Impossible Prayer

I am not making a New Year's Resolution.  I have never really made them, but I resolve not to.  Multiple conversations throughout the past month and semester have led me to make a new purpose for myself, not a resolution.

As the book Discipleship by Design would teach, a Godly purpose leads to Godly goals, and then to correct priorities.  Goals are specific and accomplishable and should reflect the broad Purpose.

So, with a purpose to know God more this next year, I have come up with a Goal that seems absolutely impossible.  However, I know it IS actually achievable and I have made a plan to see it happen.

By the end of the year, I want to be able to spend an hour in prayer 6 out of 7 days of the week, and at least 30 minutes on the 7th day.


This is nuts! It seems crazy! How could I EVER do that? There's no way!

As you see, my first reactions are nothing but encouraging.

The Plan

January	10 min	3 days/wk	5 min	remaining days
February	15 min	4 days/wk	10 min	remaining days
March	20 min	4 days/wk	10 min	remaining days
June	30 min	4 days/wk	10 min	remaining days
August	40 min	5 days/wk	15 min	remaining days
September	45 min	5 days/wk	15 min	remaining days
October	50 min	5 days/wk	20 min	remaining days
November	50 min	6 days/wk	30 min	remaining days
December	1 hour	6 days/wk	30 min	remaining days

It ISN'T crazy!  In fact, the goals for January seem EASY! With that in mind, the next step, in February doesn't seem hard either.  And so-on and so-forth. 


As you might have noticed, I skipped months.  That's ok, I plan to keep praying during those months :)


Also, I want to take time to recognize that prayer is not all about the time spent; it is about quality time.  Really seeking God.  Really listening to HIM.  These are things I don't plan to have perfect all year long.  I know that this will be a learning experience for me.  It will not be easy; it will not always be fun.  I expect I will be a very different person by the end of next year, not because I am really trying to change myself, but because spending this much time in the presence of God cannot leave me unchanged.  


The reason I am posting this is really to keep me accountable.  Because this is now public, there is no going back.  


Here we go!! (spoken in the Mario voice)






For music, we've landed on the letter "J"


Jason Mraz will win this one. He makes me think, and I like his voice. A great combination.

I'm not ready

http://kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com/2012/01/over-here-again.html

Read this story.

All the way through.  I found this blog, from a blog, from a blog.  I do not know her, but I know that, at least, this particular post makes a whole lot of sense to my life right now.

I WILL write about student teaching someday, when I have some time.  (as if I will have time while student teaching)


Alphabet Music Challenge: K

When you listen to this song, dance - it should be hard to sit still.  Get up, jump around. Do something. At least add it to your work out mix.


Artist: K'naan
Song: Waving Flag

Finished

Ok, not quite.  But I'm pretty close!

I am, however, finished with the normal part of my degree.  I finished my last final today.

Next semester, starting January 2, I will be Ms. Snider, a student-teacher in the band program at Burleson ISD. (I guess this is the solution to my dilemma of whether my name is Amanda or Elaine)

The overwhelming question I keep getting is, "Are you excited?"  I'm not sure yet.  I think I will be, when I realize what's going on.  I feel like it hasn't hit me yet.  Like I have taken the time to think about it enough to be excited.  I have spent 31/2+ years developing the skills needed to teach, and now I am about to go put all of that to use.  That is exciting!

I still think I'm more nervous than anything else.  There will be no faking it next semester.  No room for a lack of preparedness.  No rolling out of bed and running to class.  No wardrobe crises to make me run late.  It seems like next semester I am going to have to be perfect... or somewhere close.

The Greek Alphabet

So, my roommate is studying Greek, and this helped her learn the alphabet. :)

Why doesn't the english alphabet have a cool song like this?





Wish the sound was better.

Labor Day

It is currently 76 outside and it's also labor day.  My checklist is entirely too long for me to actually finish.  So instead of taking all day to do work that I will not actually finish, I will take today to relax and get a little bit of work done. It IS a holiday after all.

This morning started off productive. I read for one of my classes, did my devotion, started laundry.... All of my plans went out the window though when Roni and I decided to open the windows.  The weather is SO nice outside, and it makes me want to really take in the beauty of it.  Seriously.  There is a reason God commanded us to have a Day of Rest.  I don't do this often enough.  My weekends are just as full as the rest of my week.

I know that a lack of rest results in burn-out.  I also know that I will NEVER completely finish my checklist, there will always be something else to do.  So, it isn't like taking time to rest keeps me from finishing something.  In fact, it gives me the desire TO finish more things because I am not so worn out. Rest brings nothing but good things.  Why do I not take the time to do it?

