My word of the year for 2021: Believe

 

Welcome 2021! What will you bring me, what will you do, what will I find, where will I go, what will I learn, where will I grow? So many questions and 365 days to find out. So many days and all so fast in each moment. I believe I am ready for you 2021.

Last year while I was spending time with the Lord, He put the word authentic on my mind. As I thought about it, I realized that the Lord continually asked me to pursue authenticity…in relationships, in circumstances, in my soul. While seeking authenticity is a life-long pursuit, I have found a really deep authenticity this past year in a lot of areas. Right now, my circumstances are not perfect, my relationships are imperfect and some are broken, my circumstances felt out of my  control, but my soul is working on being authentic with Him. He has taught me how to trust Him in and through it all.

So, I was thinking about what my word for this year should be. Thinking about the word isn't about trying to choose a word to define the year. It was more about seeking the Lord about what He is putting on my heart right now, so that I can be diligent to pursue him in the matter. I realized the Lord is putting the word believe on my heart. He has been asking me to have faith and to believe in His incredible, boundless power.

When I look at the year ahead, believing in myself is going to be my mood and attitude all year long.  Instead of self-doubt, I’m choosing to believe. I want to use my days and hours and minutes and seconds in a way that show that I believe that the Lord hears and answers prayers, and that He is the one who has the power to change. 2021. I’m ready!

I believe I will make steps if not strides towards my long term goals

I know I have “set goals” for so many years. I would like to say I now understand goals,how I have achieved or not achieved them, how to motivate myself and track my progress, but it is a process, one that takes baby steps.

For 2021, I believe I will move forward. I believe my goals get clearer every day, as well as how to achieve them.

I believe I will find joy in the small moments and peace amongst the rush of life

During 2020, if I learned anything, I learned a fulfilled life is about the small moments. I know I am far from perfection, but I no longer strive for perfection. Every year, I strive to make better choices and have less guilt.

Oh the endless guilt. It is a companion on a daily basis but its voice loses strength. Guilt is no longer there when I am enjoying time with family, it is no longer there when I enjoy a moment of crafting for myself, it is no longer there when I chose to go out for dinner with friends.

For 2021, I believe in my choices. I believe each moment will be the right one and each day will give me the opportunity to make renewed choices aligned with my values.

I believe I can make my own choices and I am not limited by fear

There are so many things I should do. As a good mother, as a good employee, as a good friend, as a good daughter, as a good sister, as a good person. The list goes on. Well, I need to ban the word should from my life. I can make my own choices with no fear of judgement. I know what I want to be, I know life is indeed made of hard choices and I want to be even better at the compromises that I achieve, but they will be my compromises and my choices.

For 2021, I believe in that I chose to no longer feel suffocated by any preconceived limitations. I believe I can operate with no fear of loss, I believe I can operate with no fear of failure.

I believe in me!

Yes. I do. It’s almost hard to write. 2020 showered me with moments of gratitude, gestures of appreciation, feelings of accomplishment. It was a challenging year.

For 2021, I believe in me, what I can and WILL do.

Do you have a word of the year?  If so, I would love to hear what it is and why you chose it?

This Is Not Good-Bye

Sometimes we need a break from seeing everything people post on Facebook. Social media

affects our mental health. Facebook can cause anxiety. Facebook can make us depressed. Instead of making us happy, sometimes Facebook makes us feel bad. For all the great things social media does to bring us together, it often brings us down.

Facebook reported having over 1.37 billion daily active users last year, making it by far the biggest online social network, but that should come as no big surprise. The most common motivations for using it are: relationship maintenance, passing time/relieving boredom, entertainment, and companionship. I would suppose in light of the unprecedented times in which we currently are in, people are turning to social networks even more.

In spite of these positive motives, there is accumulating research evidence that spending time on Facebook and other social network sites might lead to negative emotional consequences. The more people use Facebook, especially passively, the more they are likely to feel worse, more depressed, and less satisfied with their lives.

A recent study I read revealed that taking a break from Facebook for only five days can reduce your stress, as measured by cortisol levels. I am feeling stressed and overwhelmed, so I am thinking taking a break from Facebook for a while might be just what the doctor ordered.

There are multiple reasons to take a break from Facebook; to prove to yourself that you can, because you feel addicted to social media, because of the time you spend on it, or possibly due to the mental toll it takes.

