52 Lists - List things that feel like home

blankets
books
Barnes and Noble
library
our school
my family
cats
favorite, oft-read books
writing - the physical act of writing
my mom's wedding rings
my dad's sweatshirt
pictures

52 Lists -- List your essentials

my husband and son
my faith
caffeine-free diet Pepsi
a book store
a full bookshelf/e-reader
my favorite books - Harry Potter, Kitty Katt-Martini Alien series
my chair and blankets in the living room
my iPhone
notebooks and pens
a needle and thread for cross stitching (I am rediscovering how much I enjoy this hobby - it goes in spurts)
Facebook (a source of information and means to connect with people)

52 Lists - List ways you cleanse for spring

Several times a year - not just spring - we go through the house and purge things. Our house is small and we accumulate a lot of "stuff." So we clean out clothes and books and other items and pass them on to others. We re-order things that have started to pile up in various spots. This year I also did a large purge from my scrapbooking supplies. I have really enjoyed Becky Higgins' Project Life system and will likely be doing very little "traditional" scrapbooking in the future.

Have you done any spring cleaning?

52 Lists - List places you want to go

England
France
Italy
a cruise
The Silver Needle in Oklahoma
San Diego ComicCon
Phoenix ComicCon
Disney World (again and again)
Lambeau Field (again and again)
Hogwarts (a girl can dream)



So, where do YOU want to go?

52 Lists - List your favorite albums

This was a tricky one. I rarely listen to or buy full albums any more. I buy a song or two from a variety of sources and I am happy with that. The albums I have bought most recently were:

Kings and Queens by Audio Adrenaline

Reckless by Jeremy Camp

Pitch Perfect Soundtrack (snappy songs - not all are "family friendly)



How about you? Any favorite albums or favorite songs?

52 Lists - List things that make you feel healthy in body mind and soul

walking
clothes that fit - or are a little loose
a little sun on my skin
standing with my face to the sun
using my mind to work through a difficult problem
creating something and having it turn out in reality as good or better than it was in my head
singing praise songs
reading my favorite scriptures
being outside on a spring day with my family
making and eating a fresh fruit salad

52 Lists - List ways to show love to others

send a note
give a hug
scratching my son's back
doing dishes for my husband
buy a gift
share a compliment
brag on someone in front of them
listen without distraction - ask questions that show you really hear someone
high-five
cheer someone else's achievement

52 Lists - List what you are grateful for

my family
having a job
my particular job - I love my work and my students
creative outlets like scrapbooking and cross stitch
my home - it may be small, but it is ours and is full of memories
our church family
lunch/dinner out with friends
technology


What are YOU grateful for?

52 Lists - List Your Current and Future Goals

It's time for the "Week Four" list for 52 Lists. This has been one of my favorites. In fact, I left extra pages in my journal where I am writing these so I can keep adding to my lists.

Here are a few of my goals that I recorded:

• Work diligently now so I can take June and July off
• Develop systems for the library to help next year go smoothly
• Organize my book shelves (DONE)
• Be under ___ lbs by my dr appointment (did not meet this one)
• Write a book
• Get a graduate degree in Children's Literature
• Cultivate our home to have less clutter and more space to move around

This is only a sampling - I always have goals and tasks I am working on or hoping for the future. I like seeing them in writing, even if there are some that I missed.

Going over my list again made me think of this blog post by Jon Acuff. There is some great stuff in here about dealing rationally with that voice inside you that says your goal/dream is ridiculous and will never happen. I walked through his process with my graduate school dream and I feel like it helped me think through the logistics that can help me eventually move this dream towards reality. I hope you will check it out.

52 Lists - List the Things You Should be Proud Of

Week three of the 52 Lists project is "List the things you should be proud of." Here are a few things off my list:

• My work with students - relationships built at school as well as previous work with students/youth
• The progress I have made in 18 months of a new job
• The number of new books in the library
• Connecting readers (all ages) to books they like
• How I took care of Dad at the end of his life
• Four years of book blogging - over 850 posts
• My family
• Our home

What are you proud of? I especially like this list because I think it is tempting too often to downplay the things we should be proud of because we don't want to be prideful. But it is also a danger to downplay the things we do with the gifts God gives - and then we can't be thankful for them and we can't use them to spur us on to more good and useful work in His name. Embrace your accomplishments - give thanks for them and look for ways to build on them for the good of others.

52 Lists

Ali Edwards posted something on her blog about a 52 lists project. The original project is here.

I LOVE this idea! I look forward to checking out the new list every week. I have a journal I am using just for this and I am adding things to each list a couple times a week as I think of new additions.

For example, week one was "Words that Touch Your Soul." Here are some words from my list.

order
passion
imagination
story
expression
grace
mercy
purpose
son/mom
family
beloved
wife/husband
Heaven
hope
peace
rest
"Today you will be with me in paradise."
redeem
joy
fantastic
outstanding


Well, you get the idea. I'd love to hear if you decide to work on these lists, too! And thanks to Moorea for this project!!