Lydia Howe's Blog, page 10
July 6, 2016
A Post to Make You Laugh (Part 1)
While at the hospital for the last while with my adopted parents I've had an extremely hard time focusing. One of the things I did several times was goggle "clean, funny Facebook pages" and then scroll through and be amused.
Every time I found one that made me smile/half laugh, I took a screenshot. It occurred to me today that y'all might find them funny, too, so here's a post that will hopefully make you grin. Enjoy!
Every time I found one that made me smile/half laugh, I took a screenshot. It occurred to me today that y'all might find them funny, too, so here's a post that will hopefully make you grin. Enjoy!
July 5, 2016
July Goals?
For the last few days I've tried to come up with my goals for July, but in reality I have no clue what the month will be like and therefore have no clue what to plan for.
So, surprise! No July goals. Instead I'll just post this beautiful, unedited picture I took the other night after a storm. Enjoy! ;)
So, surprise! No July goals. Instead I'll just post this beautiful, unedited picture I took the other night after a storm. Enjoy! ;)
July 4, 2016
June 2016 in Review
What I Focused on in June:
1. A couple of (really) big weeks at my non-writing job
2. I was sick for a couple of weeks, so trying to keep up with life while not feeling well
3. Family time
Birthday Challenge and Dream List Update
Birthday Challenge: (The ones that are bolded are completed, and I'm just continuing to work on them.)2. Pray the "prayer of Jebez" every day for three months {1}4. Go to Wednesday night church 24 times {1}
6. Read 12 non-fiction "spiritual" books {2}
7. Read the Proverb of the day every day for six months {1}
10. Make 24 meals from different countries {4}
11. Get up at 6:15 or before 24 days in a row (not counting weekends) {12}
12. Go to bed at 10:30 or before 24 nights (not in a row) {12}
13. Write a monthly review on my blog within 5 days of the end of the month whenever internet is available {Yes}
14. Blog my 3 (or more) top goals for each month within 5 days of the beginning of each month whenever internet is available {Yes}
15. Write 24 book reviews {11}
23. Read 24 non-fiction books {4}
24. Read out loud for 24 hours {2}
Dream List:
Go to North Dakota
Reading Update
Fiction: 7Non-fiction: 4Reviews: 11Audio Books: 3
Traveling
Nights gone: 7New States or Countries: North Dakota
June Goals
1. Run or Jog at least 10 hours (not at once) - Haha. No
2. Make four meals from other countries - Yes - At least mostly
3. Finish memorizing the second chapter of Philippians - No
4. Write 5 "A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words" short stories No
5. Read and review 4 nonfiction books - Yes
6. Read out loud for 4 hours - Only about 3 hours
7. Get to bed by 10:30 at least 12 times (not in a row) - Yes (I think, I might have only done 11 nights)
8. Get up by 6:30 at least 12 times (not in a row) - Yes
9. Write up a game plan for the next draft of WLHYL - Haha. No
10. Work at least 80 hours on my non-writing job - Technically no, but what I was actually meaning, Yes
What I've Been Learning
This was an interesting month for me. One of the biggest things I learned was that plans change and grace is often needed in abundance. Also, I'm not quite as good at getting things done as I thought I was. But, but, but... I can push through when absolutely necessary (and do a passable job, although you probably don't want to be around). And, well, God's grace and peace is amazing. I also discovered that my focusing ability is pretty much nil in certain situations, and that sometimes goals have to take a back seat.
I also read several good books this month and learned about finances, log lines (for writing), and how to create open friendships where spiritual conversations are natural.
Along the lines of studying countries... Poland, Cambodia, and Honduras were pretty interesting to study. I've read a lot of historical fiction that takes place at least partly during Poland, so I enjoyed seeing more of what it's like modern day, compared to back during WW2.
Other
June was a crazy month, and one I'll be happy not to repeat. I was sick for about two or three weeks, which made June's productivity very low and the non-accomplished wannabes rather daunting. Despite that though, I really actually enjoyed the month a lot. It was beautiful, enlightening, and lovely.
I took a spur-of-the-moment trip to visit my sister and her seven kids. (Lots of reading, imaginative games, yummy, healthy food, and sibling time.) A friend invited me and my best friend to a camp out. During the first part of the month and the (almost) last part, we had some really busy days at my non-writing job which are always fun.
