goals

Future selves

/ abby hummel / 2 Comments

Having it together - censored from the hilarious and inappropriate SomeEcards site

In recent conversation Aaron found out someone looked up to him and thought he really had his life together. This is an encouraging compliment because we both feel like we are still flying by the seat of our pants when it comes to “having life together.” While we are both still shocked at Aaron’s effortless deception, this comment prompted some dinner discussions about our “future selves.” They are like our current selves, only in the future, when we are more disciplined and better at things, and maybe even have life figured out.

I think most of this dreaming is good and healthy, and it’s good to know that there is purpose in day-to-day happenings. For instance, future Aaron maintains his buffness and has a PhD, so current Aaron needs to lift weights and work on science. Since future Abby has 25 piano students, current Abby works on meeting more potential music lesson families. Though some of our musings are probably a bit far-fetched, it’s fun to think about what we can do now to succeed later.

You can’t get so caught up in living for the future that you forget the importance of the here and now, though, so Calvin (Aaron’s inner child) is right to muse as he does here:

Calvin and Hobbes

just for today

/ abby hummel / 3 Comments

It feels like there is so much going on right now! Or maybe it is more accurate to say that my to-do and to-finish list is so long that my blood pressure rises when I think about it all. I actually feel much like I would in the midst of a stressful semester at college, with papers, tests, social commitments, and personal goals pressing heavily on me all at the same time. Of course I know these things will somehow all come together – or that if they don’t, my life won’t fall apart – but they create this sense of burden and obligation over me anyway.

Here is an annotated list of what I’m feeling like I need to get taken care of this summer. I’m not kidding, I have edited some things off this list for the sake of brevity and privacy.

GOALS FOR SUMMER 2011.
have Aaron help replace light fixtures in hall and kitchen
have Aaron help with redoing the whole freaking Kitchen
find art and hang the rest of the wall collage in the hallway, which includes scraping and painting the rest of the frames.
organize yarn collection that quickly spiraled out of control. Probably give some away.
have Aaron get rid of the big computer
have Aaron get rid of his books
get rid of a bunch of my books
OMG how do I have EVEN MORE CLOTHES I NEED TO GIVE AWAY!?? Do the less-cool clothes just asexually reproduce in my closet while I am at work?
Sort piano music
finish mirror collage on fireplace
paint brick fireplace
one more coat of stain on the outside brick
one more coat of paint on the garage door
finish the retaining wall
re-lay the stone walkway in the backyard
toss half the stuff in the linen closet
the laundry room. the garage. Oh my gosh. I know at least half of it is Aaron’s (stuff) too but I don’t know how this stuff spirals out of control so quickly.
sew covers for living room throw pillows
(gift project 1, started)
(gift project 2, planned but not started)
refinish a few places on the trim where it got scratched/dented/scraped
refinish the big dresser in the back room
try to get rid of junk from kitchen… I defs don’t use all my gadgets.
find out how to get important signature on retirement account paperwork
find out how to get my windshield replaced b/c of the crack
paint canvases
have a wine-and-cheese party
repaint some of the deck furniture
find a cheap lounger so I can lay out and work on things while getting a tan in my own back yard.

This is just the things I could write down while sitting here and not looking at anything. Does this make you feel stressed?

Anyway, in the midst of this all  I’ve been thinking so intently about things like “taking it one day at a time” and working on trusting God each day for daily bread, that is, in some way surrendering my innate craving for a preplanned weekly, monthly, yearly “menus” of what God will provide.  Not that I have already achieved these things by any means, but that I recognize the importance of striving for growth here.

Lacking time to record any further insights on this topic, which is hopefully more interesting than my outrageous homeowners to-do-list, here are a few articles and blogs from some great bloggers that have shaped my thoughts about accepting each day from it’s maker:

Wendy writes on Godliness with Contentment.
Ann writes about Hopes and Dreams.
Jen has some guest authors sharing about The Lord’s Prayer, word-by-word “This” and “Day“

fast falls the eventide

/ abby hummel

Abide with me: fast falls the eventide
The darkness deepens; Lord with me abide
When other helpers fail and comforts flee
Help of the helpless, Oh abide with me.

