Goal Planning Monday ~ No Complaining

I am reading What's It Like to Be Married to Me? as part of my morning devotions. I am on chapter 2 and it is about not complaining. It has been a challenging book right from the start. The author has challenged us wives to a 7 day "Gripes Be Gone" challenge. We wear a bracelet that is easily slipped off and on and we are to change it to the other wrist each time a complaint/gripe/murmur leaves our lips.

My bracelet
Isn't it pretty?
I made it from the beads of a necklace I never wore any more and some seed beads that I already had.
I want to make a few more of these in different colors because I like them and plan on continuing to wear them and do the challenge even after the week is up. I need to get some larger beads like the blue ones in a few different colors... brown, purple, maybe black/silver for a more neutral bracelet I could wear with anything.

 I have found that sometimes I don't even know I am uttering words of discontent. It has become such a habit, I don't even realize I am saying negative things so often. The bracelet certainly has made me more aware. It is not easy not to speak or write, on Facebook or in chats even, complaining/murmuring words. It is even harder to replace complaining thoughts with grateful ones. Doing the Joy Dare, reading my Bible Daily and listening to praise music and hymns certainly does help my attitude.

So, how about you?
Do you complain much?
That counts muttering in discontent, even if it is under your breath.
Make, or find a bracelet you already own and join me in striving to not complain. An elastic one is easiest to switch from wrist to wrist.
Journal each day how you do, and let me know next week in your comments when you link up.


My blogger friend Rosann, leader of our UnEmployed Faith group and writer of a book by that title, did a book club with extra insight and questions on this book.
You can find those posts at her blog here: http://christiansupermom.com/tag/encouragement-book-club

Participants... It is not a requirement to comment on each others blogs but it would be nice to encourage each other. Please try and come back and check who else links up and go comment on their blog post. And comment on mine as well, we ALL could use some building up and community. 

Now for my goals from last week, how I did, and new goals for this week.
My top priorities are marked with a *

If you need directions on how to join in... see my GPM page up above.

My goals for this coming week:

Spiritual Goals   

1. *Morning Devotions - including Bible reading (Proverbs), prayer, listening to music and reading a spiritual book. Prayer is my focus this year as that is my word for 2013. Read more of What's It Like to Be Married to Me?: And Other Dangerous Questions. A hard study, already, and I am only in chapter 1. Really tough questions that take a LOT of thinking... about myself. I felt like God wanted me to do this study next. My UnEmployed Faith facebook group did this study. I was not able to purchase the book and participate at the time. Later I got the book free. God has something to teach me in this trial we are in. Maybe this book will help me with part of that. Anyway... I felt God prompting me to read and study it. It DOES have a study guide in the back... I already checked and am working on the questions. Done - hard but good study. Challenging things to think about and do.
2. Read more of "When God Breaks Your Heart: Choosing Hope in the Midst of Faith-Shattering Circumstances" to my hubby.  Done - we only have the journal thoughts at the end of the book to do now.
3. Participate in the Joy Dare in 2013. Writing down 3 things each day that are gifts from God, things to be thankful for totaling more than 1000 gifts in 2013.Write in my other 1,000 gifts notebooks. Catch up some... I probably won't completely catch up ALL the way ... but catching up some would be good. Done -  as I predicted I caught up some, but not all the way.
   

Homeschool Goals

1. Do school with Christopher. Done
2. Grade and Record work done, DAILY. Done
3. *Catch up more on Grading Chemistry. I got some done last week but need to do the rest. Not Done
4. Prep the next day's school, especially science and Windows to the World (IEW) for English! Need to order more History books too!! Done

Fitness Goals

1. I hope to get back to exercising this week...IF my knee stops hurting. I will be working out on the Wii.
   Not Done
2. Eat fruit and veggies and drink water. Done

Blog Goals  

1. Post Goal Planning Monday on time... since this is already up I have one thing for the week done already. Done
2. Comment on everyone's blog that links up to the Goal Planning Monday linky. Done - no one linked up again... that's ok.
3. Blog only what I want to blog about. Done
4. Done - forgot to put that I had a review and giveaway to post on my blog... I got that done and posted on Friday last week.

Personal/Other Goals 

1. Read. Done - I finished 2 books this week.
2. Work on sorting files on the external drive. Done
3. Pack up the little kids games in the basement. Court spent a long time on Sunday getting the basement more organized. It was a disaster area after we pulled things out for the yard sales. Stuff was EVERYWHERE! I want to box up the little kids games that we don't use any more and protect them in plastic bags and put the bags in boxes, so they will stack and be protected for future generations. Not Done

 For this week that is 13 Done, 0 Partly Done, and 3 Not Done.

My goals for this coming week:

Spiritual Goals   

1. *Morning Devotions - including Bible reading (Proverbs), prayer, listening to music and reading a spiritual book. Prayer is my focus this year as that is my word for 2013. Read more of What's It Like to Be Married to Me?: And Other Dangerous Questions.
2. Finish "When God Breaks Your Heart: Choosing Hope in the Midst of Faith-Shattering Circumstances" reading it to my hubby. 
3. Participate in the Joy Dare in 2013. Writing down 3 things each day that are gifts from God, things to be thankful for totaling more than 1000 gifts in 2013.Write in my other 1,000 gifts notebooks. Continue catching up.

Homeschool Goals

1. Do school with Christopher.
2. Grade and Record work done, DAILY.
3. *Catch up more on Grading Chemistry. I got some done last week but need to do the rest.
4. Prep the next day's school, especially science and Windows to the World (IEW) for English! Need to order more History books too!!

Fitness Goals

1. I hope to get back to exercising this week. I will be working out on the Wii.
   
2. Eat fruit and veggies and drink water.

Blog Goals  

1. Post Goal Planning Monday on time... since this is already up I have one thing for the week done already.
2. Comment on everyone's blog that links up to the Goal Planning Monday linky. 
3. Blog only what I want to blog about. 
4. Post review and giveaway of Unlimited by Davis Bunn on Tuesday. 
5. Post Yearly Goal Update for September. Where has the month gone?

Personal/Other Goals 

1. Read.
2. Work on sorting files on the external drive.
3. Pack up the little kids games in the basement. Court spent a long time on Sunday getting the basement more organized. It was a disaster area after we pulled things out for the yard sales. Stuff was EVERYWHERE! I want to box up the little kids games that we don't use any more and protect them in plastic bags and put the bags in boxes, so they will stack and be protected for future generations. 
4. Pack up some books from our bookshelves. They are getting to crowded and I can't find anything. I can pack up subjects Christopher and I will not be covering this year or next and I can pack up books that are too juvenile for him. Can't believe I only have 1 3/4 years of homeschooling left.

That's it for me.
Remember, No Griping

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