#2 2010 Reflections

photo taken from "The Miracle Detectives"

http://www.oprah.com/own

#2 on my Reflections List is "What was my biggest waste of time?"

For this I would have to say....television! Not all of it, just the shows that provide absolutely nothing good (no self-help, non-educational, and not even very entertaining). I'm all for a good sitcom that makes me laugh, or a movie that really entertains me for the WHOLE 2 hours, but here I'm talking about the shows that are just simply a complete waste of my time!

So I'm resolving to watch more educational shows, some home decorating, spiritual, shows that help me in my goals of becoming more organized and shows that help me with my desire to make my home welcoming and warm to my family and friends, with only a few "purely entertainment" ones.

With this in mind, I've checked out Oprah's new OWN network and I am sooooo looking forward to watching some of the new shows on it.

Oprah presents..Master Class

The Miracle Detectives

In the Bedroom with Dr Laura Berman

Cristina Ferrare's Big Bowl Of Love

Enough Already with Peter Walsh.

There are of course many more, but these are the ones I'm going to start with...and if they don't COMPLETELY capture my attention or meet my goals criteria, out they go. And I plan to keep watching The Martha Stewart Show and The Nate Berkus Show (I'm constantly picking up home tips from both of them!).

2010 Reflections

Desk Calendar from etsy seller Raceytay
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Raceytay?ref=seller_info
link for calendar
http://www.etsy.com/listing/62130252/sale-new-years-2011-mini-calendar-4x6?ref=sr_gallery_13&ga_search_query=resolutions&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_page=&order=&includes%5B0%5D=tags&includes%5B1%5D=title&filter%5B0%5D=handmade

For the month of January, I thought instead of doing the "typical" resolutions...I'd reflect on the past year... the good, the bad, and the ugly (love that movie). The idea came from something I read, can't remember now but oh well.

pendant from etsy seller lisahopkins

http://www.etsy.com/shop/lisahopkins?ref=seller_info

link for pendant

http://www.etsy.com/listing/56956955/etched-silver-begin-necklace?ref=sr_gallery_1&ga_search_query=resolutions&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_page=2&order=&includes%5B0%5D=tags&includes%5B1%5D=title&filter%5B0%5D=handmade

#1 What were the challenges of 2010?

2010 was chock full of challenges so this one is easy.... The only problem is in chosing which ones to highlight here. I'm a true believer in that God allows challenges in our lives right at the time when we need to grow more spiritually. (And boy, He must've thought we needed to do some MAJOR growing!)

In March, Hubby lost his job...9 days later, my ankle and the outside of my foot was kicked by a horse (long story) so I ended up on the couch for 8 weeks, unable to work or help around the house. This was a problem as we needed to get the house ready to sell since we might be moving. Thank Heavens for my mom-in-law, who was there with cleaning and packing help, not to mention bringing meals! Yay for Joy, she's amazing. And also my own mother who doesn't live close was also able to come help out a couple of days. Yay Mom!

You find out real quick who's there for you when you are really down and in need of help. So, of course, MOMS to the rescue! Aren't mothers amazing? Okay that's a blog subject all it's own, so we'll shelve that for later...

Also because of the broken foot and ankle, I was unable to exercize, help train or compete on the horses, so our daughter and new son-in-law to the rescue there...our daughter Miranda, working full-time as a nurse, as well as fostering too young and too sick puppies for the local animal shelter, still managed to show up nearly every day after work to help her dad with the horses, and spent nearly every weekend at competitions with us. She was truly indispensible to us. As a parent, I spend a lot of time feeling guilty and wishing I could have a re-do of certain parenting mistakes, but when your child steps up like ours did, you realize, maybe I didn't do such a bad job after all, had to do something right to end up with such an amazing woman for a daughter.

My challenging list could go on, but I think that's enough, and what I learned is really too many things to list, but probably the biggy is that if you constantly dwell (moan and groan and whine and oh, poor me) on the past, you get stuck. Very hard to move forward once you get stuck, but it can be done...lots of prayers and learning to just let go and give it to God. Not just give it to Him, but really learn to TRUST Him and have faith that things are going to work out exactly as he planned all along!