Oy.
Giving: To give my time and money to the extent I feel able and trust that God will continue to give me EVERYTHING I NEED in spite of myself.
Gleaning: To be able to have people over to my home.
I know, I know - this doesn't sound like gleaning, but stay with me on this. I have a lot of stuff. Perfectly good stuff. Too much of this stuff doesn't have a place to live in my home. This stuff represents the corners I can cut in my life. I want to go through everything and identify the stuff that makes my life inefficient and take it somewhere where it can actually make a difference. The stuff finds a good home and my house and my life are free to be filled with the right non-material stuff - friends, fellowship, serenity, love. It's a win-win.
Sacred Space: To make my home reflect who I am (and maybe get a nice bookshelf).
This is probably going to sound weird or stupid, but I only use, like, two rooms in the house (ok, three, 'cause you gotta count the bathroom). Since my husband died, I pretty much come home from work and go right to my bedroom. I eat there, I work there. Sure, I have a living room. I have an eat-in kitchen. I have two other bedrooms. But I exist in this room. Which kind of sucks. Part of it is because I never have anyone over (see Gleaning). Part of it is because I don't feel comfortable except hiding in the cocoon of my bed. But, frankly, it's not that comfortable mentally anymore. It's certainly not sacred; there is no upward connection in this room. It's confining and stressful. I don't want to believe that I've become such a hermit that I've turned a three-bedroom townhouse into an efficiency apartment. I love my church, but I'd like to reclaim some sacred space of my own. Plus I have a bunch of books that I need to take better care of.
Talents: To do more right-brain stuff and learn how to make bread without a machine.
I used to like to draw. I used to like to make things for people. I used to love to cook. It doesn't seem to make sense to do these things anymore, what with being a hermit and all (see Sacred Space). Maybe I can find a way to do them again and find someone to share them with. Who knows.
Finances: To be deliberate about my spending and saving.
'Nuff said.
Sacred Time: To pray for more than just help; to read my Bible more (and the books on my new bookshelf).
I was going to put a goal in here about meditating, but I just don't know if I'd be any good at that So I'm just going to strive to set aside time for spiritual development IN ADDITION TO regular worship, Wednesday night programs, small group and the like. I shouldn't be relying on church as the be-all and end-all of my sacred time. I need to stop being lazy about it and give God intentional time outside the walls of Media Presbyterian.
The Sabbath Principle: To be content more often than not; to be healthier.
I really need to slow down and enjoy things more. I need to stop working all the time. I need to rest and take better care of myself. I need to be less grumpy and despondent because I'm tired and out of shape. I need to be strong enough to be able to enjoy the gifts that God has given me and be ready to act if He calls.
The Debt of Love: To love with passion; to share my faith.
Looking back at the last few decades, there was a time when I wasn't afraid of sharing my faith. A time when I was involved and got excited about things - politics, the environment, the middle-schoolers at my church. What happened to that? I didn't stop caring, I just stopped trying.
Ones that I hope might happen by default:
To be a better example for my daughter
To smile more and worry less
To not have to look so hard to see God
To go to a concert once in a while
To have no shame
TO BE THIS WOMAN.
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