Finish This: Week Thirty-nine

Howdy, folks! The name of the game is Finish This, and our fabulous hostesses are Jen at The Arizona Russums,Becky at The Java Mama, Nicole at Three 31, and Lisa at Coastlined.

I am most comfortable in small groups of people that I know. Or big groups of people I know. Or with just one other person I know. I love being with people, and as extroverted as I am, sometimes I feel intimidated by groups of strangers... but then I remember how much fun it is to make new friends!

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Diamonds are a reminder of the beauty that can result from endurance. 

I wish I could be more talented in the decorating department. For the past month, my walls have been really bare. Part of that is because the new flatmate and I haven't done any decorating, but why haven't we? Because I've let it slide. Oh well. Maybe by Christmas....

Thanks for joining! See you next week, same Bat-time, same Bat-place!

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Finish This: Week Twenty-six

Joining the link-up fun with hostesses Nicole at Three 31, Jen at The Arizona Russums, Becky at The Java Mama, and Lisa at Coastlined.

It's never too late to eat breakfast. Seriously, people, breakfast is always a good idea. It doesn't even have to be your first meal of the day. Just eat breakfast-for-dinner and enjoy your life. No one freaks out about breakfast, because breakfast is the best.

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I compare myself to others less than I used to. I'm getting better at choosing contentedness instead of comparison, because comparison takes the joy out of what God's given you. Ann Voskamp's book One Thousand Gifts has helped immensely with choosing gratefulness for what I have; I highly recommend it. 

My personality is extroverted. Type A. Slightly OCD. ESTJ. Those are the labels you could apply to me. But I'm more than labels, fo sho! I'm hilarious, smart alecky, kind, caring, and willing to serve. My name means "refreshed" and I try to be an encouragement to those around me.

I can play the piano. Babysit 10 kids {and keep them all alive}. Get off topic, but then come back to it. Make my own laundry detergent and dishwasher soap. Crochet like a boss. Remember birthdays. Make an amazing mojito and an awesome pitcher of sangria. 

I embrace change because I know it's part of the story that God is writing. Usually I can make adjustments easily, but bigger changes {like all the decisions I'm facing} take some time for me to make sure I'm hearing God and am doing what He wants me to do. But once I've heard His voice and know that I know that I know that this direction/decision/change is it, then I'm all in, 100%.

Thanks for joining! Be sure to add your link or answer the prompts in the comments. Happy Hump Day... except not because INDEPENDENCE DAY!!!! Woot! 

Thinking About...

...how it's been a while since I wrote a non-link-up post. And then I was sick for 4 days and am still not feeling 100%, so we'll ease back into normality with a post of half-sentences of what I'm thinking about these days.

...Yvonne and my upcoming blog swap about friendship.

...what a joy it is to read a big, heavy book about one of my favorite people... almost 200 pages in to Team of Rivals!

...feminism and its many facets. Been reading a bunch of Her.meneutics articles, not all about feminism per se, but about women's issues {like this one about some Downton Abbey shtuff and this one about Lena Dunhum}. I'm really looking forward to the day Jesus Feminist comes in at the library.

...how amazingly awesome and scary it is to be an adult.

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...Lent. Technically I'm behind on my note-writing commitment, but I think that my perfectionism needs to die and so I'm not going to worry about it. 

...napping. Being sick is no fun, but napping certainly helps. Thursday, I didn't go to work; at 7:30 in the morning, I called my mom to tell her I was sick, and then I went back to sleep...until 11! It was glorious.

...autism. I'm listening to Temple Grandin's book The Autistic Brain in my car, and I must confess that I find it all fascinating. If you want to be inspired, watch the movie "Temple Grandin" or read one of her biographies {a couple of them are on my to-read list}.

...introverts and extroverts. Samara's boss loaned her Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking and she administered the quiz at the beginning of the book. Of 20 true-or-false questions {"true" indicates introverted tendencies, "false" indicates extroverted tendencies}, I answered "true" approximately five times. I say approximately because there were a couple questions that were half-ish, so I combined them for one point. This book is on my to-read list also.

That's all my sick brain can think about on this overcast Monday. Peace out, yo. 

