I like to put quotes with my signature on email. I like to change them frequntly. 

I choose quotes that remind me.  

They remind me to grow…think…act courageously…or be silly.

They remind me to feel…what I’m feeling…the forbidden…how I did as a child.

They remind me that life…is a gift…is hard…has a purpose.

I use quotes that inspire…outrage…hope…unordinary thinking.

My current quote is… “Living clearly and consciously takes work. I don’t mean struggle. I mean that it takes choosing. And choosing again. And then again.” Christine Kane

Quotes I’ve used and pondered in the past . . .

• “Spend less than you make and do it for a very long time.”  Ron Blue

• “I try to take one day at a time, but sometimes several days attack me at once.” Jennifer Yane

• “The more I resist Him and try to live on my own, the more I become
  dominated by my own heredity and upbringing and surroundings and natural desires.” C.S. Lewis

• “Never believe that a few caring people can’t change the world.
  For, indeed, they are the only ones who ever have.” Margaret Mead

• “Be strong. Have strength of heart, and do it.
  Do not be afraid or troubled, for the Lord God,  
  my God, is with you.
  He will not stop helping you.
  He will not leave you until all the work
  of the house of the Lord is finished.”
  1 Chronicles 28:20

Do you use quotes with your signature? Why or why not?

Running Shoes 4 Ever is posting again!

• A book review
• List of favorites
• Ice cream in a bag recipe
• Gratitude List

We are challenging each other to post every day.

• Friday-Tuesday we’ll post a gratitude list.
• For each week of July we will post something about National ice cream month.
• Wednesdays will be Works-For-Me Wednesdays.
• Thursday is a Thursday 13 list.

It’s more fun when a group joins in. Feel free to join us in posting on these topics. Feel free to suggest a topic for us.

• I drink tea or hot chocolate in the evening. (I mainly drink English Breakfast tea.)
• I read and study in bed.
• I use my computer or watch TV right up to bedtime.
• I don’t have a regular bedtime.
• I don’t exercise much.
• I eat surgery snacks at night -especially if I am studying and/or writing a paper for school.
• I do most of my heavy thinking at night. (I.e. I worry or work on creative projects.)

All of these are sleep no-no’s.

Last week I decided that I’d work on my sleep habits: Get to bed by 10 pm. 4 nights a week. That didn’t happen even one night.

But I did get to bed by 11 p.m. on 4 nights. And I was so tired I didn’t even have to count backwards in order to fall asleep. This is unusual for me. If I stay up past 10, I typically get a second wind and can’t get to sleep for hours!

If I am really serious about learning to sleep well, I need to make a sleep plan. AND FOLLOW IT. I will take 2 or 3 things from the above list and do the opposite.

1. Go to bed at a regular hour. I’ll still aim for 10 p.m. 4 nights a week.
2. I’d like to walk 3-4 times a week, preferably with Chip.
3. I wonder if I could stop all media interaction one hour before bedtime? I’ll try and see what happens.

What advice do you have regarding sleep? I’m all ears.

For more Smart Habit Saturday posts go here. Write one of your own and be sure to let know, so I can have a read.

Almost 4 weeks done in my 52 weeks of accomplishing my 51 Things List.

Click here for the summary of week one.

Here’s a recap of the past 4 weeks on my 18 Habits – I worked on 8 of them -with varying degrees of success.

1. Taking a walk with Chip 5 nights a week – More like 3 nights is what I did. Which is a shame because he enjoys this so much.
2. Picking up trash once a week. Yep – Did that each week.
3. Crafty thing once a month. Yep. Did that yesteday and today. Yesterday I made up some fliers for the bulletin board at church. My roomie designed a card (and flier) to pass out to the women for M&M Saturday on April 19th. My part was to cut and glue. Today I made about 16 butterflies for the Women’s Ministry bulletin board. Easy, fast and cute! Go here for the directions and visual from HowAboutOrange. I used the paper I had (scrapbook) and I think they are cute! Check out the bulletin board to have a looksee.
4. Sabbath Rest twice a month. Thiis Sunay will be a busy one; so, I did this once. And it was wonderful.
5. Write letters on 3rd Sunday. Check. And I’ve taken time to write a few letters/notes on other Sundays as well. One of the letters I recently sent was put into an envelope made from a calendar page – a picture of a sassy, bright watermelon.
6. Random Act of Kindness (8 times these 52 weeks). Did this twice.
7. Invite people to my house (6 times these 52 weeks). Did this once. I cooked all the food on Saturday. House was cleaned on Saturday. All I had to do was set the table and reheat the food. It was an easy, delightful way to celebrate with my guests.
8. Go to bed by 10 p.m. nights a week. Not so good. Last week I was semi-regular about getting to bed by 11. The other weeks not so good. This is the habit I’ll be working on for Smart Habit Saturday until I have my sleep patterns under control.