On Thursday the 23rd, my adopted dad who was out in Montana had a heart attack. He's been in a hospital in Bismarck, North Dakota ever since. I flew down a week ago to join him and my adopted mom. I'm incredibly thankful to be here, but it's been a crazy week. I can hardly even recall June actually, so hopefully this post makes sense and I didn't leave anything huge out.
1. A couple of (really) big weeks at my non-writing job
2. I was sick for a couple of weeks, so trying to keep up with life while not feeling well
3. Family time
Birthday Challenge and Dream List Update
Birthday Challenge: (The ones that are bolded are completed, and I'm just continuing to work on them.)2. Pray the "prayer of Jebez" every day for three months {1}4. Go to Wednesday night church 24 times {1}
6. Read 12 non-fiction "spiritual" books {2}
7. Read the Proverb of the day every day for six months {1}
10. Make 24 meals from different countries {4}
11. Get up at 6:15 or before 24 days in a row (not counting weekends) {12}
12. Go to bed at 10:30 or before 24 nights (not in a row) {12}
13. Write a monthly review on my blog within 5 days of the end of the month whenever internet is available {Yes}
14. Blog my 3 (or more) top goals for each month within 5 days of the beginning of each month whenever internet is available {Yes}
15. Write 24 book reviews {11}
23. Read 24 non-fiction books {4}
24. Read out loud for 24 hours {2}
Dream List:
Go to North Dakota
Reading Update
Fiction: 7Non-fiction: 4Reviews: 11Audio Books: 3
Traveling
Nights gone: 7New States or Countries: North Dakota
June Goals
1. Run or Jog at least 10 hours (not at once) - Haha. No
2. Make four meals from other countries - Yes - At least mostly
3. Finish memorizing the second chapter of Philippians - No
4. Write 5 "A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words" short stories No
5. Read and review 4 nonfiction books - Yes
6. Read out loud for 4 hours - Only about 3 hours
7. Get to bed by 10:30 at least 12 times (not in a row) - Yes (I think, I might have only done 11 nights)
8. Get up by 6:30 at least 12 times (not in a row) - Yes
9. Write up a game plan for the next draft of WLHYL - Haha. No
10. Work at least 80 hours on my non-writing job - Technically no, but what I was actually meaning, Yes
What I've Been Learning
This was an interesting month for me. One of the biggest things I learned was that plans change and grace is often needed in abundance. Also, I'm not quite as good at getting things done as I thought I was. But, but, but... I can push through when absolutely necessary (and do a passable job, although you probably don't want to be around). And, well, God's grace and peace is amazing. I also discovered that my focusing ability is pretty much nil in certain situations, and that sometimes goals have to take a back seat.
I also read several good books this month and learned about finances, log lines (for writing), and how to create open friendships where spiritual conversations are natural.
Along the lines of studying countries... Poland, Cambodia, and Honduras were pretty interesting to study. I've read a lot of historical fiction that takes place at least partly during Poland, so I enjoyed seeing more of what it's like modern day, compared to back during WW2.
Other
June was a crazy month, and one I'll be happy not to repeat. I was sick for about two or three weeks, which made June's productivity very low and the non-accomplished wannabes rather daunting. Despite that though, I really actually enjoyed the month a lot. It was beautiful, enlightening, and lovely.
I took a spur-of-the-moment trip to visit my sister and her seven kids. (Lots of reading, imaginative games, yummy, healthy food, and sibling time.) A friend invited me and my best friend to a camp out. During the first part of the month and the (almost) last part, we had some really busy days at my non-writing job which are always fun.
On Thursday the 23rd, my adopted dad who was out in Montana had a heart attack. He's been in a hospital in Bismarck, North Dakota ever since. I flew down a week ago to join him and my adopted mom. I'm incredibly thankful to be here, but it's been a crazy week. I can hardly even recall June actually, so hopefully this post makes sense and I didn't leave anything huge out.
July 2, 2016
Multitasking
Multitasking has always something I've been good at. Growing up I would often challenge myself by seeing how many things I could do at once. Take for instance the time I worked until I could swing, read, and crochet at the same time. Cooking a big meal almost always requires multitasking, but when I'm not too busy, I like to have a book on the counter to read as I cook. Once I tried to figure out how to read an upside-down book while crocheting with my feet. That one never worked because my toes are simply too short to hold a crochet hook, but it was fun to try.
