Friday, January 04, 2008

Life as It Is

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2008, can you believe it???

The year 2007 was absolutely amazing. It was amazing because I was stretched and molded in many unique ways. It was good!

* I completed my first year of working FULL time. What a transition it was, going from a 20 hour work week to 40; starting at 8AM instead of 9; and trading a 7 minute commute for one that is 45.

* I LOVE OMF! I have learned so much about missions both overseas and at home. I have come to understand the amazing amount of support staff it takes to keep missionaries on the field.

* I had three new jobs this year. I began the year working for both OMF, as Finance and Administration Assistant, and Initiative360, as Executive Assistant to the Human Resources Manager. Then, March 1, I was hired full time by OMF in the Fin and Admin Assistant position when I-360 closed. THEN, June 1, I was promoted in OMF to Payroll Administrator. PHEW! How thankful I am that it has passed and I am settled in ONE job with ONE boss. :-) At one time the beginning of this year I had three bosses, three jobs and three desks! Seriously!

* I went to SURPRISE Dawn in January for her 25th birthday! That was a blast! I will NEVER, EVER forget her slamming the door in my face. Then, in June Matt and Dawn had a short 1.5 hour layover at the Denver airport... a layover that turned into 3 days! She was able to spend time with my family, I saw her pregnant and had her in my home for the first time in an 8 year friendship!!! What a joy!!! I love you, Dawn!

* God sent me to Pennsylvania. I was able to spend a week with retired OMF missionaries, hearing their stories, looking at their pictures and learning from them. Words really cannot describe it! (I am STILL hoping to do some writing about this!!!)

* Someone came into my life and swept me off my feet... hahaha, shocked you, huh? I'm talking about my mountain bike. I had prayed for it and God gave it to me. This Summer I was able to spend many hours on it, covering many miles and rejoicing in God's creation. I cannot wait to get back on it!

So, enough highlights from the year past. What will the new year hold? I am always very reflective the last few days of December and the first few of January. This year I was not able to ponder as much since I was sick and living through Ecclesiastes 7 with a family death. Last night I was able to do some thinking and I wrote out a few goals for 2007.

1- Read 24 books. That is 2 per month. I used to read more than that, but with working like I do this will be more realistic. (This does not count books on CD, which are becoming my best friend since I have such a long commute! I have listened to ALL seven Chronicles of Narnia by Focus on the Family Radio Theatre through TWICE.)

2- Read the Bible through twice. If you read my previous post on this you will remember that this means I will need to read 6-7 chapters a day.

3- Do an indepth study on Hebrews.

4- Finish memorizing Ephesians.

5- Travel overseas.

6- Get in shape. I was going to say lose 10 pounds, but I knew people would give me a hard time about that since no one thinks I need to lose weight. I agree. I need to lose pointless tissue and excess inches. How is that? :-P In all reality I will probably gain weight as I get in shape. My goal is to be back to the size I used to be 2 years ago by the time I travel to Asia. Less than 6 months. It can be done!

7- Begin fasting regulary again- part 2 of getting into shape. I feel so much better spiritually and physically when I am consistenly fasting. There will be a day when I will not be able to fast (pregnancy, age, health issues, etc.) and so I want to make sure that I capitalize on doing it now!

8- Make progress on my Biblical Studies Certificate. Several years ago I started a self-paced certificate program with Liberty University. It is an indepth study of the Scriptures that is equivilent to an Associates Degree in time, energy and work. I am almost half-way through and would like to be almost done by the end of 2008. God has given me peace and a release from the demand to get a degree, but I would like to finish this certificate for the sole reason of knowing His Word better than I do now!

I think that will keep me busy for the next 12 months...

Thank you, Jesus, for giving me 2007! What a journey it was with You. All the tears, laughter and refining was well worth it. May I glorify You with 2008. Continue to mold me and make me more like Yourself. Be my vision. Be my only desire. Be my satisfaction. Be my peace. Be my joy. I love You!

9 comments:

Augustinian Successor said...

"2008, can you believe it???"

No, I don't believe it ...

Of course, I believe it! You're KIDDING me???

It's a belief isn't? The fact that we believe it's no longer 2007 but 2008. Can we actually SEE 2007 itself, or for that matter, 2008? Can we, huh? So, it's a belief. Sheer unmitigated belief of the greatest propensity to simply assume based on what others say. Belief is a powerful thing, huh?

Well, belief is what we humans are. Our lives are framed according to our belief system. Great, so how come I believe that it's 2008, but I somehow somewhere finds it difficult to believe that God will work in my life to bring a life partner if He wills to? WHY???

Augustinian Successor said...

Atonement was great. Reminded me of England, and Wales where I lived and studied, it reminded of Britain actually.

Loved the period ... love the style, atmosphere of those days ... the simplicity of life in those days, sort of in a simplified sort of way, you know ...

LOVE the hairstyle, short at the back, neatly combed upfront and so on and so forth ...

love the scene of the evacuation of Dunkirk where Dear Lord and Father of mankind was sung ... to the tune of Repton ... amazing ...

love the movie ... next is Elizabeth: The Golden Age ...

Augustinian Successor said...

"I'm talking about my mountain bike."

I am hoping to go on a hiking and trekking trip sometime in March. It'll be a good time of camping, hiking, trekking, exploring and so on and so forth. It'll be a good time of learning the various habitats, and the flora and fauna and the biodiversity of the jungle, and so on ...

Yeah, a man's got to do what a man's got to do ... ;-/

Galant said...

Jaclyn, hello and Happy 2008!

