Monthly Goals: June

At the beginning of each month, I share my goals for the month ahead and track my progress on the previous month’s goals.  I skipped setting goals for the month of May because (a) I hadn’t completed April’s goals, and (b) I wanted to take it easy during the kids’ summer vacation.

Well, the kids are back in school today, and I’m back to being more intentional with setting and accomplishing my goals.  Here’s my progress over the past two months.

My goals for April (and May) were:

  1. Stay up to date with the Good Morning Girls and Hello Mornings Bible studies. — Done {I completed both the studies and started new ones}
  2. Read through the book of Revelation. — Done {Finished Genesis also in May}
  3. Read Prayer, A Hunger for God, Intentional Parenting, Unplug Your Mind and ReCharge Your Soul, Thin In 30 Minutes (a book on walking). — Done {I also read Clean Enough and 101 Time-Saving Tips for Busy Moms}
  4. Teach the kids 2 new verses. — Done {They learnt 4 verses over the past 2 months}
  5. Read at least 12 books to the kids. — Done
  6. Backup photos. — Done
  7. Participate in the 30-Day House Cleaning Challenge at Money Saving Mom. — Incomplete {I didn’t complete the challenge, but did get the entire house deep cleaned after it was painted last month}
  8. Walk at least 8 Km this month. — Not Done {No excuses for this one :(}

My goals for June are:

  1. Stay up to date with the Good Morning Girls and Hello Mornings Bible studies.
  2. Read through the book of Exodus.
  3. Read Anything, The Passionate Mom and Surprisingly… Unstuck.
  4. Teach the kids 2 new verses.
  5. Read at least 12 books to the kids.
  6. Purge and organize the kids’ clothes.
  7. Walk at least 4Km this month.

Are you in the habit of setting weekly/monthly goals?  If you do, how did you do last month?  If you don’t, how do you keep track of things you need to get done?

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Counting My Blessings: 1161 to 1175

Counting My Blessings

Every week, I share on the blog all the good things (and bad) I am grateful to God for.  If you’d like to know more, check out these blog posts on why I do it and how to get started.  Care to join me on this journey of intentional thanksgiving?

1161. Creating a weekly master plan – saves my sanity.

1162. Hurriedly working on the goals I made way back in April.

1163. Playing jigsaw puzzles on the floor with the kids.

1164. Missing a dear friend I haven’t met in 5 years.

1165. Sincere prayers for a child struggling to hold on.

1166. The way Jon climbs onto my lap every time I sit down to play.

1167. Little boys’ giggles.

1168. Getting soaked in the rain.

1169. Love notes from my husband (love that man!).

1170. Finding a parking spot on Brigade Road.

1171. The kids get a familiar teacher for the new school year.

1172. Witnessing baptisms – always a blessing.

1173. The kids excited about blowing bubbles.

1174. Experiencing God’s presence in church – may I never take it for granted!

1175. The last day of summer vacation {bittersweet}.

Are you in the habit of counting your blessings?  I mean, literally counting them 1, 2, 3… Would you consider joining me on this journey?  Would you dare to live fully, right where you are?

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A Habit A Month: Take Vitamins

If you’ve been reading this blog longer than 6 months, you may be familiar with my A Habit A Month feature.  My last post was way back in November where I mentioned that I would be working on taking my vitamins regularly.  Well, it really took me 6 months to get into the habit of taking my vitamins regularly (hence the delayed update).

I was constantly forgetting to take my vitamins – that had me constantly feeling weak and lethargic.  I was determined to work out a plan to remind myself to take my vitamins regularly.  I was diligent in finding blogs and articles on how to make habits stick.  I tried a few tactics, hoping each month that I would get into the habit of taking my vitamins.  Here are three methods I tried that didn’t work.

1. Associating taking my vitamins with another activity

I read somewhere that you are more likely to succeed with a habit, when you associate it with a habit that you have already established.  I tried to associate taking my vitamins with my morning coffee and breakfast, but the habit didn’t stick. Mostly because I love the flavor of coffee and the vitamins were spoiling it :).

2. Taking my vitamins when I gave the kids theirs

In the winter months, the kids were taking vitamin supplements, so I tried to remind myself to take my medicines when I gave them theirs.  That didn’t work either.  Sometimes, I completely forgot to give them their vitamins and when I did, I forgot to take mine.

3. Including it in my to-do list

This was one that worked for a brief period of time.  I included “Take Vitamins” on my daily to-do list and it worked on days I did make a list.  On the days I didn’t, I didn’t take my vitamins either.

So moving on to what actually worked…  Surprisingly, when I discovered this method, it took me less than a month to establish the habit of taking my vitamins regularly.

Step 1: Confirm & stock up on vitamins

I called my uncle (a doctor) and verified my medication.  He changed it a bit and gave me the recommended dosage.  My husband then bought enough vitamins to last me a month.

Step 2: Plan my medication every week

My mother got me a pill dispenser similar to this and once a week, I fill it up with the vitamins I have to take each day that week.  I then place it in a prominent spot in the kitchen that I am sure to look at everyday.

