summer goals

for the past few summers, brio magazine has put out a 30 day challenge, offering teen girls the chance and incentive to better themselves over the summer months. while i don't plan to engage in all of the activites that are laid out in this article, i do want to utilize the rest of my time at home during these sunny days.

a few of my summer goals-

-bless my family. whether this means running errands, paint a bedroom for my grandma doing chores, going to a movie with my daddy, playing games with my brothers, talking with my mommy, making gluten-free food, i want to be a blessing to some of the very most important people in my life.

-read uncle tom's cabin by harriet beecher stowe.

-get a passport. australia is only 11 months away!

-work on curbing my tongue. i think in the last year i've become more critical, more unkind with my words due partly to the influence of those i've been around but also because of my own sinful nature. i want to work on building other people up with my words and not saying the thoughts that amuse me when they are at another's expense.

-memorize colossians 4:6 to help me with curbing my tongue.

-spend minimal time on the computer. i can easily waste hours on this machine, but i want to commit to using it to communicate with people i am away from and doing useful activites. and getting off of it when i'm done!

-pray for my upcoming year. with a full schedule of nursing classes and exciting opportunities as a r.a. i know i will face opposition. i want to be a blessing to those i am serving!

-read the space trilogy by c. s. lewis.

-spend time with some of my dear friends here at home. its easy to take for granted living on campus, close to all my friends at school. while it takes a bit more of an effort, i want to be able to spend time with those that i am away from when i'm at school.

-write at least 2 letters to my sponsored child in india. i know letters are such a treasured thing. during the school year, i often neglect this important part of my ministry to this little girl whom i have never met. during the summer, i'm afraid laziness more than business prevents me from blessing her in this way.

-eat less dessert. self explanatory.

-make my decorations for the apartments' doors. i want to have as much ready before training week as possible!

-read the last of the mohicans by james fenimore cooper.

-exercise. with a varied schedule almost every day, it isn't always possible to exercise in the same way. but i want to be ready for walkabout this august and i want to be in shape anyway! i want to make an effort to be active in whatever way i can each day. i know the value of convenience hinders my progress in this area and feeds my lazy nature. no more!

-scrapbook my school year. enjoying the pictures taken of my friends and family during the school year while preserving them in a special way is something i discovered was impossible to do in the midst of res. life and nursing!

-watch less movies. play more games as a family.

-not mindlessly watching movies, but making the choice to evaluate the content with a biblical worldview.

-read ephesians every day. the week that was spent in the study of this book during my last semester made me realize how much i wanted to learn more from the wealth found in this book intended for all believers.

wow. i guess i had more goals than i realized!

jesus, help me to not waste the precious gift of these summer days.