They say insanity is doing the same thing but expecting different results.  I suppose that makes me crazy then because I am guilty of this very thing.  Actually, now that I think about it, I’m not sure I expected different results so much as I hoped I wouldn’t have to work that hard to change the behaviors giving me poor results.  Thinking “I need to change” doesn’t get me very far – at least not as far as it used to.  Long ago I would think about changing something and just do it.  Now, I’m ensconced in pitiful habits that leave me feeling icky on so many levels.  Things that started out harmlessly and morphed into auto responses that will take much work to undo.

Today I read an article in Today’s Christian Woman magazine (Jan/Feb 2009) about stopping naughty habits.  Obviously common sense tells us that you must practice the opposite of what you are wanting to eliminate.  I didn’t need anyone to tell me that.  The author says, “Breaking old habits and embracing new ones isn’t easy.  But it is learnable.”  Hmmm, learnable.  I had to agree that God gave me a brain capable of learning new things.  So this forced me to ask myself, “am I teachable?”  I looked up Webster’s definition of the word and part of it struck me with deep conviction.  In order to be “teachable” I must be “willing to learn”.

If my brain and body can learn poor habits then it stands to reason that I can learn to replace them with good habits.  I don’t have to think about driving anymore, I just drive.  I don’t have to think about washing my hair or where it comes in my shower routine, I just do it like my body is on autopilot.  The more we practice something the easier and more automatic it becomes… like typing.  Which I’ve been doing during this entire post thus far without even thinking about it.

I like how the author states that habits “aren’t just about willpower.”  I needed to read that today.  When I pried myself out of bed at 5 o’clock this morning I kept telling myself, “this will get easier.”  The truth is though, it won’t get easier unless I make waking at five a true habit which means I have to practice waking at that time every morning.  I must be “willing” to practice it too.  Currently my brain is programmed to be a night owl and if left alone I can autopilot that behavior quite well.

There are several bad habits I am hoping to break this year.  Right now it is helping me to see it as  “learnable” rather than browbeating myself into submission.   I’m not sure it will make the process easier but hopefully it will improve my attitude about it and thus make me more “willing to learn” new responses.

First of all...Merry Christmas Eve!

Second, this will likely be my last post from Maryland (and probably last post of the year).  We plan to head out on Saturday morning.  The kids and I will hang out in Texas for a bit before moving on to Colorado!!  We're all very excited about this next chapter in our lives.

In 2008, my husband and I hope to post a joint blog series on our “debt reduction” journey.  Having made our final unsecured debt payment on Friday, we have a lot to share from the last almost two years.

Also, I will be talking some more about my “no more dieting” point of view and how incredibly freeing it has been for me.

If I have time, I may post my 2008 goals, but for now, I'm in packing mode.

Done…Now I have to start packing to relocate next month…more to come on that!

Ä   Deleted a couple of items that couldn’t be completed.

ü Halloween Costumes

ü Sort, Purge Kids’ Clothes

ü Sort, Purge Adult Clothes

ü Finish Reading The Screwtape Letters

ü Finish Fall/Winter clothes shopping

ü Read Yada Yada Prayer Group book 7

ü Host the COB

ü Report cards for First Quarter

ü Order Thanksgiving dinner (DH did this)

ü Write Christmas Poem

ü Finish Living Beyond Yourself Study

ü Christmas shopping

ü Christmas tree

ü Take annual family photo

ü Have Jewel draw picture for front of cards

ü Finish Reading Great Lion of God

ü Participate in NaNoWriMo (27,672 words)

ü Sort, purge kids’ toys

ü Finish Bi-annual sort, purge, ritual

ü Print and mail Christmas cards

ü Pack and mail gifts to family

ü Sort, itemize and deliver donations to Mission

ü Finish formatting/printing the kids’ Bible Study pages through December

ü Wrap gifts

ü Post 2007 “Book List”

ü Write 2008 Goals

Here is my 2007 book list.  My goal was to read 12 books this year.  I  haven't started working on my wish list for 2008 yet but I do think that I'll monitor my reading time a bit more closely next year.  There were other goals I wanted to meet but spent that time reading/studying instead. 

The Holy Bible - I read through the Bible this year (1.5 times actually) .  This particular study Bible is my all time favorite so I thought I'd link to it here.

Beth Moore

• Get out of that Pit
• Living Beyond Yourself
• Praying God's Word

C.S. Lewis

• Mere Christianity
• The Great Divorce
• The Screwtape Letters

Neta Jackson

• The Yada Yada Prayer Group - book 1
• The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Down - book 2
• The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Real - book 3
• The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Tough - book 4
• The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Caught - book 5
• The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Rolling - book 6
• The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Decked Out - book 7

Max Lucado

• Every Day Deserves a Chance
• 3:16 The Numbers of Hope

Lynne Reid Banks

• The Indian in the Cupboard
• The Return of the Indian

Others

• 90 Minutes in Heaven  by Don Piper
• Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
• S.A.H.M. I am: Tales of a Stay-at-Home Mom in Europe by Christine Louise Hohlbaum
• Writing For the Soul by Jerry B. Jenkins
• The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall
• The Atonement Child by Francine Rivers
• White Chocolate Moments by Lori Wick
• Encouraging One Another (Women of Faith Study)
• You On A Diet
• Life That Wins (First Place Study)
• You Are Not What You Weigh by Lisa Bevere
• Great Lion of God by Taylor Caldwell
• The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson

Getting there…

Ä   Deleted a couple of items that couldn’t be completed.