We love Facebook. It’s a part of our lives and our routines. For sure, Facebook has become a habit. Trying to take a break from it, even a for a little while, can be a challenge, but I am going to give it a try. With BLM, COVID, and politics, I think it’s going to be a good mental break for me to get off social media.

I actually thought there was a word for giving up Facebook. Several times in my News Feed, I’ve seen Facebook friends declare they were taking a Facebreak. Because of seeing this so often, I thought Facebreak meant they were giving up Facebook for awhile. But they — and I –were wrong. According to the Urban Dictionary, taking a Facebreak is when you take a break from what you are doing so that you can go ON Facebook. Ha!

So, what’s the word for when you are actually trying to, or succeeding at, taking a break from Facebook?

I consulted the hip Urban Dictionary once again, hoping to a term for this. Searching there and other places online, there doesn’t seem to be a trendy word for this. Taking a break from Facebook seems to be the phrase that you are simply “taking a break from Facebook.”

This behavior must be so uncommon and unnatural, there isn’t a word for it yet.

I’ve seen many people do it, usually with an announcement of sorts, so as not to appear rude for not Liking and Commenting on friends’ posts. It’s polite and kind behavior. Recently, on Facebook, a close friend proclaimed she was taking a Facebook break and wished everyone a Happy Facebook Birthday in advance.

 

Another friend went into greater detail. She posted when she returned to Facebook, explaining her Facebook hiatus, and wished everyone she missed a Happy Birthday, Happy Anniversary, Get Well Soon, Congratulations, and Sorry for Your Loss. She wasn’t being crass or snarky. This friend truly felt badly about missing people’s milestones and not being (virtually) there for them to share in their good and bad news.

I wanted to let all my "Facebook Friends" know that I am signing off for a while because many of you send me crochet and craft ideas, etc., and I did not want any of you to think I blocked you if you tried to send me something or contact me via FB, and couldn't find me, or didn't hear from me. You can still reach out via Messenger, Instagram, text, or the old-fashioned way, by telephone.

I am hoping I find it very refreshing. While the siren song of Facebook looms, I am thinking of the things I will do with all of my free time! Who knows, I may find I like being less connected and more present in my own life. And when I log back on, I will see all of the things waiting for me. Monday night I will be logging off, but I will be back, this not good-bye but so long for now!

She had a mission - to sew 1000 masks

Earlier this year, there was a face mask rally. Maybe rally is not the right word. A significant movement. Perhaps even a revolution of epic noble intentions was underway, and sewing groups came together to solve a problem, to save lives at risk from the coronavirus.

I felt like I could help. Right then, sitting in my house in some sort of state-wide lockdown, I felt like I could do something. People of all ages and walks of life were diving in, coming together to make a difference.

It was then that I began my mission to sew 1,000 masks.

I donated my first batch of masks on March 29, 2020, and today, August 24, 2020, almost 5 months later, I completed that mission. Actually, I completed 1001 masks give or take. I am quite sure I forgot to enter a few along the way onto my spreadsheet. My spreadsheet is the keeper of dates; recipients; male/female and adult/child masks; how many were donated; how many were given to family, friends, or front-line workers; and how many were sold (which paid for me to be able to donate most of the masks, a big THANK YOU to those who bought them to help fund the donated ones). I even tracked how many hours it took to make the masks, 500 hours. The only thing I didn't track was the amount of money I spent on fabric and supplies, which I now wish I would have tracked.

When I started making masks, I didn't expect to get so many people needing so many masks. It was just a small way that I could help. I have donated the bulk of my masks, 500, to a Facebook group that I belong to that distributes the masks to anybody that contacts them and expresses a need. I have also donated to the local food bank, missionaries, or anybody else who came to me and asked. In total, I donated over 700 masks.

In March, when we first went into lockdown, I found out quickly I was more social than I thought. I have worked from home for 15 years, so I guess I needed more social stimulation than I thought. I was almost shocked at how being “locked up” was a lot harder than I thought it would be, and I needed something to help me feel like I wasn't going crazy; not being allowed to go out except when absolutely necessary was hard for me. I needed to feel included, valued in some way. I guess this was my way to keep from going “COVID crazy.”

I went through my own stash of fabric and elastic quite quickly and started buying more. All of the local fabric stores very quickly ran out of elastic, and the high-quality fabric was not far behind in being out of stock. I stood in long lines, standing outside in the rain for more than an hour more than once. I was even escorted through the fabric store with my own personal shopper once because somebody in line six feet behind me thought they heard me say I had COVID-19. So, the only way I was allowed to shop was with a shopper picking up all my fabric, etc. It was hard and had it not been for the fact that I was making masks for others, I would have stormed my indignant self out of there, never to return, but I had something bigger to accomplish...my mission. Also, where else would I have gone? At that point, that one store truly was the only fabric store open.