So how are your habits coming along? Have you taken the time to decide how you’d like to be different this time next year? Come join me as I change and impact my world one habit at a time.

Mug & Muffin Saturday: 9-10 a.m. – Rudat Hall

Speakers: Elise, Lorna & Barbie will share an…

Honest Talk About Prayer

Come join us for a mug of coffee, a delicious muffin, & fellowship with other ladies.

There’s No Cost. Bring yourself & a friend!

RSVP to Church Office or Sarah.

You’ve all seen these lists. They include pithy thoughts like, “In 3 words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life. It goes on.” Robert Frost.

This is good. And it is applicable. But . . . .

• What if I actually thought about my life and came up with my own list of things I’ve learned?
• How many could I come up with?
• Would I be able to express who is responsible for teaching me that?

Stu Gray from The Creative Mouthpiece has done just that. Click here to read the 33 things he’s learned in the past 33 years. I think this is a very thoughtful list.

I’m not going to think about Stu’s list too much. Not until I’ve come up with my own list. I wonder if I’ll be able to come up with 10 things, much less 50!

What are some things you’d put on your list. Who did you learn it from?

1. I’m starting a new quarter in seminary. I need prayers for organization & diligence; a quick, retentive mind; and applicability of what I learn.
2. I have 4 more quarters until graduation. Pray that happens in May 2009.
3. Regarding that, please pray for funds, strength, perseverance and all of #1.
4. Pray that my classes aren’t just classes. I want to find God’s will & heart in each class. I want to be captured & motivated by these qualities.
5. The next M&M Saturday is April 19th at 9 am. It will be on prayer. Please ask God to show Himself REAL to each woman who shows up. . . . That each woman will be encouraged, enthused and enlightened by this one hour of time together. . . . John Wesley said that “Prayer is truly the most useful of all pastimes.” Pray that I experience the truth of that statement. And that the women do too.
6. We have two pregnant women at church. Please pray for health and safe pregnancy/delivery for mom and baby. . . . That the transition will be smooth for all concerned. . . . That God will meet all the needs spoken and unspoken. . . . That the babies will come to know Christ at an early age and walk in a close love-relationship with out Saviour. . . That the church body will thoughtfully, consistently and lovingly gather around these women and their families to meet their needs and even some of their wants. . . . Please ask God to bless them and the blessings they carry in a very tangible way.
7. Retreat is happening June 4-6. Pray that all the details will be taken care of easily, well, and thoroughly in FUN. . . . Pray for the speaker and worship team. . . . Pray that the hearts of the attendees are already being prepared by God to hear from Him. . . . That friendships will be deepened or made.
8. About 6 Bible studies are happening at church. Please pray that the leaders put in the time to prepare for the class. . . . That the attendees prepare as well. . . . That the Word of God impacts thoughts & actions. . . . That relationships will be deepened with each other & with God.
9. Pastor Mike is preaching on “God’s remedy for Financial Worries.” Pray that the Word of God is mightier than our fear, habits, and strongholds. . . . That we live in the strength, joy, power & generosity of the Holy Spirit. . . . That this series impacts us so much that our watching family, friends and co-workers notice a difference. . . . That they want to have a new relationship with Christ.
10. Our youth pastor and his support staff are awesome. Please pray that God continues to give them all strength, unity, discernment, passion, and an ongoing and pure relationship with Him.
11. Women’s Ministry needs your prayer. Pray that we do God’s will as individuals and as a team. . . . That God continues to give each of us strength, unity, discernment, passion, and an ongoing and pure relationship with Him.
12. Please pray for my ex. His birthday is on the 12th and he has been on my mind a lot this past week. . . . Pray that God’s blessings saturate his mind, soul, heart and body. . . . That healing, peace, joy and provision find and meet his needs. . . . That relationship reconciliation is a deep yearning for him that takes place soon. . . . That God is a Friend as well as Master; Lover and King; Brother and Saviour.
13. Pray that I am diligent with my 40 days of prayer. . . That I discern God’s voice in the matters I am praying about. . . . That I am humble and mature enough to follow His will.

Now, how may I pray for you? You can leave a request here, on my home phone or email.

It is a great truth that Our God hears and answers prayer. I am grateful that He alwyas answers according to our best and His glory.

I take a lot of notes between seminary classes and church. I have developed a few shorthand icons that you might like to use.

I draw the following pictures in the margin of my notes. . . .

1. Outline a book – I use this anytime a book is mentioned. I also write the name of the book and underline the name.
2. Smiley face – I use this whenever a person’s name is mentioned.
3. Lightbulb – I use this whenever I want to think more about a certain concept.
4. Tear drop – I use this whenever I am emotionally moved and need to come back to think about why.
5. Hand outline – I use this to denote a prayer item.

Do you have any shorthand icons that you use? Please share.

Go to Works-For-Me-Wednesday to read tips on all sorts of topics. So far there are 295 submissions!