Some of my most recent "successes" with multitasking have been learnig to walk on the treadmill while typing on my computer, and learning to copy-type notes on the computer while listening to an audio book, and understanding what both are saying. (That only worked because I was listening to an book I had previously read.)
Do you now what I've discovered this week though? That I am woefully inadequate when it comes to multitasking in certain situations. I've been here at the hospital in North Dakota most of the week with my adopted parents. I've spent seemingly endless hours in the waiting room, which practically screams of "perfect time for writing and editing." But haha, no. I've not been able to focus on anything most of the time. I barely know how to spell any more and the thought of composing an email or blog or actually wade into editing again leaves my brain totally blank. Hence the silence on Noveltea.
Thankfully papa is doing well. He had (extremely long) open-heart surgery on Thursday and is currently in ICU. I'm very grateful to have been able to fly out here and will eventually fade back into "the real world." For now though, I'm content to be a non-multitasker because I know that what I'm doing is important.
It would be nice to be able to read though...
Some of my most recent "successes" with multitasking have been learnig to walk on the treadmill while typing on my computer, and learning to copy-type notes on the computer while listening to an audio book, and understanding what both are saying. (That only worked because I was listening to an book I had previously read.)
Do you now what I've discovered this week though? That I am woefully inadequate when it comes to multitasking in certain situations. I've been here at the hospital in North Dakota most of the week with my adopted parents. I've spent seemingly endless hours in the waiting room, which practically screams of "perfect time for writing and editing." But haha, no. I've not been able to focus on anything most of the time. I barely know how to spell any more and the thought of composing an email or blog or actually wade into editing again leaves my brain totally blank. Hence the silence on Noveltea.
Thankfully papa is doing well. He had (extremely long) open-heart surgery on Thursday and is currently in ICU. I'm very grateful to have been able to fly out here and will eventually fade back into "the real world." For now though, I'm content to be a non-multitasker because I know that what I'm doing is important.
It would be nice to be able to read though...
June 30, 2016
The Ringmaster's Wife by Kristy Cambron: Book Review
Yay, everyone! I get to be part of a blog tour. How much fun is that? Today I'm posting a book review for Kristy Cambron's latest book, The Ringmaster's Wife.
Back when I signed up to review this book I never imagined I would be sitting in a hospital waiting room in North Dakota with my adopted dad in open heart surgery as I wrote this review. I guess it's true that life is full of surprises.
The Ringmaster's WifeBy Kristy Cambron
Find it on: Amazon Goodreads
Third-Person4 Points of view (I think...)Fiction368 Pages
About the Book (Backcover Blurb):
What is revealed when you draw back the curtain of the Greatest Show on Earth?
Rosamund Easling is no stranger to opulence. As the daughter of an earl, she’s grown up with every comfort money can buy. But when hard times befall the family’s Yorkshire estate in the aftermath of the Great War, Rosamund’s father sells her beloved horse, setting the stage for a series of events that would extend beyond even her wildest dreams.
Though expected to marry for a title instead of love, Rosamund feels called to a different life – one of adventure outside the confines of a ladies’ parlor. She abandons all she’s known and follows in pursuit as her horse is shipped to the new owner – an American entertainer by the name of John Ringling. Once introduced to the Ringling Brothers’ circus and knowing she has much to learn, Rosamund agrees to a bareback riding apprenticeship in the shadow of the Ringlings’ winter home—Ca’D’Zan. It is at that mansion, in what would become the last days of the enigmatic Mable Ringling’s life, that Rosamund finds a deeper sense of purpose in the life she’s been given, and the awakening of faith in her heart.
With a supporting cast of characters as mysterious and dazzling as the Ringlings’ big-top world, Rosamund’s journey takes her from the tradition of the English countryside to the last days of America’s Roaring ‘20s—a journey that forever changes what one life might have been.Why I Choose this Book:
I've read Kristy Cambron's other two books and really liked one of them, and was rather disappointed in the other. I figured I had a 50/50 chance on either really liking or feeling "meh" about her third book.
What I Thought About this Book:
Humm... I think I've done so much editing recently that I'm having a hard time just appreciating a book, so please keep that in mind throughout this review.