Step 3: Determine not to miss a day

At the beginning I continued to miss a day or two, but the labels on the pill dispenser helped me keep track of the days I’d missed.  It was easier then to be more determined about not missing a day.

I seriously can’t believe it took me this long to make this a habit.  Well, better late than never, right?! 🙂  Now I can move on and work on some other habit that I need to establish!

Habit for June: Determine a ‘work at home’ plan.  Ever since I started working part time from home, I’ve been struggling to hold it all together – kids, home, work, blog…  With the kids starting school again next week, I definitely have to get my act together.  I will be spending June working on streamlining my days and allocating chunks of time for work without compromising on my primary ministry as a wife, mother & homemaker.  If all goes well, I’ll be blogging about it towards the end of the month.

“A Habit A Month” challenge is about working on just one habit a month – one small step at a time.  Focus on just one area in your life that needs an overhaul and make it the habit you want to develop in the coming month.  It could be as simple as waking up early or spending time with God everyday.  This is an opportunity for you to actually take a step forward and work on that one good habit you’ve always wanted to develop.  Or kick that one bad habit that has always been nagging your conscience.  Are you up for it?  Who’s with me?

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Counting My Blessings: 1146 to 1160

Counting My Blessings

Every week, I share on the blog all the good things (and bad) I am grateful to God for.  If you’d like to know more, check out these blog posts on why I do it and how to get started.  Care to join me on this journey of intentional thanksgiving?

1146. A good response to this post.

1147. Watching Jesus: He Lived Among Us with the kids.

1148. Jon asking me what “heart of the matter” meant! I had no idea how to explain it to him!

1149. Getting acquainted with a neighbor.

1150. Heavy rains.

1151. Positive feedback.

1152. Finding balance, streamlining my days.

1153. Disappointments – hard eucharisteo.

1154. Power naps – a productivity tool!

1155. An (almost) empty email inbox.

1156. Evernote.

1157. The kids’ excitement when they discovered an old toy train.

1158. The opportunity to encourage a friend’s faith.

1159. Witnessing the baptism of a sweet family.

1160. Chinese food.

Are you in the habit of counting your blessings?  I mean, literally counting them 1, 2, 3… Would you consider joining me on this journey?  Would you dare to live fully, right where you are?

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Introducing… Clothed in Scarlet !!!

I’ve been longing to share this news for the past few weeks, but just didn’t get around to writing a blog post about it!  I’ve been working for a friend over the past 2 months to create a brand new website for women – Clothed In Scarlet.

Clothed in Scarlet

“There are millions of websites out there… Why another one?”, you might wonder.  The mission behind this website is to equip women spiritually and financially – to provide practical knowledge and tools to help women harness their talents and make a living with it.

God has given each of us unique strengths to fulfill His purpose in our lives.  The founder of Clothed in Scarlet (Sunu Philip, a dear friend of mine) has a passion to help women discover their potential and make the most of it.  She has been supplementing her family’s income from home over the past 6 years and now wants to empower other women to do the same.

Here is a sampling of my contribution to the website:

So go ahead, check it out!  There is even a free kit available for subscribers!  Just being a part of this venture has blessed me in so many ways.  I pray it is a blessing to you as well.

P.S. – If you take a peek at the About page, you might find a familiar face :).

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Counting My Blessings: 1128 to 1145

Blessings

Every week, I share on the blog all the good things (and bad) I am grateful to God for.  If you’d like to know more, check out these blog posts on why I do it and how to get started.  Care to join me on this journey of intentional thanksgiving?

1128. A fresh coat of paint – makes our home seem {almost} brand new.

1129. Sons who cooperate {most of the time}.

1130. My mother’s eagerness to help around the home.

1131. Prayers for a newly wedded couple.

1132. Fun and laughter with friends.

1133. The way the sons skip around when they’re happy.

1134. Things getting worse before they get better.

1135. Setting our home in order.

1136. Sore muscles.

1137. A discussion of “The Purpose Driven Life”.

1138. Grocery shopping – just my husband and I.

1139. An empty house for just a few hours.

1140. My first food processor.

1141. The end of a crazy busy week!

1142. A chicken recipe handed down 3 generations.

1143. Time to blog.

1144. Lessons from the life of Daniel.

1145. A commitment to excel.

Are you in the habit of counting your blessings?  I mean, literally counting them 1, 2, 3… Would you consider joining me on this journey?  Would you dare to live fully, right where you are?

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Intentional Parenting: Book Review

Intentional Parenting

Intentional Parenting: Autopilot is for planes is a parenting book written by Sissy Goff, David Thomas, and Melissa Trevathan – counselors at Daystar Counseling Ministries.  The book aims to help parents be more intentional in the way they connect with their kids.

Each author has written four chapters and it’s easy to notice the different style of each writer.  Each chapter in the book explores a particular characteristic of parents in detail – for example, Patience, Balance, Consistency, etc.  The authors have written based on their own experience as counselors, so we get a good dose of the children’s perspective as well.

There was a lot of reference to another book “Love and Logic”, which might leave readers who haven’t read it clueless.  On the whole, the book seemed a little too much like a to-do list for parents and it overwhelmed me a bit.  The authors do mention however, that it’s essential that parents look to God to guide them in being intentional parents.

