September Goals

This is how my Val Marie prayer journal describes September. Wishing

for my September to be quiet but anticipating that it won't be!

I've mentioned in previous posts that September is a little bit crazy with work.  I'm taking two classes in addition to my usual work schedule and am also working a little bit of overtime, so I'm setting the bar low for September goals.

One: Mount our TV on the wall.  We attempted this as a "study break" recently for Scott, but we got frustrated with some hardware issues (impossible to find studs, even with a stud finder) and put it away for another day.  We are now having to build an apparatus to help us mount the TV using two by fours, and since it will be visible, we've decided to stain it.  We have high hopes for my staining abilities as we also have a coffee table we would like to stain.  We will see if my staining abilities are all we hoped for them to be, but this goal is a hopeful one for September that may eventually get pushed back to October depending on how much time I have to stain the wood.

Two: Continue to limit Facebook time to 30 minutes per day or less.  My goal was originally to depart from Facebook altogether, but we use Facebook for work a lot to communicate different things going on and I didn't want to feel disconnected from that. I've had so much time for other things with my time away from Facebook and am enjoying time to read and write.  I feel so much more productive, and I love not being on my phone all the time feeling that compulsion to see what other people are doing.  It's freeing.

Three: Read two books.  Just two.  I have a feeling I will find time to read more, but for now, I'm going to strive for two.  One will be Radical and the other is... not yet determined.  If you consider the e-book I am reading, Writing to Find Yourself, then two might come easily.  I finished Shauna Niequist's Bittersweet in like three days and that was supposed to be my main read for September. Any book suggestions?

Four: Focus on quiet time with Jesus.  I'm picking Acts as my book of the Bible to focus on this month and I hope to find time to read from it daily.  I've read through Acts before, but I want to read it with the intention of understanding the mission of the early church and understanding how my mission today is not that different from their's.  Please hold me accountable in this.

Five: Mail out thank you notes from the wedding.  It's killing me that it's been almost 5 months and I haven't mailed these yet.  Killing me.  They are mostly done, but I keep thinking of other people to thank and gestures to thank people for instead of just gifts.  

Six: Become ACLS certified.  I have spent a lot of down time over the past couple of days reading through the manual and I'm feeling like I am ready for it.  It's not as hard as I once imagined, and having been a nurse for two years now helps me to have a better understanding of what's going on.  Having been in multiple codes also helps, so I'm feeling more optimistic about this class and accomplishing this goal than I once was.

Seven: Pick up Med/Surg studying again.  Get back on schedule! Our class is at the end of October and I need to begin studying again, once my ACLS class is over, of course.  (Too many things.  Why am I doing all of this again?)

Eight: Write. A lot. I finally have a general book outline as far as chapters go (it has 40 right now.  40 seems like a lot, but since they will be short essays, I'm thinking each chapter may only be about 5-6 pages), and now the writing will begin.  I'm not really giving out details until I've written a few chapters, because I don't feel like I'll really know what to tell you about it until the writing begins.  I'm feeling especially inspired knowing that Shauna Niequist (sorry that I talk about her ALL the time) just started writing her new book today, and perhaps this will be good inspiration for me to write as well.

PS: Here is her blog post about her book announcement for Present Over Perfect. Can. Not. Wait.  Also, who wants to go to Chicago with me when it's released for book signings? Anyone? I'll drive by myself and pay for $50 in parking garage fares again if I must, but company would be so lovely.  Spring 2016, be there or you'll be sad.

Also, Grace Like Rain will possibly be undergoing a major facelift and may even be moving to a new online home soon.  More to come on this later, but know that some behind the scenes planning is currently taking place regarding this.

Lots of love and hope you all have a great week! Today is my Friday since I've worked the past two nights (sometimes this nursing schedule has its perks), so I'm looking forward to a lot of time to cook and write and read later this week.  Also, now that fall officially starts this month, I'm all in with the pumpkin madness, watching You've Got Mail and When Harry Met Sally, and doing anything and everything related to Fall.

Love,
Cristina