Scene by scene I enjoyed the book. There were some beautiful word pictures, the setting was fairly well developed, and there wasn't questionable content (yay!). The characters also started out with promise.
Unfortunately, the story didn't exactly make sense to me. It felt disjointed, as if a bunch of scenes were thrown together to create a partial story that didn't have much of a plot line I kept waiting for a lightbulb moment to go off and have everything make sense, but that never happened. There was a slight lightbulb moment around page 330, that if it would have been at page 30, it would have totally changed the trajectory of the book and would have made a huge difference. Since that didn't happen though, the book was a fail for me.
Conclusion:
I've seen a lot of 4 and 5 star reviews floating around for this book, which means my assessment isn't very popular and therefore you probably shouldn't take my word for it. Instead, y'all should read some other reviews and see what other readers are saying about the book.
Rating:
I'm giving The Ringmaster's Wife 3 stars out of 5, and 4 stars out of 10.
*I received this book free from Litfuse in exchange for an honest review*
Back when I signed up to review this book I never imagined I would be sitting in a hospital waiting room in North Dakota with my adopted dad in open heart surgery as I wrote this review. I guess it's true that life is full of surprises.
The Ringmaster's WifeBy Kristy Cambron
Find it on: Amazon Goodreads
Third-Person4 Points of view (I think...)Fiction368 Pages
About the Book (Backcover Blurb):
What is revealed when you draw back the curtain of the Greatest Show on Earth?
Rosamund Easling is no stranger to opulence. As the daughter of an earl, she’s grown up with every comfort money can buy. But when hard times befall the family’s Yorkshire estate in the aftermath of the Great War, Rosamund’s father sells her beloved horse, setting the stage for a series of events that would extend beyond even her wildest dreams.
Though expected to marry for a title instead of love, Rosamund feels called to a different life – one of adventure outside the confines of a ladies’ parlor. She abandons all she’s known and follows in pursuit as her horse is shipped to the new owner – an American entertainer by the name of John Ringling. Once introduced to the Ringling Brothers’ circus and knowing she has much to learn, Rosamund agrees to a bareback riding apprenticeship in the shadow of the Ringlings’ winter home—Ca’D’Zan. It is at that mansion, in what would become the last days of the enigmatic Mable Ringling’s life, that Rosamund finds a deeper sense of purpose in the life she’s been given, and the awakening of faith in her heart.
With a supporting cast of characters as mysterious and dazzling as the Ringlings’ big-top world, Rosamund’s journey takes her from the tradition of the English countryside to the last days of America’s Roaring ‘20s—a journey that forever changes what one life might have been.Why I Choose this Book:
I've read Kristy Cambron's other two books and really liked one of them, and was rather disappointed in the other. I figured I had a 50/50 chance on either really liking or feeling "meh" about her third book.
What I Thought About this Book:
Humm... I think I've done so much editing recently that I'm having a hard time just appreciating a book, so please keep that in mind throughout this review.
Scene by scene I enjoyed the book. There were some beautiful word pictures, the setting was fairly well developed, and there wasn't questionable content (yay!). The characters also started out with promise.
Unfortunately, the story didn't exactly make sense to me. It felt disjointed, as if a bunch of scenes were thrown together to create a partial story that didn't have much of a plot line I kept waiting for a lightbulb moment to go off and have everything make sense, but that never happened. There was a slight lightbulb moment around page 330, that if it would have been at page 30, it would have totally changed the trajectory of the book and would have made a huge difference. Since that didn't happen though, the book was a fail for me.
Conclusion:
I've seen a lot of 4 and 5 star reviews floating around for this book, which means my assessment isn't very popular and therefore you probably shouldn't take my word for it. Instead, y'all should read some other reviews and see what other readers are saying about the book.
Rating:
I'm giving The Ringmaster's Wife 3 stars out of 5, and 4 stars out of 10.
*I received this book free from Litfuse in exchange for an honest review*
June 29, 2016
Different Perspectives
Life is so interesting when you look at it from different perspectives. I have a lot of fun looking at life from my view point and then trying to imagine it from other view points.
Flying is one way that really creates a change in perspective. I sometimes like to imagine what the first people to fly thought. Were neighborhoods so perfectly semetrical back then? Did the pilots look down and marvel at the way houses lined up and streets made squares? Did they laugh with delight at the way fields were sectioned off to create a patchwork quilt? Did they play hopscotch with the clouds?