While my masks may not be as good as certified medical equipment, a homemade alternative is better than nothing. I believe that wearing a face make is something that really can have an impact on slowing the spread of the virus and keeping us safe.

These days, we place our faith in small rectangles of fabric to stop the spread of a virus that could destroy our lives. Most of us own not just one face mask, but several ― one for every trip to the store or encounter with someone outside of our circle ― meaning one individual could need a dozen or so masks in their arsenal. Plus, at this point, they say something about our personality, don't they? I have some that match pieces of my wardrobe while others speak to my hobbies...and as long as I have to wear them, watch out for the holidays.

I do feel like this has saved me in many ways. It has saved my mental health. It is helping me help other people. And it’s taking my mind off of everything that’s happening right now: the virus, Black Lives Matter, and the decisive politics. When I sit down and I’m at the sewing machine, I’m in that zone. I don’t have to think about much. I’m not checking out fully, but I’m partially checking out and giving my contribution to helping others.

You haven't seen the last of me as I still of a LOT of fabric, I haven't sewn my last mask, but I am taking a break for a little while (unless, of course, you have a special order). I have crafting orders and crochet orders, as well as birthday gifts and Christmas projects to complete. This mask maker will be back!

Mask Maker

Making a Difference I am not a doctor or a nurse, I am not a front-line worker, but 15 weeks ago when the COVID crisis first began, I wanted to find a way I could help, find a way I could make a difference. That was also when public pleas began for homemade cotton face masks. I dusted off my sewing machine and began to sew masks. Masks are easy to make—a simple rectangle—so we, the amateur sewers of the nation thought we could do this. But who thought we would still be doing it into summer? It was supposed to be a distraction, something to help me keep my sanity during my “lockup.” Yet, here we are, more than 125,000 deaths later, and we mask makers are still going strong, still triaging requests for masks, donated fabric, and emails about who has elastic. Elastic was in short supply at first. I likened elastic for the mask maker to toilet paper for a houseful of people. There was a time early on we could not get elastic and had to get creative on different materials to use such as spandex, bias tape, and shoelaces, yes, even shoelaces. In those early days, I would have to stand in line outside the fabric store for an hour because of social distancing, but at least I had a fabric store nearby that was open. Somehow, it worked. Within a couple weeks, hospitals issued guidelines and we had collection protocols. I literally would spend 8 hours working at my job as a Medical Transcriptionist and then 5 to 6 hours a night sewing. Word spread as fast as the virus itself. I even had a retired co-worker call me to donate $200 so I could purchase materials because she liked what I was doing. I have another friend who doesn’t sew but volunteered to pick up masks from the home sewers and distribute them where needed. It really does take a village. After a month or so, we reached cruising altitude. All of the early turbulence—questions about the best pattern and anecdotal input from anyone who knew a nurse—smoothed out. I started hearing that elastic digs into the ears over the course of a long shift, so then when I needed a break from sewing, I would crochet ear savers. I made 100 ear savers and donated them to my comrades at the hospital and was happy to do so. I even had to crochet a few masks for my grand-kids’ dolls and stuffed animals. Anything for the cause, right? I enjoy creating cards, crocheting ear savers, and sewing masks. These projects have kept me semi-sane during my lockup. To date, I have made 740 masks, and honestly, I do not see an end in sight. Tina Foster, CHDS, Medical Transcription

The BIG 6-0!

The coronavirus pandemic has caused many to cancel their birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, etc., as the world is increasingly being told to stay inside and maintain social distancing. People have gotten creative. Rather than letting the pandemic spoil their celebrations, many have come together (while keeping a safe social distance) to celebrate one another on special occasions. 

This certainly was not how I saw myself marking my birthday. I envisioned a BIG party followed by a year with ten incredibly fun things to add to the fifty I did for my 50th, but COVID-19 happened. In Oregon, as in other states, the fast-moving virus left ordinary Americans suddenly navigating self-quarantines, school closures, and a changed way of life. 