Swift to it’s close ebbs out life’s little day
Earth’s joys grow dim, it’s glories pass away
Change and decay in all around I see
Oh Thou who changest not, abide with me.

My plan of waking up early this month has not gone very well.  Even though Aaron and I both agreed this was something we would work on together, it’s been basically one big flop. It’s humbling to realize how helpless we truly are. This week, with the spring ahead time change looming in the near future, we’re trying to get back to our roots and have a bed-time. This new goal is a bedtime with a bedtime routine that doesn’t involve computers or heavy activity or distraction. And like the days of yore where we got tucked in and had “reading time” before lights out, we’re trying to tuck ourselves in for a little quiet time to wrap up the day. Just some collection of things like a tall glass of water or a mug of peppermint tea, my journal, a hymnal, a Bible, a book, a card to send to a friend. I need this intimate little compline to finish the day with rest, balance, reflection, gratefulness, peace and reverence to  start afresh with a clean and willing heart.

I need Thy presence ev’ry passing hour
What but thy grace can foil the tempter’s pow’r?
Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be?
Through clouds and sunshine, oh abide with me.

Words by Henry Lyte. Hymntune “Eventide” by William Monk.

as a door turns on its hinges

/ abby hummel / 1 Comment

… so a sluggard turns in his bed.  Proverbs 26:14.

We’ve been reading a chapter of Proverbs nearly every evening before bed, and I’ve been procrastinating for nearly a week on something Aaron and I discussed on the 26th of January: getting up when my alarm goes off.  If my feet hit the floor at 6:01, I can do quite a bit before sliding off to work. I can usually start off with a quick workout or some devotions. Or if I’m rusty, it’s both: “Dear God, please help me finish this 30-second plank before I die!” I can take care of a shower, delicious breakfast, and do some laundry or set up for dinner before leaving. But it’s cold outside, and I’ve been staying under the warm cozy covers for up to an hour extra. Now, it’s kind of awesome that I can get out of bed and make it to work on the other side of town both clean and professionally coiffed within 40 minutes. But it’s not funny how far this is from an ideal morning. So for February I have a goal of getting up within one snooze cycle M-F. And that snooze concession is just because it’s nice to cuddle and pray a little before hopping out of bed. This morning I was up at 6:23, which is not the goal, but it was much better than the last two weeks so I’m not too distraught about messing up from the get-go.

In January I gave up sugar, and with just a few little slip-ups and a purposeful splurge for Aaron’s birthday, I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. I did purposefully have a whole 32 oz of Coke while staving off a migraine but I don’t think that counts. And I’ve got to say that I feel awesome. I figured I’d probably give up sugar again for lent, but I’m just going to stay off it for now. I don’t know that this is something I’ll do “forever” or as a lifestyle, but it hasn’t been that difficult and I can tell it’s much better for me! Not sure if I’ll get to my $100 goal for January and February, but I have been crafting and making gifts for birthdays with what we have around the house… we’ve probably saved $40 so far, so I’m telling myself that counts, too.

january and february

/ abby hummel / 2 Comments

Okay, so I have this goal for January to have a mostly sugar-free diet and if it doesn’t kill me, I think I’ll do it for one other month in the year, too. I have no idea how people who do this “for real” plan things, but I’m planning to totally avoid all sugary snacks, cookies, candy, soda, etc., and when something MUST have sugar (like my plain oatmeal this morning), I will use fruit and a teeny bit of honey. So I guess it’s really a refined-sugar-free diet. I don’t think I’ve been eating that much sugary stuff, but I’m excited to see how this goes.  I may cheat for Aaron’s birthday though.

Another thing I’m working on is a goal to make $100 from stuff I have laying around the house. I’m kind of lazy/scared/strapped-for-time so I am avoiding craigslist and will be taking lots of unneeded clothing and home items to consignment shops. This may cut down my profit, but it will be much easier. I’m hoping to have made $100 from these efforts by the end of February! I’m not really sure what I will do with that cash, but we’ll definitely find a use for it.