It fascinates me how clouds look from the topside. Instead of a vast canopy of blue for the clouds to stand out against, there's a world of greens, browns, blues, and interesting shapes. Instead of floating past as we gaze upward, we have the birds-eye view of them hovering in little clumps. Plus, with the sun beaming down on them they are so brilliantly white.
Sometimes there's a complete blanket of clouds that look like snow. It amuses me to imagine being able to play in the snow while being weightless and bounding from mound to mound.
I have this habit of waving at planes when I'm on the ground and they fly overhead. I'm smart enough to realize that they can't see me, but I like to imagine that perhaps there's some child on the plane waving down at the earth far below them.
Another one of my quirks I enjoy is praying for the people in the plane. Not long prayers, just quick, simple ones, asking God to bless the people, give them peace, safety, and draw them to Him. It's fun while flying to look down on the earth and imagine that someone might be praying for me, too.
Flying creates such a beautiful change in the way the world looks and I throughly enjoy it.
What are some ways y'all enjoy viewing life from a different perspective?
Flying is one way that really creates a change in perspective. I sometimes like to imagine what the first people to fly thought. Were neighborhoods so perfectly semetrical back then? Did the pilots look down and marvel at the way houses lined up and streets made squares? Did they laugh with delight at the way fields were sectioned off to create a patchwork quilt? Did they play hopscotch with the clouds?
It fascinates me how clouds look from the topside. Instead of a vast canopy of blue for the clouds to stand out against, there's a world of greens, browns, blues, and interesting shapes. Instead of floating past as we gaze upward, we have the birds-eye view of them hovering in little clumps. Plus, with the sun beaming down on them they are so brilliantly white.
Sometimes there's a complete blanket of clouds that look like snow. It amuses me to imagine being able to play in the snow while being weightless and bounding from mound to mound.
I have this habit of waving at planes when I'm on the ground and they fly overhead. I'm smart enough to realize that they can't see me, but I like to imagine that perhaps there's some child on the plane waving down at the earth far below them.
Another one of my quirks I enjoy is praying for the people in the plane. Not long prayers, just quick, simple ones, asking God to bless the people, give them peace, safety, and draw them to Him. It's fun while flying to look down on the earth and imagine that someone might be praying for me, too.
Flying creates such a beautiful change in the way the world looks and I throughly enjoy it.
What are some ways y'all enjoy viewing life from a different perspective?
June 27, 2016
Traveling... Again.
This is the third time this month that I'm packing. The kinda amusing part is that I literally had no plans to travel in June. A friend commented today that our family is rather last minute and I suppose that's true, although there was no way to plan this trip ahead of time.
Tomorrow morning I am, Lord willing, flying out to North Dakota to be with my adopted parents because Dad is going to be at the hospital out there for a while longer. I'm very thankful for the opportunity to go and be with them. Thank you to everyone who's been praying for Dad.
This is an update Mom gave this morning: The heart surgeon came in this morning. Surgery is scheduled for Thursday there in North Dakota to replace a valve and repair an aorta. After surgery and his release, Buddy will remain in Bismarck for a few days and rest up before flying home. He had an uncomfortable night after going through four tests and is still on oxygen, so among everything else, pray that he can rest as he prepares for surgery.
I am feeling like an incredibly boring and nonexistent blogger right now, but I've decided that's just life sometime. I suppose I'll have lots of time to blog (and edit WLHYL) during this coming week while at the hospital and I hope to resume regular blogging then. I hope y'all are having a fantastic Monday!
Tomorrow morning I am, Lord willing, flying out to North Dakota to be with my adopted parents because Dad is going to be at the hospital out there for a while longer. I'm very thankful for the opportunity to go and be with them. Thank you to everyone who's been praying for Dad.
This is an update Mom gave this morning: The heart surgeon came in this morning. Surgery is scheduled for Thursday there in North Dakota to replace a valve and repair an aorta. After surgery and his release, Buddy will remain in Bismarck for a few days and rest up before flying home. He had an uncomfortable night after going through four tests and is still on oxygen, so among everything else, pray that he can rest as he prepares for surgery.