7 Quick Takes + Funny Friday

I'm going to attempt to bring some humor into my 7 Quick Takes, thus killing two birds with one stone, or rather accomplishing two goals with one post. I really didn't have to spell that out; you guys are smart and get my metaphors...I hope.

Jumping right in and away from the train wreck of a first paragraph...

1. Sherlock Sherlock Sherlock Sherlock Sherlock Sherlock Sherlock Sherlock Sherlock Sherlock Sherlock

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In case you've been living under a stupid rock caught unaware, Sherlock airs in the US this Sunday at 9:58pm, immediately after Downton Abbey. Click the image link to find local channel information, watch the past two seasons {it only takes 9 hours!}, and to see special previews. Do it now.

2. I've checked out a few other 7QT this morning, and literally every single one of them mentioned running. I don't understand it, to be honest. 

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3. What I can understand, however, is Zumba. And Zumba understands me. Most of the time. 

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4. Relevant Magazine has been wowing me recently. There's this little nugget which is totes approp considering I'm basically at one of life's milestones.  And this list is encouraging in the "way to go, you're on the right track" way and inspiring in the "keep moving in this direction" way. I don't know if those descriptions make any sense, but read the article and hope for the best, ok?

5. Need something sweet in your day? Watch this Peter Pan proposal...break out the tissues first!

6. Do you guys like reading about personality types like I do? Here are two fun pieces to look at: first, fictional characters representing each of the Myers-Briggs types. Secondly, here's an infograph demonstrating income by personality type. Fascinating!

7. In case running really is your thing and in case you hate Zumba or in case you were expecting a real life funny story, read this tweet from my flatmate. She actually said this in conversation while describing a movie. As soon as we realized what she said, we both collapsed on the floor laughing. Literally, we both dropped to the floor. Obviously, we are both hysterical. Try and rein in your jealousy that I get to live with my bff. 

Linking up with Conversation Diary for 7 Quick Takes. Happy Friday!

Goals for 2014

Farewell, 2013! It's been real and it's been fun.

Goals for 2013 {original post here, September's update here}:

1. Blog twice a week, one funny and one not necessarily = CHECK! For the vast majority of 2013, I blogged at least twice a week, and I think Funny Friday is officially a thing.
2. Blog different experiences = a wee bit vague, but I do think I hit a variety of topics and experiences and stories. I'm gonna call this one CHECK.
3. IRL goal: Made to Crave = check-ish. I definitely feel healthier, but I need to jump back into a routine. Good news: zumba classes start in January! :)
4. Fun goal: Prince Edward Island - definite check! In case I haven't posted about it enough, you can read my travel journal here.
5. From September, get fully settled into the condo = CHECK! My wall has more pictures than it knows what to do with, I've changed approximately 4 billion light bulbs {not really but almost}, and Samara and I both have new fans in our bathrooms. Like a boss.
6. Finish my Goodreads goal of 45 books. Well, folks, being behind in September must have lit a fire under my tail, because I had to adjust my goal to 50 books...and I've finished 54. Audio books for the win!
7. Finish the TARDIS purse = checkity check CHECK! Please admire it here.

So now 2014 goals... gulp. 2013 has challenged me to expand the horizon on my perspectives, meaning that while my default personality type is ESTJ and black-and-white and task-oriented, I have come to recognize the value in different "letters" and shades of color and person/being-oriented. It's been challenging and I'm still learning to value both all viewpoints, so to really stretch myself, I'm going to try and make one of my goals more abstract and less measurable. The business major in me is cringing, but here goes.

1. Invest time in new friendships. 2013 has introduced some wonderful people, and I want to grow these relationships in 2014. The concrete-sequential part of me will probably have to come back and add more detail to this goal, but for abstractness, I'm happy.
2. Get into a real exercise routine. As noted above, zumba starts in January and I'm really excited! I'm also jumping back on the bandwagon of decreasing my sugar intake and increasing the water intake.
3. Continue to blog at least twice a week. Since Funny Friday is a thing, count on that at least two times a month, and then look for some 7 Quick Takes. Usually the link-up is on Fridays, but I may do it a day or two early just to spread the love. Also, as a sub-goal, I will be joining with Rachel and focusing on blogging quality, not just quantity.
4. Try one new recipe monthly bi-monthly. Let's not jump in over our heads; these are my limited cooking skills we're talking about.
5. Goodreads: I'm gonna shoot for a solid 40 books in 2014. We'll see if that needs adjusting either way; hopefully the library can keep up! Specifically, I want to finish Team of Rivals this year.

