The Year of the 13: A Look Back
2013 is coming to a close. So now I reflect on the goals I set for myself in the beginning of this year and see where I have come over the course of twelve months.
1. Post on the 13th and 26th of each month in this virtual space. Yes. Did it. Though, some days I was a day or two late. But Blogger lets you post back in time. :)
2. Compose or create something significant that will bear the year 2013. I originally had dreams of painting a picture. My inspiration went by the wayside because the initial investment to get started was too overwhelming. Instead, I wrote two children’s books for both of you kids as a Christmas gift. Oh, the stories are not award-winning or even that creative. But they document a couple of significant events in your lives. My daughter, you overcame your fear of putting your head underwater during swimming lessons. And my son, you let go of your soother (or do-do has you called it for most of your life) on your own. Anyway, I am excited that I finally did something that I’ve been prolonging for years. As a kid I aspired to be an author. And I wrote, created, and imagined stories during my spare moments. But somewhere along the years, I became too realistic and too busy and too critical to compose. It has been freeing to end the drought and write creatively again.
3. Continue to draw on the lessons learned in 2012. Last year I was convicted to spend less and give more. This year, God continue to open up opportunities for our family to bless others through our finances. It has been a humbling journey, as I struggle with being open with the funds God has entrusted to us. In spite of my weaknesses, I praise God for how His is propelling me to share my lessons with others. This year I was given the opportunity to teach the Mom’s group I attend about budgeting.
4. Memorize a passage of scripture, or two. Well, I did the bare minimum. I memorized Colossians 3:12-15 and Isaiah 46:3-4. Though, I should review, because I seem to have forgotten them. Sheesh.
5. Do something that I have never done before (and always wanted to do). I attended a Yoga class for the first time ever. Very interesting experience. I would like to try it again.
6. Rely on God's guidance in the area of new friendships (and take some risks). I have let go of several relationships, in the sense that I am not actively pursuing friendships with certain women any longer. Main reason: lack of common interests or lack of reciprocity from the other side. It has been liberating. This has allowed me to be open to new relationships that I might have not considered before. Let’s see what 2014 holds for me friendship-wise.
7. Go on a holiday with just your Daddy and you two kids without visiting extended family or friends during that time. This goal was a no-go this year. Though, next year, before I hit the big 4-0 (or the day of), all of us will partake in a little get-away in a nearby city to celebrate four decades on this earth.
8. Invest in my local community while remaining globally focused. I continue to write for a local non-profit agency that assists newcomers to our city. It is local and global.
9. Celebrate a 13th of a particular month by having a one-on-one "date" with each of you, that is your Daddy, my daughter and my son. Well, so much for that idea! But we did have meaningful “dates” this year, even though they didn’t correspond with the 13th. My favorite date with your Daddy was our anniversary where we went for a fancy dinner, a leisurely walk around the creek after which we enjoyed coffee and dessert at a local coffee shop. There, we renewed our vows. My daughter, I loved it when I went on a school field trip with you and your class to the Art Gallery. While it was not one-on-one, it was a meaningful experience that you and I shared. My son, I enjoyed going on a skating date with you just last week. You are such a pro for such a little guy!
10. Renovate our kitchen, mostly D.I.Y., with some help from the professionals, without borrowing money. We are almost done. Almost. Professionals are coming in the next month or two to tile our backsplash. We hope to replace our garden door with something more energy efficient. Then I need to add some drapes/blinds to finish the look. After which, we are done for a while until our kitchen window and flooring needs to be replaced. For now, they are fine. Thankfully, we didn’t borrow any money so far!!!
11. Sponsor another child through Compassion International to be my son's "pen pal" one day. Oh I wish we were able to sponsor another child this year! But, because of my additional medical expenses and larger-than-normal travel expenses for family events, we didn’t have the extra $41 a month to add another sponsor child to our family. One year we will. Maybe next year?
12. Stay active, stay healthy, stay calm. And stay sane. By God’s grace, I would have to conclude I am healthier today than I was a year ago. While my health issues have not completely resolved, I have more tools to manage the symptoms. That is a blessing.
13. Work towards building authentic, Christ-inspired community along with my husband (small group? prayer group? something else?). In the Fall, your Daddy and I started a care group in our church that ran during the Sunday School hour so the both of you also benefited from faith-based instruction. The group ended up to be multi-aged, multi-stage, which we appreciated highly. We studied the first eleven Psalms. We hope to restart the study next month and focus on a book in the New Testament.