I am feeling like an incredibly boring and nonexistent blogger right now, but I've decided that's just life sometime. I suppose I'll have lots of time to blog (and edit WLHYL) during this coming week while at the hospital and I hope to resume regular blogging then. I hope y'all are having a fantastic Monday!
June 25, 2016
A Crazy Few Days
The last few days have been quite the crazy ones for me, starting with a storm that knocked out our electric (and therefore internet) at home and also at work. Since I work at a private retreat as a cook and we have a good-sized group of people we're cooking for, that made life somewhat interesting. Happily the electric wasn't out for very long.
Then on Thursday my adopted dad had heart trouble while in Montana. That was extremely difficult, especially since my adopted parents were so far away. Needless to say, I had a hard time focusing on the work at hand, although I really needed to because of the event going on at work. It's nice that I have very caring co-workers who were kind and helpful.
I wasn't exactly worried, because I knew God had the whole outcome in His hand, it was more that I was stressed out and hurting because I wasn't sure what the outcome would be and that's pretty scary. Thankfully my dad is okay, although he's still in the hospital out in Bismarck and obviously needs a whole lot of prayer.
All that to say, blogging didn't seem quite so important during the last few hectic days, hence the silence. I hope y'all have had more of a relaxing few days than me...
Then on Thursday my adopted dad had heart trouble while in Montana. That was extremely difficult, especially since my adopted parents were so far away. Needless to say, I had a hard time focusing on the work at hand, although I really needed to because of the event going on at work. It's nice that I have very caring co-workers who were kind and helpful.
I wasn't exactly worried, because I knew God had the whole outcome in His hand, it was more that I was stressed out and hurting because I wasn't sure what the outcome would be and that's pretty scary. Thankfully my dad is okay, although he's still in the hospital out in Bismarck and obviously needs a whole lot of prayer.
All that to say, blogging didn't seem quite so important during the last few hectic days, hence the silence. I hope y'all have had more of a relaxing few days than me...
June 22, 2016
An Empty Inbox
I have this thing about emails. For years I've been horrible about answering emails, and when I say horrible, imagine having an email over a year old sitting in your inbox, still needing a response. Yes, it was very, very bad.
At the end of last year I decided that era of my life was over and I was going to answer emails in a timely manner. First I had to decide what "timely" meant, and I decided that under two weeks, preferably under one, would be my aim. My next job was to empty out my inbox, so I spent a lot of time in December doing just that. I made it a point to respond to emails even if they were eighteen months old, because after all, two wrongs don't make a right and better late than never and all that other good advice. Besides, if it was me waiting for the email, I'd probably still remember that the person had never replied even if a good portion of my life had been lived since I wrote to them.
It was beautifully freeing to start out 2016 with a (nearly) empty inbox and the thrill of starting over (at least in mindset) at my fingertips. At that time though, I didn't realize how much fun it would be to keep up with replying to emails. Seriously, it's better than a game. (Or maybe I should say a traditional game, because keeping my inbox empty is a game to me.)
The thing that amuses me the most is that I have nearly as much fun emptying out my inbox as I do receiving emails. It's especially enjoyable to me when I reply to emails either on my phone or my computer and then I get on the other device and watch as my inbox seemingly magically clears of emails.
I have a rather non-efficent way of sorting my emails right now which consist of over 80 folders. Most of the emails go in a couple of the top folders which I conveniently put "2016" in the title so they're easy to get to. Some day I need to clear up some of the excess folders, but until then I'll be quite happy to go along with the system I have.
So far this year I've mostly kept to my plan. There might have been a very few times that I've gone more then two weeks without replying to an email, but I can't recall any at the moment. Although I must say, sometimes I kinda cheat at my own game and reply with an I'm so sorry that I haven't replied yet, a full reply will be coming soon to longer emails. Still though, I'm replying, so that counts.
A lot of Saturday nights I do a somewhat of a mad dash through my emails, trying to get as many of them responded to as possible before the week is over. It's one of the most satisfying feelings to end the week with the screenshot on my phone of a nearly empty inbox. (And yes, I do screenshot it and then smile happily at the picture.) It's also a lot of fun to wake up Monday morning with a dozen or so emails waiting to be read, in fact, that's probably one of my favorite parts of Monday morning.
This morning I had fun going through and answering the emails I've had come in during the last couple of days from my Lymeaids (beta readers for When Life Hands You Lymes). It's encouraging and fun to read their feedback and see WLHYL from someone else's perspective.
