The Reason For God - Study

I am going to be participating in Stefanie from Ni Hao Y'all's study of the "The Reason For God".  I didn't plan on sharing my side of the study here until I received an email from Stefanie.  She mentioned that posting on our personals blog about it and it sounded like a great idea.

 I talk about goals here a lot.   Mostly my exercise goals.  A goal that I have not shared with you is more of a spiritual nature.  During 2011 I had three surgeries and spent a lot of time being ill.  I spent a lot of time watching TV (we still had cable then).  Specifically History Channel International and The Naked Archaeologist.  While you can find more criticism of the show than positives, I loved it.  Between that and the nature of being home and in pain all the time, I found myself turning to my faith more.

That was 2 years ago and I have not made the progress I wanted too.  One of the things I wanted to start doing was spending time every day either doing a devotional or reading the Bible.  I picked this up 100 times and forget after a day two 101 times.  One of the things that Stefanie asked us to do was "Set aside at least 15 minutes every morning to pray or read the Bible or just sit quietly with the Lord." .  Which gives me my 102 opportunity to start working on this again.

The reason I signed up for her study was so I was forced to work on my spirituality.   Her encouragement of prayer and quiet time with God is helping me to keep focused and stay active in my relationship with God.

I am excited for this study, I am excited to have the excuse/outside reason to study the Bible and to spend time in prayer.  I plan on keeping a journal for my self ( another suggestion) as well as trying to post about the study and how I am feeling and growing here once a week.  Chapter 1 of the study goes up on Ni Hao Y'all on May 14.  Wish me luck!

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A Good Way to Get Back to Blogging

I saw this on Running with Tongs and thought it would be a good idea to steal.  Give me a little direction to get back to blogging.  I am really struggling with really wanting to write and really wanting to read but really not doing anything.

Thinking about:  Vacation!  Really really, really want to start planning it and setting up reservations.  Really.  We've decided to go back to the beach this year and I am looking forward to waves and relaxation.  Come on Groupon!

Feeling:  Really sad, anxious, and lost.  We have another week or two of guess work and then we have to make a big decision.  And every variation of that decision makes me want to curl up in a ball and hide.

Watching: Nashville.  So random, I don't even like country music.  It is entertaining me, and even pushing out the Good Wife during my TV watching time.  ( You don't know it, but I am mildly obsessed with the Good Wife.  Team Will!)

Reading:  I just finished Murder on The Mind and have started The Fifth Avenue Series.  Murder on the mind was meh, thinking about giving the series one more book to reel me in.  I am 18% of the way through The Fifth Avenue series and it is losing me.  At least 10 character's story lines going on right now, no forward motion, and I don't care about any of them.  $6 down the drain.

Looking forward to: A quiet (er) weekend coming up.  Time to clean the house and hopefully nice weather for a bike ride.  I've been gyming it up lately thanks to the crappy, crappy weather.

Making me happy:   My ridiculous little dog.  Who is ridiculous.

Happiness is the Little Things 2.13.13

1.  Archer

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I am soooo soooo obsessed with Archer right now.  Like, I've watched the first 2 seasons 3 times.  The third season wasn't great, so I've only watched it once, and I now buy the 4th season by episode so I can keep up.  There are really no words for how much I love this show.  I would quote an obscene and inappropriate comment I saw on an Archer blog,  but it was obscene and inappropriate.

2. WoW

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I know you are currently adding this to the " total nerd" pile but its true.  I played last winter and stopped when the weather turned and I was spending most of my time outside.  I started playing again at Christmas ( When I got my super awesome new computer) and am loving it.  We will see what happens.  I think I'll keep playing through out the year this year.

3.  Little Debbie Brownies

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My aunt bought me a crap ton of these.  I unfortunately have been eating them.  A lot.  Delicious but it's time to cut back.

What are your fav things this week?

New Year Resolution And The Internet Part 2

Back in January I told you about my internet resolutions.  To quote myself:

"Resolution:

For the month of January no FB, News or blog reading.  The only time I am allowed to catch up is either Saturday or Sunday but not both.  At the end of January I will evaluate where I am mentally and decide how to proceed with February.  "

I did pretty well with this.  Not amazing, and I completely fell off the wagon while I was home sick for a few days, but I think I stayed very true to the spirit of the resolution.

The News

After January was over I went to the news sites I used to frequent to see what I had been missing.  I figured it wasn't much because people are always willing to give you bad news so keeping up with the world is not very difficult.  Even so, I could feel the hopelessness and negativity return instantly.  I almost felt like I had news hang over after my brief reappearance.  

Verdict:  

I am going to continue to avoid news sites like the plague.  It is what is best/healthiest for me and my well being.

Facebook

No one needs to check Facebook 100 times  a day.  I never actually did it because I thought something interesting was going to be on there but because I have a smart phone and I was bored/ easily distracted. 

Verdict:

I have added the app back on to my phone and have the shortcut on one of the screens.  Not m main screen, but 2 screens over.  I probably check it 2-3 times a day now when I am at lunch or bored.  I have definitely cut back and am hoping to keep it at a less ridiculous level from here on out.

Both items were the problems that I thought they were.  I am not going to go to news sites just because anymore and I am not going use Facebook as a weird ADHD crutch anymore.  I think I will have more time and be a better person for it.

The Wolf Gift

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I have always love Anne Rice.  I read Interview with a Vampire when I was 16 and have never stopped reading her books.  When I was in college I forced a group of friends to drive with me from Toledo Ohio to Chicago Illinois so I could meet her and get a book signed.  I have a very personal relationship with her characters and her world.  Anne Rice has a very definite world.

The Wolf Gift was a refreshing visit back to that world.  Anne always has a way of bringing places and people to life for the reader.  She makes you want the characters passions and adventures.  The Wolf Gift is, at its very heart, a typical Anne Rice novel.  It is everything I love and dislike about her fiction.

This book went from being an intense and enjoyable read, to something I had to force myself not to skim till the end.  It became evident in The New Tales of the Vampires that Anne was a little obsessed with Marius.  Repetitively.  As the "pack" formed in the Wolf Gift I felt more and more like I could identify the characters by their vampire counterparts. I've read the story of those characters already.  Multiple times through Anne Rice's various books.  That also made the Marius like character espousing his philosophies equally boring.

BUT

You should read this book.  Whether you are new to Anne Rice or have been around forever this is a very, very enjoyable read.  If you are new to Anne Rice you may not notice my complaints at all.  If you are a long time fan you may not agree with me.  Either way, the merits of meeting Reuben and going on his journey with him far out weigh the negatives.

4/5 Stars