Do I dare make a list in 2014? We’ll see how motivated I feel. Nonetheless, I praise God for a great year, the year of the 13.
1. Post on the 13th and 26th of each month in this virtual space. Yes. Did it. Though, some days I was a day or two late. But Blogger lets you post back in time. :)
2. Compose or create something significant that will bear the year 2013. I originally had dreams of painting a picture. My inspiration went by the wayside because the initial investment to get started was too overwhelming. Instead, I wrote two children’s books for both of you kids as a Christmas gift. Oh, the stories are not award-winning or even that creative. But they document a couple of significant events in your lives. My daughter, you overcame your fear of putting your head underwater during swimming lessons. And my son, you let go of your soother (or do-do has you called it for most of your life) on your own. Anyway, I am excited that I finally did something that I’ve been prolonging for years. As a kid I aspired to be an author. And I wrote, created, and imagined stories during my spare moments. But somewhere along the years, I became too realistic and too busy and too critical to compose. It has been freeing to end the drought and write creatively again.
3. Continue to draw on the lessons learned in 2012. Last year I was convicted to spend less and give more. This year, God continue to open up opportunities for our family to bless others through our finances. It has been a humbling journey, as I struggle with being open with the funds God has entrusted to us. In spite of my weaknesses, I praise God for how His is propelling me to share my lessons with others. This year I was given the opportunity to teach the Mom’s group I attend about budgeting.
4. Memorize a passage of scripture, or two. Well, I did the bare minimum. I memorized Colossians 3:12-15 and Isaiah 46:3-4. Though, I should review, because I seem to have forgotten them. Sheesh.
5. Do something that I have never done before (and always wanted to do). I attended a Yoga class for the first time ever. Very interesting experience. I would like to try it again.
6. Rely on God's guidance in the area of new friendships (and take some risks). I have let go of several relationships, in the sense that I am not actively pursuing friendships with certain women any longer. Main reason: lack of common interests or lack of reciprocity from the other side. It has been liberating. This has allowed me to be open to new relationships that I might have not considered before. Let’s see what 2014 holds for me friendship-wise.
7. Go on a holiday with just your Daddy and you two kids without visiting extended family or friends during that time. This goal was a no-go this year. Though, next year, before I hit the big 4-0 (or the day of), all of us will partake in a little get-away in a nearby city to celebrate four decades on this earth.
8. Invest in my local community while remaining globally focused. I continue to write for a local non-profit agency that assists newcomers to our city. It is local and global.
9. Celebrate a 13th of a particular month by having a one-on-one "date" with each of you, that is your Daddy, my daughter and my son. Well, so much for that idea! But we did have meaningful “dates” this year, even though they didn’t correspond with the 13th. My favorite date with your Daddy was our anniversary where we went for a fancy dinner, a leisurely walk around the creek after which we enjoyed coffee and dessert at a local coffee shop. There, we renewed our vows. My daughter, I loved it when I went on a school field trip with you and your class to the Art Gallery. While it was not one-on-one, it was a meaningful experience that you and I shared. My son, I enjoyed going on a skating date with you just last week. You are such a pro for such a little guy!
10. Renovate our kitchen, mostly D.I.Y., with some help from the professionals, without borrowing money. We are almost done. Almost. Professionals are coming in the next month or two to tile our backsplash. We hope to replace our garden door with something more energy efficient. Then I need to add some drapes/blinds to finish the look. After which, we are done for a while until our kitchen window and flooring needs to be replaced. For now, they are fine. Thankfully, we didn’t borrow any money so far!!!
11. Sponsor another child through Compassion International to be my son's "pen pal" one day. Oh I wish we were able to sponsor another child this year! But, because of my additional medical expenses and larger-than-normal travel expenses for family events, we didn’t have the extra $41 a month to add another sponsor child to our family. One year we will. Maybe next year?
12. Stay active, stay healthy, stay calm. And stay sane. By God’s grace, I would have to conclude I am healthier today than I was a year ago. While my health issues have not completely resolved, I have more tools to manage the symptoms. That is a blessing.
13. Work towards building authentic, Christ-inspired community along with my husband (small group? prayer group? something else?). In the Fall, your Daddy and I started a care group in our church that ran during the Sunday School hour so the both of you also benefited from faith-based instruction. The group ended up to be multi-aged, multi-stage, which we appreciated highly. We studied the first eleven Psalms. We hope to restart the study next month and focus on a book in the New Testament.
Do I dare make a list in 2014? We’ll see how motivated I feel. Nonetheless, I praise God for a great year, the year of the 13.