Edited to add: AI - This means Action Item. Whenever I think of something I need to do, I write the something on the top of the page with AI next to it. The AI might or might not relate to the class.

Do you serve different food in the Spring than in the Winter, Fall or Summer? What meals do you indulge in only during that season?

The one obvious change I make is the availability of fresh fruit and/or veggies. If pears are cheaper, I eat those. If asparagus is a good deal, that’s on my plate. However, I don’t tend to make things with the produce. I like it plain. Maybe because I don’t get it very often.

Although, CatLady makes a great pear salad. I don’t remember what’s in it. But I do remember my tongue being very impressed.

Like here is a great sounding recipe for a Strawberry Cream Dessert. It calls for 3 cups of fresh strawberries – that you mash up and mix with the other ingredients. I would rather EAT those fresh strawberries plain – with a dollop of whipped cream.

But I don’t have menus or recipes that reflect a season. Since it is Spring, I suppose salads are more popular. I’m not much of a salad eater, nor do I have many salad recipes. I have one for potato salad (killer recipe with a secret ingredient), macaroni salad and green stuff (cottage cheese, pineapple, pistachio pudding concoction).

For a mixed green salad, I just throw in stuff from my fridge – which doesn’t normally harbour many things from the veg department. Currently I am partial to adding orange segments and cooked walnuts. If you haven’t tried this, you MUST.

One website recommends that you eat these 20 foods because it’s Spring and these foods are good for you.

I googled recipes+spring thinking not much was out there. Boy am I wrong! 940,000 times wrong.

Family Fun has a whole page of ideas. From desserts, drinks, snacks, salads to grilling. Hey, I don’t just BBQ in the Spring/Summer. I grill year round – even in the rain or snow.

Gastronomical Three has Three Simple Dinners That Look Ahead to Spring. The pics make you wish you were invited to sample.

Click here to find the top 10 Spring recipes. This Chicken Focaccia Sandwich is a must on my list. You make the bread with refrigerated bread dough. Even I could do that. This Fruit & Cheese Salad looks good too. I’d like to give this Pear Bread a try.

Recipe Zaar has 4,9,29 Spring recipes. Click here to start on this Spring tour. What do you know! One of their top featured recipes is green stuff. My recipe is a little different, but this one looks yummy too.

About.com has a page with 10 low fat recipes for Spring. Besides the obligatory fish recipes, there is even a low fat version of creme brulee.

Simply Recipes is a great source of ideas and inspiration. She lists 17 Spring recipes. Look at this Crab Mango Salad.  This Ham & Asparagus recipe comes with step-by-step pictures.

YumSugar has compiled a slide show (with links) of 10 recipes that announce Spring.  I’d like to try this butterfly cake. This Spring Minestrone Pasta. This Seared Fish With Spring Vegetables because I am trying to like fish and beets better.

 I could go on. There are still about 940,000 pages to visit. Spare me this time-consuming journey and share.

What are your Spring recipes?  Spring meals? Educate me; so I, too, can join in the Spring fun – this Spring.

Now that I’ve taken the habits out of my 51 Things List, I have 32 things left. Below is that list . . .

Educational

1. Complete 1/4^th consecration requirements
2. Vote intelligently
3. Read 2 books for fun (I’ve read one book. Click here for the review.)
4. Figure out what’s wrong with my camera
5. Learn to do one thing on my blog
6. Finish courses for masters (I’ve printed out what’s left. By taking 2-3 classes each quarter, I’ll be done by next June!)

Finances

1. Make a will
2. Know my FICO score
3. Fund a ROTH IRA
4. Pay off 1/4^th of my student loans

Organize

1. Sort out stuff in my bedroom
2. Catalog books
3. Create handbook
4. Put together mother’s day book

Outings

1. Go on Cruise to Alaska or Hot Air Balloon (My family is taking me to Napa Valley for a Hot Air Balloon Ride April 19th!!!!)
2. Go camping 1x
3. Attend a “show” in SF with kiddos
4. Go on a bus tour of SF
5. Spend the day at the beach 2 x’s
6. Go to Crocker Art Museum
7. Go ice-blocking: take pictures

 Personal

1. Do 1 thing out of my comfort zone
2. Learn and tell well 4 jokes
3. Clean out trunk of car
4. Go to the dentist
5. Get a pedicure (before retreat)
6. Plan my funeral (I’ve composed a poem and directions for the Pastor. I now need to talk to my kiddos about cremation vs. burial.)
7. Install a clothesline – use 2x’s mo

Spiritual

1. Read thru Bible in 90 days w/ sm
2. Go on a missions trip
3. Study Genesis w/ lv

And One To Grow On . . .

1. Study prayer (I am currently going through How To Pray: The Best of John Wesley on Prayer. And I am embarking on 40 days of prayer regarding ministry. 2 other women are doing this (from school) which will help hold me accountable.)