Well, I am today.

Dhoom

I just moved in my apartment with Roni (Veronica) this week. As I was trying to unpack and organize everything, of course, it was way too much to do; so, I got distracted.

My room was entirely too boring, not welcoming, and bleh. It needed a change. My original plan was to move everything in, hopefully organize it, and start school. Now, after seeing Rhema's amazing apartment next door, I decided to try my hand at decorating.

I painted.

I'm not behind.

I'm not slacking.  I'm not stressed. I'm not tired.


This is not just wishful thinking.

This is also not true.

It's somewhere in the middle.


Everyone has a go-to answer for the "how are you" question.  For some it's "good" or "eh."  For some it's "Blessed and highly favored!"  My answer in High School was always "I'm tired."or "I'm busy." It got to the point that people assumed I was tired and assumed I was busy.  I would walk in and people would ask me how tired I was.  Or greet me with, "Hey! You look tired...."  Who wants to be greeted with that??  There would be days when I was wide awake, but I was accused me of being tired because I had given "tired" as an answer so many times.  There were times when I was actually free, but people assumed I had a packed schedule.

Being told you're tired makes you more tired...

Being told you have too much to do makes you feel like you can't get anything done.

So I finally decided to change my answer.

The only problem is that I, unknowingly, replaced it with an answer that's worse. "I'm behind." or "I need to practice more." or "I have too many things on my to-do list."  It's not necessarily what my actual short answer is when someone asks how I am; but, the conversation always ends up on how behind I am on practice, or school stuff, ect. ect.  It stresses me out.

So, I'm changing my answer.  Again.  This is important as I start my last semester of classes.  As I prepare for my Senior-recital (to which all of you should come).  I WILL NOT stress out about a lack of practice.  I will not stress out about not finishing homework.  I will not stress out about not preparing enough for small group.

I will not stress out.  And I really hope no one asks me how stressed out I am.

Do you ever use stress as a conversation starter?  It's easy isn't it?  I think that will be the most difficult thing about "not being stressed."  What will people talk to me about?!  I don't have an answer for "what are you doing after you graduate?"  So the conversation might die pretty quickly...  Oh well.  I need to work on people skills and coming up with good conversation anyway.

Now, the important thing in all of this is the reason I'm not stressing out.  I won't stress out because I WILL be productive.  The less time I spend stressing over the lack of, could be time that I could be making up for the lack of.  No getting so overwhelmed that I can't start.

Now for the music. :)

I told someone that the next song I would put up would be in English.  Well, .... I lied.

Myspace Fail

I changed my "layout". Oooh.

However, I am keeping it this way. Forever.

No, really. When I started my blog, I knew I would have to change something. Now that I've figured out what I'm doing, I'm happy with it. This is permanent.

The song you're about to listen to needs a little bit of explanation. It's Iranian, so you probably won't understand it. However, I loved the song before I had any idea what it was saying. The words make it that much better! (I posted the lyrics at the bottom)

Also, the video cracks me up! So, read through the lyrics then watch the video and enjoy! :)

Soosan Khanoom • Barobax

A is for Sea Sick

On another blog I read, my friend decided to do an Alphabet Music Challenge. Daily post a song from an artist that starts with each letter of the alphabet: Day 1: A, Day 2: B, ect.

I don't necessarily want to post daily, that's too much for me. However, I am going to give you a new song for each post.

The problem with "A" is that the band I wanted to post changed their name, and I didn't know it till I started trying to find it on YouTube

Anyway, here is Arrgh!Drey who is now known as Sick/Sea.

Cupid's Drinking song • Sick/Sea

Sit Back and Enjoy the Music

Ok, I'm pretty sure this post is an excuse to share the music I love with you guys. Please enjoy... if you don't, don't tell me and I'll be just as happy. :)

Do you ever feel guilty for listening to non-Christian music? Like, maybe, you should enjoy worship more?

I do ALL THE TIME!

I'm about to make it worse if you do.

It's ridiculous really. Besides the fact that guilt isn't from God, it just doesn't make sense. Singing does not constitute worship and vice versa.

Anyway, most the time I listen to Christian music, its because the words are amazing; and I would honestly listen to it more, if I liked it more. It's not bad music, some of it I really enjoy (can't go wrong with Casting Crowns and Newsboys!). However, once I get past the few favorites, everything starts sounding the same.

I want Christian music to sound like my favorite artists. We should convert them....

No, really, there's no way to duplicate their voices, and even if you did, it wouldn't be original anymore. Can someone please find me some Christian artists who put this much power and emotion in their music??