Since 5 is the number of grace, I'm gonna stop there. :) I'd love to {but am not committing to!} do a monthly or quarterly check-up on these goals, instead of just in September... but we'll see. 

What are your goals for 2014?

Sunday's Ponderings

First of all, sorry for the one post last week. Sometimes two posts feels overwhelming, which is bad, because it shouldn't be. But it was a busy week, and we're going for flexibility, and if you have a problem with that, then you should probably find a different blog to read.

Yep, it's going to be one of those nights.

As you know, I'm looking for a condo or townhouse to buy so my bestie and I can feel like real grown-ups. I went to two open houses this weekend, and while there are some great places out there, so much depends on my budget, which right now is limiting.

So I'm contemplating ways to make some extra dough, and I'm also considering what my dad told me: people who are really successful do things that other people don't consider doing or aren't willing to do. He gave the example that the garbage man is usually the richest man in town because he does what no one else wants to do. So he encouraged me to find something that I'm passionate about and make that into my job. Do something that others won't do or aren't willing to do so that I can live in a way that others can't.

It makes sense. Dad bought a gas station when he was two years younger than I am. Dad is a risk-taker and a man of reason and faith, and he calls it like it is. He's very black and white. I am too, but probably not to the same degree. So I feel stuck, because I want to do something unusual and out there and something that I'm passionate about and that I can make a living off of and that I can pursue and all that, but I don't know what that something is.

I want to work more with people than with a computer.
I want to work with a purpose.
I want to use my gifts and talents that God has given me.
I want to do something that hopefully I could continue once I have kids.
I want to tangibly advance the Kingdom of God.

Any ideas?

Comfort Zone

The company that I'm interning for is really focused on leadership, both personal leadership and business leadership. The owner is a great, godly man who is dedicated to growing leaders, and he has done hundreds and thousands of webinars, seminars, speeches, blog posts, newsletters, emails, and more all about developing leaders and growing people. He's fabulous.

So my task this week has been to go through and create a catalog of all the videos we have, and -you guessed it- the vast majority of them are of our owner speaking about leadership.

So I ponder...

In my Business 101 class {waaaay back during freshman year}, I learned that there are basically three specialties of business people:

1. People who start businesses {usually start, get it going, sell after a few years and move on to start something else}
2. People who run businesses {these are the people who buy the existing business & run with it}
3. People who rescue businesses from extinction 

My Business 101 class discussed this, and my teacher pointed out how rare it is for one person to have all three abilities, and that's what made Steve Jobs so amazing-he did all three.

I remember talking with my mom after that class and saying "You and Dad have told me I would own my own business, and I guess I always thought that meant I had to start it, but now I think that I would be good at running it without starting it!" Light bulb!

fast forward to now

The owner of this company is a true visionary. He has so many ideas, and he is always looking forward. He sees things way down the road and then sees where the end will end and then starts to make a new road. It is amazing.

It is not easy or natural for me to look that far down the road. Well, sometimes I try to convince God to let me plan out my whole life, but He just chuckles at me. But when I think about where I want to be in 20 years, I have a few ideas, but that's it. I think part of that is the learn-to-trust-God thing.
It feels like I see dots out in my future, but I don't know how they're all connected. There are many locations around the world that have my heart, and I don't know how God is going to use it all.

But let's get back to the business aspect. L and I have talked about this, and neither of us want to be THE person responsible for a whole organization. I would love to be in charge of something {can't help it- firstborn, administrator, management major}  but I want to answer to someone. I want someone else to tell me "This is the long term vision" and then I will say "Awesome. Here I go to do it."

But is that what God has called me to? Am I supposed to be THE person responsible for a whole organization?

These are a few things that I know and will hold fast to:

• God made different personalities and there is nothing wrong with having one and not another
• God has called me to do something and bit by bit, He's revealing it to me
• What God calls me to might will probably be uncomfortable
• God's grace is sufficient and His strength is made perfect in my weakness

just some thoughts...