The real life stories and views of both the parents and children make this book a good read.  Whether you are parenting a toddler or a teen, there is something in this book for you.  If you are having trouble with your kids right now, I encourage you to pick up this book.  Chances are the authors have dealt with the problem you are currently facing and their experience will definitely help you in some way.

Disclosure: I received a free Kindle version of this book from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are entirely my own.

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Counting My Blessings: 1113 to 1127

Blessings

Every week, I share on the blog all the good things (and bad) I am grateful to God for.  If you’d like to know more, check out these blog posts on why I do it and how to get started.  Care to join me on this journey of intentional thanksgiving?

1113. Work!

1114. A laptop charger that works when positioned just right.

1115. Getting acquainted with Twitter.

1116. A fun day out with friends.

1117. Being real, sharing struggles, offering hope…

1118. Cooking jeera rice for 20+ people that was actually edible!

1119. Fun and fellowship at our prayer group’s potluck dinner.

1120. An upcoming study of The Purpose Driven Life.

1121. Making do without running water (2 days and counting!)

1122. A strong husband.

1123. Outlining a homemaking schedule that might just work.

1124. Productivity apps.

1125. Pizza!

1126. Figuring out my strengths and weaknesses.

1127. Earning an income after 5 years… Heart overflowing with thanks!

Are you in the habit of counting your blessings?  I mean, literally counting them 1, 2, 3… Would you consider joining me on this journey?  Would you dare to live fully, right where you are?

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Random Lessons Learnt On A Holiday

Caribbean near Tulum

This is just a random post to jot down all that’s swirling in my mind.  If you’re looking for some deep inspiration, you may not find it here today… 🙂

So, we went to my husband’s hometown for our summer vacation last week.  In no particular order, here are 10 things I learnt while there.

1. A ‘kinda’ vacation is (almost) as good as a real vacation.

I call it a ‘kinda’ vacation because my husband worked a few days and I had to be online to fulfill a few commitments I’d made.  That didn’t make it any less of a vacation though!

2. I stress out a lot.

I had planned to continue posting verses on Facebook and Twitter on the weekdays, and also blog while I was there.  Unfortunately, our laptop charger refused to cooperate.  I was not happy.  It kinda got on my nerves that all my plans were in vain, and sadly my husband bore the brunt of it.

3. My husband is awesome!

He is really good at figuring out when I’m stressed.  He enters a problem-solving mode and rattles off simple solutions to my seemingly complex problems.  I’m glad at least one parent in the family has a good head on their shoulders!

4. I over-complicate things.

Yup!  I am someone who makes a mountain out of a molehill.  Nothing much to add there.  I’m learning as I go that things aren’t always as bad as I think they are.

5. Backups save the day.

My father-in-law installed power backup to keep us going during the power cuts.  And the very slow computer helped me keep my online commitments when my laptop didn’t cooperate.

6. Quiet time helps.

I usually miss out on my quiet time when we’re travelling.  But this time, I was determined not to.  I lugged my journals and Bibles along with me on the trip and spent some quality time with God every day.  And when we go to God, He does not disappoint!  Love Him for that! <3

7. Family time rocks!

Whether it is praying together at bedtime or spending a rainy day at the beach, I’m glad to be able to spend time with my husband and sons.  So blessed!

8. Baby goats are cute.

My mother-in-law raises goats.  And she continues to do so knowing the little ones eat up her roses.  The boys visited the goats several times during the day and had fun feeding them.

9. Things I love to do aren’t always a priority.

I love to blog and hope to do so for years to come.  But when I’m short of time, and I have to fulfill my commitments to family, friends and church, blogging falls by the wayside.  I have to learn to be okay with that.

10. The days are long but the years are short.

My husband and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary last week.  I can’t believe we’ve been married that long.  Living life one day at a time makes each day seem long, but the years are flying by.

Photo Credit: mdanys

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Counting My Blessings: 1098 to 1112

Blessings

Every week, I share on the blog all the good things (and bad) I am grateful to God for.  If you’d like to know more, check out these blog posts on why I do it and how to get started.  Care to join me on this journey of intentional thanksgiving?

1098. Cuddling beside my first-born on an overnight bus journey.

1099. An event-less bus journey. {A very good thing!}

1100. A vacation (kinda)!

1101. Attending a Tamil church after several months.

1102. Singing a Tamil song based on the verse, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” {The same our extended family sang at my grandfather’s memorial  service.}

1103. Lessons learnt from King Hezekiah’s life.

1104. Watching our home church service online.

1105. Making do without my laptop.

1106. Baby goats.

1107. Power backup – makes life with power cuts a tad easier.

1108. Our boys getting to experience life in a small village.

1109. Strolling along a wet sandy shore.

1110. 6 years of married life.

1111. Judah’s response on being told to wash his face: “Which face?” {That boy!}

1112. Schedules & routines – makes getting back to normal much easier.

Are you in the habit of counting your blessings?  I mean, literally counting them 1, 2, 3… Would you consider joining me on this journey?  Would you dare to live fully, right where you are?

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