Today is also the day when I finally totally and completely emptied out my inbox. I've generally had at least one email in it at all times and was fine with that (I actually like how it looks with just one email). Today though, today was different. I've replied to and sorted all the writing emails, all the business emails, all the personal emails, and all the junk emails. So yay!
Deep happy sigh. Now I can simply sit back and wait for my inbox to fill up again. (Which is code for: I need to hurry and get to work at my non-writing before I'm late.)
* * *
What about y'all? Do you enjoy having an empty and sorted inbox?
At the end of last year I decided that era of my life was over and I was going to answer emails in a timely manner. First I had to decide what "timely" meant, and I decided that under two weeks, preferably under one, would be my aim. My next job was to empty out my inbox, so I spent a lot of time in December doing just that. I made it a point to respond to emails even if they were eighteen months old, because after all, two wrongs don't make a right and better late than never and all that other good advice. Besides, if it was me waiting for the email, I'd probably still remember that the person had never replied even if a good portion of my life had been lived since I wrote to them.
It was beautifully freeing to start out 2016 with a (nearly) empty inbox and the thrill of starting over (at least in mindset) at my fingertips. At that time though, I didn't realize how much fun it would be to keep up with replying to emails. Seriously, it's better than a game. (Or maybe I should say a traditional game, because keeping my inbox empty is a game to me.)
The thing that amuses me the most is that I have nearly as much fun emptying out my inbox as I do receiving emails. It's especially enjoyable to me when I reply to emails either on my phone or my computer and then I get on the other device and watch as my inbox seemingly magically clears of emails.
I have a rather non-efficent way of sorting my emails right now which consist of over 80 folders. Most of the emails go in a couple of the top folders which I conveniently put "2016" in the title so they're easy to get to. Some day I need to clear up some of the excess folders, but until then I'll be quite happy to go along with the system I have.
So far this year I've mostly kept to my plan. There might have been a very few times that I've gone more then two weeks without replying to an email, but I can't recall any at the moment. Although I must say, sometimes I kinda cheat at my own game and reply with an I'm so sorry that I haven't replied yet, a full reply will be coming soon to longer emails. Still though, I'm replying, so that counts.
A lot of Saturday nights I do a somewhat of a mad dash through my emails, trying to get as many of them responded to as possible before the week is over. It's one of the most satisfying feelings to end the week with the screenshot on my phone of a nearly empty inbox. (And yes, I do screenshot it and then smile happily at the picture.) It's also a lot of fun to wake up Monday morning with a dozen or so emails waiting to be read, in fact, that's probably one of my favorite parts of Monday morning.
This morning I had fun going through and answering the emails I've had come in during the last couple of days from my Lymeaids (beta readers for When Life Hands You Lymes). It's encouraging and fun to read their feedback and see WLHYL from someone else's perspective.
Today is also the day when I finally totally and completely emptied out my inbox. I've generally had at least one email in it at all times and was fine with that (I actually like how it looks with just one email). Today though, today was different. I've replied to and sorted all the writing emails, all the business emails, all the personal emails, and all the junk emails. So yay!
Deep happy sigh. Now I can simply sit back and wait for my inbox to fill up again. (Which is code for: I need to hurry and get to work at my non-writing before I'm late.)
* * *
What about y'all? Do you enjoy having an empty and sorted inbox?
June 21, 2016
Master Your Money: Book Review
Master Your Money By Ron Blue
Find it on: Amazon Goodreads
First-PersonNon-Fiction272 Pages
About the Book (Backcover Blurb):
A step-by-step guide to financial freedomDo you know if you have enough? Do you know how much is enough? If you can't answer these questions, Master Your Money is for you.In this book, Ron Blue extracts principles from God's Word and applies them to your financial portfolio.Learn how to:Avoid the most common financial mistakesApply biblical principles for money managementSave, invest, and give wiselyCreate a long-term financial plan that worksPlan for your taxes and estate needsGet out of debtRon’s professional experience in financial planning will ease your anxieties over money and be an asset to you and your family for generations to come. Learn the tools and techniques you need to move forward toward true financial freedom.This new edition includes important updates and new content, making it timely and relevant.
Why I Choose this Book:
Money is an important part of life and I want to make sure I use my money in a way that brings God glory.