à Finish formatting/printing the kids’ Bible Study pages through December

à Write 2008 Goals

à Wrap gifts

à Post 2007 “Book List”

ü Halloween Costumes

ü Sort, Purge Kids’ Clothes

ü Sort, Purge Adult Clothes

ü Finish Reading The Screwtape Letters

ü Finish Fall/Winter clothes shopping

ü Read Yada Yada Prayer Group book 7

ü Host the COB

ü Report cards for First Quarter

ü Order Thanksgiving dinner (DH did this)

ü Write Christmas Poem

ü Finish Living Beyond Yourself Study

ü Christmas shopping

ü Christmas tree

ü Take annual family photo

ü Have Jewel draw picture for front of cards

ü Finish Reading Great Lion of God

ü Participate in NaNoWriMo (27,672 words)

ü Sort, purge kids’ toys

ü Finish Bi-annual sort, purge, ritual

ü Print and mail Christmas cards

ü Pack and mail gifts to family

ü Sort, itemize and deliver donations to Mission

I hope to change each Ä to a Pover the next 2 weeks.

I completely forgot to post my update last week.  I’m so ready to be done with this list.  I am actually hoping to finish it (or come close) this week.

Ä   Deleted a couple of items that couldn’t be completed.

à Finish formatting/printing the kids’ Bible Study pages through December

à Sort, itemize and deliver donations to Mission (almost done)

à Write 2008 Goals

à Wrap gifts

à Pack and mail gifts to family

à Print and mail Christmas cards

à Post 2007 “Book List”

ü Halloween Costumes

ü Sort, Purge Kids’ Clothes

ü Sort, Purge Adult Clothes

ü Finish Reading The Screwtape Letters

ü Finish Fall/Winter clothes shopping

ü Read Yada Yada Prayer Group book 7

ü Host the COB

ü Report cards for First Quarter

ü Order Thanksgiving dinner (DH did this)

ü Write Christmas Poem

ü Finish Living Beyond Yourself Study

ü Christmas shopping

ü Christmas tree

ü Take annual family photo

ü Have Jewel draw picture for front of cards

ü Finish Reading Great Lion of God

ü Participate in NaNoWriMo (27,672 words)

ü Sort, purge kids’ toys

ü Finish Bi-annual sort, purge, ritual

I hope to change each Ä to a Pover the next 3 weeks.

Just plugging along.  I don’t feel like I’m getting much accomplished but I guess I am.

Ä   Operation Christmas Child (missed deadline)

Ä   Print and mail Christmas cards

Ä   Take annual family photo

Ä   Wrap gifts

Ä   Christmas tree

Ä   Pack and mail gifts to family

Ä   Report cards for Second Quarter/1^st Semester

Ä   Post 2007 “Book List”

Ä   Lose 9-18 pounds

à Finish Reading Great Lion of God

à Finish Bi-annual sort, purge, donate ritual

à Finish formatting/printing the kids’ Bible Study pages through December

à Sort, itemize and deliver donations to Mission

à Write 2008 Goals

à Participate in NaNoWriMo (15,160 words so far)

à Have Jewel draw picture for front of cards

à Sort, purge kids’ toys

ü Halloween Costumes

ü Sort, Purge Kids’ Clothes

ü Sort, Purge Adult Clothes

ü Finish Reading The Screwtape Letters

ü Finish Fall/Winter clothes shopping

ü Read Yada Yada Prayer Group book 7

ü Host the COB

ü Report cards for First Quarter

ü Order Thanksgiving dinner (DH did this)

ü Write Christmas Poem

ü Finish Living Beyond Yourself Study

ü Christmas shopping

I hope to change each Ä to a Pover the next 5 weeks.

I see things on the list that I haven’t even started that really need to be done in the next couple of weeks.  I need to start making better use of my time!

Ä   Sort, purge kids’ toys

Ä   Operation Christmas Child

Ä   Write Christmas Poem

Ä   Have Jewel draw picture for front of cards

Ä   Print and mail Christmas cards

Ä   Take annual family photo

Ä   Wrap gifts

Ä   Christmas tree

Ä   Pack and mail gifts to family

Ä   Report cards for Second Quarter/1^st Semester

Ä   Post 2007 “Book List”

à Finish Reading Great Lion of God

à Finish Living Beyond Yourself Study

à Finish Bi-annual sort, purge, donate ritual

à Finish formatting/printing the kids’ Bible Study pages through December

à Sort, itemize and deliver donations to Mission

à Lose 9-18 pounds (down 1.2 lbs)

à Write 2008 Goals

à Participate in NaNoWriMo (9,718 words so far)

à Christmas shopping

ü Halloween Costumes

ü Sort, Purge Kids’ Clothes

ü Sort, Purge Adult Clothes

ü Finish Reading The Screwtape Letters

ü Finish Fall/Winter clothes shopping

ü Read Yada Yada Prayer Group book 7

ü Host the COB

ü Report cards for First Quarter

ü Order Thanksgiving dinner (DH did this)

I hope to change each Ä to a Pover the next 6 weeks.