My 60^th birthday actually turned out to be much more intimate than was planned. It started by having lunch with a friend on Wednesday, then on Friday, my actual birthday, I woke up to a HUGE surprise in my front yard and had one of my favorite desserts, strawberry shortcake, with another friend, and then had Mexican food dinner with a couple of dear friends. Saturday, I had a surprise visit by a friend, and I was able to spend the evening with my children and grandchildren, having dinner and an amazing custom birthday cake made by my daughter-in-law. It was a GREAT birthday!

During quarantine, I am learning a lot about what I value most. Because I am such a planner, I thought it was going to suck that my special day was not going to turn out the way I had planned for so long and that I could not see all my family and friends, but I still got to talk to them all and reflect on what I am thankful for. My quarantine birthday taught me to “roll with the punches.” You can always have fun no matter the situation — sometimes you just have to get a little creative. Somebody suggested since I cannot do the ten activities I had planned that I buy myself ten gifts. Hmm, I think that is pretty creative, I love that idea, and I am going to roll with those punches!

Happy 60^th birthday to me!

My 2020 Word Is...

9 out of 10 people will fail with their resolutions.

 

50% of resolution makers will fail by the end of January.

 

But One Word sticks!

 

That's why this year I have decided not to make a New Year's resolution and have decided to pick one word for the upcoming year. No resolutions, no goals... just one word that gives meaning, mission, passion and purpose. One word that will help me be my best.

This blog started 10 years ago with 50 things in my 50^th year and has continued with twelve 5Ks in 12 months, 12 books in a year, multiple resolutions and goals, etc., because I wanted this blog to be a journal of sorts that had some meaning.

This January rather than choosing goals to focus on, I am choosing a word, one word to live by. Last year was the first year I chose a word, but I also chose goals. This year, I am going to just focus on a word. While it does not replace specific goals in my life, a word kind of becomes a mantra for me. I love the intention it sets and the positivity it generates to kick off the next 12 months. It helps me focus and remember what I am working on. 

 

My 2019 word was a good summary of what I wanted to see happen, and I love how it followed me into spring, summary, and fall, and fit even as life changed dramatically. 

 

How do you narrow down a word of the year? How do you summarize your hopes, goals, and plans in one word?

To make it work well, it cannot be a quick decision. It's a process that involves personal reflection and planning for me. I had been meditating and praying about it, and then the last Sunday of 2019 as I was sitting in church, Pastor Jesse was teaching and several times during the sermon Pastor Jesse talked about being authentic and I knew what my word was going to be. 

 

This year my word is … Authentic.

I love this quote - “To be authentic, we must cultivate the courage to be imperfect – and vulnerable. We have to believe that we are fundamentally worthy of love and acceptance, just as we are. I've learned that there is nop better way to invite more grace, gratitude, and joy into our lives than by mindfully practicing authenticity.” – Brene Brown

Authenticity itself is hard to define.

To become more authentic and seek this out in others, we first need to be open-minded. We attract the people and things we want in life when we are open-minded and receptive. This often leads to opportunities and new ways of thinking that expand our minds and bring us ideas that add value to our lives. 

Authentic people are high-character individuals who don't just "talk the talk," they also "walk the walk," which means they back up their positive, empowering words with actions that benefit themselves and others. Be true to yourself and do what you say you are going to do. 

As 2019 is winding down and 2020 is just around the corner, I thought it was a good time to blog about an update on my 2019 goals, one of which was to choose a word – my word -- intentional, live inentionally, be intentional. "Cultivate these things. Immerse yourself in them. The people will all see you mature right before their eyes! Keep a firm grasp on both your character and your teaching. Don’t be diverted. Just keep at it. Both you and those who hear you will experience salvation.” 1 Timothy 4: 15-16

I think that as we mature, we realize that time truly is of the essence in our life, and we develop a desire of wanting to know that our time here on earth counted, mattered. I was questioning a lot going on in my life at the end of 2018. This made me realize that I needed to live with more intention in my life so that was why I chose this word.

It should be every Christian’s desire to live actively and intentionally for Jesus. Our conduct reflects on our Lord; we should want to be the best representatives for Jesus we can be.

Digital Detox – Technology is truly a wonderful thing. It makes the world smaller, connects people and helps create communities – but are we getting too much of it, and if so, how do we cut back?

Our mobile devices make everything – including ourselves – available on-demand 24/7, and that can make it hard to switch off. It's no surprise that digital well-being is a hot topic right now and the tech and social media giants are taking note. Tools like Apple's new Screen Time app and Google and Facebook's new dashboards now show us how we're spending our time onscreen and let us set limits on our app use, all in a bid to help us restore some tech-life balance. In order to achieve this, I went through my phone and purged apps that I had not used in a while.

