July Goals Update

Personal Goals:
1. Add 12 new recipes to my repertoire. Blueberry Boy Bait. An amazingly simply and delicious dessert. A hit!

Physical Goals:
1. Drink 24 ounces of water a day. I bought a new water glass. It’s smaller than my metal water flask, but I drink more from it for some reason. It’s 16 ounces, and I manage 2-3 a day, so yay me!
3. Eat at least two servings of fruits and two servings of vegetables a day. Lovin’ me some strawberries, blueberries, plums and nectarines. And, of course, corn. I am a Hoosier after all!

Marriage Goals:
1. Have Bible study time with Joshua daily. This one is not working out. Granted, I just got back from being on vacation for a week and a half.
2. Have a monthly date night. We spent July’s date night in Chicago, celebrating my brother’s birthday. We did go out to dinner, it just involved my brother and our children! Next weekend is his birthday weekend, but we’re staying in (more on why later).

Goals for Bella:
1. More time outside. The kids were outside every day while we were on vacation-even on the days it was over 100! Makes me wish again that we had a back yard. Not so good since we got back.
2. Develop an "others first" mentality. She’

Money Goals:
1. Use my credit card to only buy gas. I am re-committing to this goal. Why? Well, we’re putting our condo on the market and needed to do some decorating so it will sell. I spent a lot on getting our house to look like a home.

2. Pay off the Hyundai.
3. Pay off at least one credit card. We were set, and then I went on vacation (so I needed gas for the car), am putting the house on the market (so I needed decorating stuff) and our computer was on its last leg (so we had to upgrade). Needless to say, we are way far from our goal of getting a card paid off. Oh, I hate this anchor of debt!! I will be so glad when we can get rid of it.

Relationship Goals:
1. Get together with each small group girl at least once a month or do a Girls' Night Out with all of them. We took off for the month of July, and family issues are keeping our group from meeting still. Should be back in full swing in a few more weeks.
2. Write a note of encouragement to friends and family once a month. (I know it's not very generous, and I plan to do more, but it will depend on who needs it!) I sent one before I left on vacation.

Reading list:

"Spiritual" list so far. I still need to add a few titles, but for now this is what I have:

1. Don't Make Me Count to Three-Ginger Plowman. I love this book dearly. Such easy, good, biblical help in it.
2. I Saw the Lord-Ann Graham Lotz
3. Knowing God-J.I. Packer
4. The Pursuit of God-A.W. Tozer I almost dropped this one because it was a slow start, but it picked up speed and was soooooo good!
5. The Presence of God-Brother Lawrence
6. God's Wisdom for a Mother's Heart: A Bible Study for Moms-Bobbie Wolgemuth
7. Big Truths for Young Hearts-Bruce A. Ware
8. A Woman After God's Own Heart-Elizabeth George (I've already read this, but it's just that good!)
9. The Most Important Place on Earth: What a Christian Home Looks Like and How To Build One-Robert Wolgemuth. Very good, practical ideas!
10. 10 -12: Still to be determined. I hear Humility by CJ Mahaney is really good, and I'd like to get a Piper book on the list.

"Fun" list . See the first part of the list here:

I had to return the mystery I was reading before I finished it, but I picked up The Help by Kathryn Stockett. It was such a good book! I got sucked in immediately and feverishly finished all 470-something pages in just under a week while on vacation.

Verses memorized:

John 4:24 “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

John 16:33 “And I have said these things unto you that you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart, I have overcome the world.”