What I Thought About this Book:
Master Your Money is thorough, helpful, and practical. It's clear the author knew what he was talking about and that he really wanted to help others manage their money well. I especially appreciated the many times the author referenced the Bible and used God's Word for his guide while writing the book. As God's children, I believe that Christians are going to be held accountable for how they make and spend money and this book can help people figure out how to get out of debt, stay out of debt, and use their finances to live life the way God wants them to.
There were quite a few times where I felt like the book was above my head, but that's not surprising as taxes and investments are still something I find quite confusing. Reading books like Master Your Money helps me learn a little bit more though, and for that I'm thankful. (I will note that Your Money Map by Howard Dayton was more at my level and covered a lot of the same information. I highly recommend both Master Your Money and Your Money Map.)
Being free to earn and spend money is a blessing I'm very thankful for. I'm also thankful that money can, and should, be used as a tool. When we learn to master our money it no longer "masters" us, and that's a very good thing. We can't serve both God and money, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't have money, it just means that money shouldn't be our god or an all consuming issue in our life. This book can help bring that balance about, which makes it a very useful book.
Although I don't remember the book discussing it, statistics show that there's a lot of friction regarding how people handle finances when it comes to marriage and I'm pretty sure the same is true with other relationships (such as business partners). I highly recommend people who are sharing finances to read this book and work through it together.
Conclusion:
Yay! Read it. Learn. Don't spend more than you make. Use God's Word as a starting point. Money can be a blessing when used the right way.
Rating:
I'm giving Master Your Money four stars and recommend it to anyone 18 and older. (Although I suppose it's really geared more toward those who are already running a household, it doesn't hurt to get a good foundation started early on.) *I received this book for free from Moody Press in exchange for an honest review*
Find it on: Amazon Goodreads
First-PersonNon-Fiction272 Pages
About the Book (Backcover Blurb):
A step-by-step guide to financial freedomDo you know if you have enough? Do you know how much is enough? If you can't answer these questions, Master Your Money is for you.In this book, Ron Blue extracts principles from God's Word and applies them to your financial portfolio.Learn how to:Avoid the most common financial mistakesApply biblical principles for money managementSave, invest, and give wiselyCreate a long-term financial plan that worksPlan for your taxes and estate needsGet out of debtRon’s professional experience in financial planning will ease your anxieties over money and be an asset to you and your family for generations to come. Learn the tools and techniques you need to move forward toward true financial freedom.This new edition includes important updates and new content, making it timely and relevant.
Why I Choose this Book:
Money is an important part of life and I want to make sure I use my money in a way that brings God glory.
What I Thought About this Book:
Master Your Money is thorough, helpful, and practical. It's clear the author knew what he was talking about and that he really wanted to help others manage their money well. I especially appreciated the many times the author referenced the Bible and used God's Word for his guide while writing the book. As God's children, I believe that Christians are going to be held accountable for how they make and spend money and this book can help people figure out how to get out of debt, stay out of debt, and use their finances to live life the way God wants them to.
There were quite a few times where I felt like the book was above my head, but that's not surprising as taxes and investments are still something I find quite confusing. Reading books like Master Your Money helps me learn a little bit more though, and for that I'm thankful. (I will note that Your Money Map by Howard Dayton was more at my level and covered a lot of the same information. I highly recommend both Master Your Money and Your Money Map.)
Being free to earn and spend money is a blessing I'm very thankful for. I'm also thankful that money can, and should, be used as a tool. When we learn to master our money it no longer "masters" us, and that's a very good thing. We can't serve both God and money, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't have money, it just means that money shouldn't be our god or an all consuming issue in our life. This book can help bring that balance about, which makes it a very useful book.
Although I don't remember the book discussing it, statistics show that there's a lot of friction regarding how people handle finances when it comes to marriage and I'm pretty sure the same is true with other relationships (such as business partners). I highly recommend people who are sharing finances to read this book and work through it together.
Conclusion:
Yay! Read it. Learn. Don't spend more than you make. Use God's Word as a starting point. Money can be a blessing when used the right way.
Rating:
I'm giving Master Your Money four stars and recommend it to anyone 18 and older. (Although I suppose it's really geared more toward those who are already running a household, it doesn't hurt to get a good foundation started early on.) *I received this book for free from Moody Press in exchange for an honest review*
