My Goals - Written and for the World to See

(Our sweet Katie and fiance Eric)

Good Morning Friends,
Hope you are having a beautiful day no matter where you are in this world.  Fall is approaching quickly.  So good to not have the air conditioner running and instead be able to open up the house and let some fresh air in.

I've been reading and hearing quite a bit about the importance of writing our goals down on paper and announcing them to the world.  There is something about doing this that sets us in motion for achieving them.  Call these resolutions, goals or whatever, I'm writing my list here for the world to see of things that I truly desire.

1. I am going to have some of my own time to be creative.  It is so easy for me to give of my time to others, especially my family.  I am now reclaiming a bit of my time for myself.  I'm going to be specific by saying I would like to have 2 hours, 2 times a week to work on crafting.  Just in case you are interested, I'm writing it on my calendar for Tuesday and Friday afternoons. 
2. I am going to go to bed with the kitchen clean each night.  This has always been hard for me.  I get up at 5:30 and I'm on the run.  When I finally have supper made and on the table I'm tired and I find the dishes make it only to the sink.  I'm also going to have the kids help me with this one.
3. I am going to consistently meal plan each week.  I'm going to do it on Friday mornings.  I've had it penciled on my to-do list as a Sunday task, but we get busy with family activities on Sunday so I'm moving it to Fridays and I'm GOING to do this!
4. I am going to lose 25 pounds.  Emily has put herself on the Paleo diet which eliminates refined sugar, wheat and processed food, along with a few other things.  She has done this to help eliminate the pain she deals with.  I'm going to cut out processed food, refined sugar and much of the gluten I normally consume to help me lose the weight.  (confession, I have a huge sweet tooth and have an overwhelming desire to have something sweet after meals.  Just a bad habit, I know)  I'm going to lose this weight by June as our Katie is getting married then!
5. I'm going to do purposeful exercise for 20 minutes every day.  I really HATE exercise, but I know for a fact I feel better when I do it.  I feel I'm pretty active in general and up on my feet most of the day, but I'm going to do something physical, be it go to the gym or go for a brisk walk outdoors.
6. I am going to drink a minimum of 6 - 8oz glasses of water each day.
7. I'm going to write a book and self-publish it.  This book is for our Katie, who is currently in the air force, about being a new wife and I am going to have it written by her wedding date.  I have missed her so much since she left last May.  I have many things I want to tell her, so I'm in the process of writing it!  Along with reclaiming some time to craft, I'm reclaiming some time for me to write.  I have a goal of writing for a minimum of 45 minutes a day.
8. I have one more thing I would REALLY like, but I don't quite have it defined yet.  I think it is something that God will help evolve with time.  I REALLY want my own business.  You all know I sell Scentsy, but that is Scentsy's business, I want a Nancy Jacobs business.  I want a business all my own.  I have prayed and prayed about this desire for a l...o...n...g time.  I've made a list of things I want my future business to turn into.  ~~I want it to be something that will make God smile, that will bless others and improve the world.  ~~I want to be happy.  ~~I want it to bless and benefit my family.  ~~I want to find it interesting and not become bored with it.  ~~I want to be creative.  ~~I want flexibility, hours, days so forth.  ~~I want to travel with it 4 - 6 times a year and I want world travel.  ~~~~~I would really like to do something with being a mentor for new wives.  I am sickened by the breakdown of families in today's society.  Family relationships need to be strengthened and the words "till death do us part" need to be taken more seriously.  This business may start out with the book I'm writing, I just don't exactly know.  I don't know what type of business I could have being a mentor for wives.   (I'm open to suggestions here!)  I will start first at our own church.  This goal is more open ended and I pray with time God will give me direction and define it more.

So here it is, my written list of goals.  I must say, it does make me feel hmmm...more empowered, or should I say more determined to do them now that they are out there for everyone to see.  I can do them.  I WILL do them. 

I'd love to hear of goals you may be working on right now.

With love and blessings,
Nancy

What I'm Weaving - A Woven Scrap Fabric Rug

Dear Friends,
I thought you might enjoy seeing my current project.  It is a woven rug!  Or it could be a wall hanging.  It is created on a loom using cotton string and 2 1/2" strips of fabric.  See my basket full of strips at my feet.  The rug is approx. 2' x 3'.  It's a fun way to use up scraps of fabric and it was an easy technique for me to learn.  It's twining!  The same twining like we weave our baskets! 

Our local quilt shop was having a class on learning how to weave these rugs and I was ready to learn something. new.  Only confession here, this is taking a long time, much longer than to weave a basket and I tend to like quick projects.  Therefore, I've had a tendency to start and stop this project many times and set it aside for days until I pick it up again.  The nice thing is that I CAN easily stop the project wherever or whenever I need to and pick it right back up again.  I'm on a mission right now to get it finished.

Hope you enjoyed,
Love and Blessings,
Nancy
ps.  Emily had her tonsils out.  Dr. said when they came out they were even bigger than he thought, and they were full of bacteria.  Right now she is on heparin therapy with the thought that this things the cell walls so that her own immune system can kill those little lyme bugs.  Overall though, I feel most days are pretty good right now for her.  Thank you Jesus. 

Emily has also put herself on the Paleo diet which is eating no processed foods as well as gluten free and dairy free.  She's doing this with the belief that it will help her feel better.  She has been on it for the last couple months with the exception on when she had her tonsils out.  She went off of it then.  I'm proud of her for sticking with it and anything that helps her feel better I'm all for.  Plus we can all use fewer processed foods in our diets!

Thanks again so much for your prayers.  They are truly uplifting and appreciated.  God is Great!!!