You mentioned reading 24 books this year, 2 per month. How do you tend to read? Do you set regular time aside for it? A bit every day, or just longer periods of reading over weekends etc.?

I'd almost be curious to see what your regular, daily and weekly schedule looks like.

Jaclyn said...

Galant-
I wish I had a schedule. Every day looks different and I have a rough pattern, but I know I could be so much more disciplined about it! A schedule is a goal of mine too...

I would probably set aside a specific time. When I am consistently reading I usually do it before bed for 30 min or so. This only works if I do my regular quiet time in the morning. If I do not do my QT in the morning it happens in the evening and the excess reading is dumped.

With my goal of 24 books this year I will need to capitalize on my lunch break at work too! Get away from the work and read. Ahhh... that sounds nice!

How do YOU read?

Augustinian Successor said...

I read around 50 plus books at anyone time ... well, I mean like 50-60 plus plus books ...

Jaclyn said...

Jason- I do not know how anyone could read that many books all at once! There are many other things I have to do besides read, so there is no way I could do that! Wow!

Augustinian Successor said...

I TRY to read as many books as I can, 'kay? I know, I know it's difficult to FIND time on my hands to really read the books, you know what I mean? But I try to connect what I have read so far into a WHOLE ./\./\./\./\. err... when *i* read books, i try to visualise the thoughts conveyed in those books as a whole, a holistic approach so to speak ... in its totality ... i read books for my master's in public policy ... public policy, you know there are lots to know 'bout public policy. You canNOT avoid public policy because of the fact that it's unavoidability stems from the fact it's everywhere. Pure and simple. Public policy includes laws. You canNOT avoid law. There are traffic laws, laws on building drainages, laws on road safety, laws on jay-walking and so on and so forth.

Where was i? Oh ok, about books, i like reading, you know. it's fun. it's an adventure. but, but i can't stomach novels, Narnia, CS Lewis, JRR Tolkien, GK Chesterton and so on. i love to read theological books. i rather spend my money on boks than on branded shoes or belts or what not. i rather spend my money on boks and feud. Good boks and good feud.

Nah, i kind of doubt it if i could read that many books in a year. From page to page, that is. Still, skimming thru, scanning the pages, etc. it could be yeah around fiftiesh. I mean i borrow the maximum limit of 20 at any time. so 20 X 2 months maximum time of loan is 40 books per 2 months X another 6 months ...............................................................
20 books = 2 months.

let's see ... i "read" twenty books in about two months. You are the accountant, Jacklyn. Am i right here in my calculation? does that mean i BORROW what 20 books per 2 months and then i'll havem multiply that by another 6 times to make 12 months that is a year so that i get 120 books a year, that is i borrow 120 books per year?

i like to read about Newtonian physics, how that was shattered by Einstenian relativity, where i can understand. I do know this: Science is a bundle of "intelligent" guesses which guesses in turn are replaced by other "intelligent" guesses which might suffer the same cycle. Science therefore does not deal with facts, but perception of facts since science is obsessed with perception. But can perception gives us what we want ... the TRUTH. no, science gives us possibilities. The Word of God is the Bible and the Bible is the Word of God. And the Bible is TRUTH. so, when the Word of God says that God created the worlds in six days, that is truth. God was there. God did everything and later on told Moses to write it down. Science wasn't there then, but it then tries to go back and figure out what happened. It can try, and try, but never arriving at the truth, because truth is not discovered. It is given, revealed. Jesus is the truth, way, life, light. Flesh and blood haas not revealed the truth to Peter when he confessed that Jesus was truly the Son of God, but the Father in heaven.

In fact, EVERYTHING is given to us, Jacklyn. Everything. Creation and Redemption are essentially the same work of God; one is creating us, the other one in re-creating us, restoring us. Both are gifts. To be had, to be received. To be human therefore is to believe, have faith. Because faith receives the gifts of God. And as humans we are nothing but recipients and God the giver. "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." Hebrews 11:6. Of course, of course we must qualify the fact that when we diligently seek God, that is because He has already sought us in the first place, right?

Galant said...

Hi Jaclyn. Sorry for the delay.

How do I read?

Well, I used to only be able to read one book at a time. Then somewhere along the line I started reading more than one at a time. And now I've reverted back to just one at a time - for the most part. I'll read one non-fiction and possibly one fiction at the same time. That way I can focus more.

I don't tend to have a schedule for reading, which is something I'm working on. Reading at night, before bed, is something I've not quite managed. I've found it presents problems. Such as falling asleep with a book on my face, or worse, I fall asleep on the poor book and then it suffers! Also, since I find it hard to achieve a comfortable position, usually ending up with a sore arm, shoulder or neck depending upon on I end up supporting myself! :)

I suppose the sensible thing would be to get extra pillows (I only ever use one small one) and prop myself up. I've just never had many pillows around. I only ever sleep with one.

So my reading tend to be done when I study, at various times, or if I feel inspired with free time and then I just sit and read.

I don't do quite as much as I like. But that's just a matter of creating a new habit. :)

As to what I read, I tend to have one non-fiction on the go - and then I enjoy some classical fiction. I'd love more Christian fiction, but it all tends to be romance novels or thriller types. I'd prefer something more along the lines of Narnia or classic literature, like Treasure Island, which was the book that got me back into reading at age 13, or The Count of Monte Cristo, which is the largest book I've ever read, and both inspired and amazed me with it's story.

I'm not hugely well read, but I do tend to retain a lot of what I hear, see or read. And I know what I like, such as nobility, courage, and a classic or classy approach.

:)

Incidentally, I saw Black on your reading list. Let me know what you think when you read it. :)

God bless.