago, I made an agreement with God. If I didn’t have the money, I would not go that quarter. I would trust God to provide direction and the necessary money as HE SAW FIT.

Until last quarter I was faithful to that promise. I didn’t have the money, BUT certain funds were going to come in: from a debt someone owed me, from a trust fund, and from a side job. I really wanted to go to school because I had a schedule to keep. I want to graduate next May and so I NEED to take 2-3 classes each quarter. Therefore, I put the charges on my credit card knowing it would be paid off within the month. I counted on money I did not have.

Of course you know what happened. None of it came in. So not only did I have a credit card payment with interest and finance charges to pay each month. . . .

. . . . I disobeyed God. I won’t do that again.

Tuition is due the end of May. This time, if no money, then no classes. My school schedule is in God’s hands. Please pray for my faith, discernment and obedience.

How many of you use Google reader to keep track of your blog reading? Or some other reader?

• How many blogs do you track?
• Are they in the same category or varied? What are the categories?

I wonder what my blog reading choices reveal about me. What do they reveal about you?

This could be an interesting meme. You know the drill. Answer the questions. Tag a few people with the info here. Link back.