With so many digital distractions it can be really hard to be present in the moment and focus on one thing at a time, whether at work, in life, or in fitness. Evidence shows the brain works best when it can focus on a single task for longer, but the multitasking we're all guilty of doing can reduce productivity by as much as 40%.

As well as impacting our concentration, we're finding it hard to shut down for fear of missing out (FOMO). Research shows our phones are the first and last thing we see each day. But what if we swapped the FOMO for JOMO, to rediscover the Joy Of Missing Out and reconnect with ourselves and our priorities offline?

We will never give up our gadgets completely, but here are some things I have adopted in my digital detox:

Prioritizing my sleep: To get a good night's sleep, it is proven that we need a quiet mind instead of being cognitively stimulated. Social media is designed to engage our brain, not relax it, and the blue light stops the release of melatonin, which is the signal that tells our body to sleep. To work on prioritizing my sleep, that means going to bed at a reasonable time, logging off at least 40 minutes before and I bought an alarm clock to wake me up instead of my phone, so you can keep your bedroom a completely tech-free zone. My phone charges in the living room overnight.

Practice mindfulness: When you undertake a digital detox, even if it's initially uncomfortable, you can start to look after yourself better, and the people and priorities in your life, better.
I noticed myself passively scrolling, so I try to remember to stop and become aware of what I am doing. I try to think of someone I can reach out to, or something I can plan to do offline, such as work on a craft, read a magazine, or exercise. Schedule things that aren't just a cognitive reward, but rewarding activities, and not just for you.

Set boundaries for intentional use. Be intentional about when and how you go online. Passively scrolling social media is one of the worst things we can do for our mental and physical health. Screen activity is nearly always sedentary and hunched over – when we put our screens away we immediately create the space for us to get moving.

Take baby steps, it's important not to set unrealistic goals if we want new habits to stick. Start small to stay on track. A lot of people sabotage their behavior when changing goals by trying to make too many big changes all at once. The best way to achieve lasting change is to break our behavior down and focus on embedding these into our routine. For example, I am working on instead of not checking my phone for the entire day, I try to set time aside where I leave my phone out of sight for 30 minutes or so. I also tried:
  •Ensuring you have a lunch break away from screens (including your phone)
•Taking time out from one social media channel at a time
•Turning your phone off at dinner time
•Banning tech from the bedroom and bathroom

A digital detox doesn't necessarily have to mean going cold turkey, and you don't have to lock your phone in a safe and disappear to a tech-free retreat. It's about re-framing our relationship with our technology so that it's more balanced.

Rebalancing our use of technology requires us to be more mindful and honest with ourselves about when these devices bring real benefits and when they start to ruin our quality of life. The many benefits are only worth it if they contribute to our overall happiness rather than undermining it.

In short, I need to be in control of my technology use – not letting it control me. I found that I am much healthier and happier as a result.


Now, comes the time for the harder part of the post for me to write, the part where I have to confess I didn't reach my goals. I used to say I failed, but failing is so negative. And, did I really fail? I choose to think of it as a learning experience about myself. I think we try to set not only too extensive of a goal but too many goals. We might really try to shoot for the moon too quickly and that doesn’t work out, or not only do we want to go to the moon but we want to go to Mars and Neptune and Saturn. And if we try to do all of those, we don’t have the mental and physical resources to be able to accomplish that. I have learned rather than set multiple goals, I am going to...

Stick to one thing.

Trying to accomplish multiple goals at once will quickly get overwhelming and only lead to failure. Stick to one thing, master it, and move onto the next. Having trouble deciding which goal to work on first? Maybe focus on the behaviors that get the mind and body running more effectively, like exercising, eating nutritious foods, or quitting smoking. Take inventory of all the goals you have for yourself and figure out which you are most passionate about. Think to yourself, ‘If I knew that this was going to be my final year on earth, how would I really want to spend that time?’

Take steps to make yourself accountable for your goals to help stay motivated. For example, if you aim to run a 10K, sign up for one and pay for it in advance. For some, announcing your goals on social media can also help some people stay motivated. Alternatively, simply sharing your goals with family members and close friends and discussing your progress with them can help keep you stay on track.

The most important thing is for you to feel confident and honestly your mental health! Happy start of the year!

So, rather than make resolutions/goals that I may or may not stick with for the entire year, I am going to choose one word to try to live by, to work into all facets of my life, but that is another blog post so stay tuned.