A Generous Home: 2015 Recap

Happy New Year friends! We're already well into January and I'm just now getting around to posting new year's type things. If you've hung around here for much time at all, you'll know that my posting has gone from less frequent to practically non-existent. I will blame grad school for it, because now all my days off are spent doing school work. Last quarter I was in two classes and now I'm in three so it only gets harder from here on out. My goal is still to post once a month but no promises. 

At the end of 2015 I spent some time reflecting on our word of the year: generosity. I LOVED the word and the challenge it brought with it. Below are some of my reflections on how we lived that word out. They're not intended as a brag but rather to give you ideas on how to extend generosity to those around you. The pieces highlighted in yellow are from my original post that was published on January 1, 2015 outlining what my heart was for the year. 

Generosity with Money 
I've shared my struggle in not letting money control me, and I think my challenge will be trusting in the Lord's provision as we strive to be generous financially. This continues to be a struggle for me but at the same time the Lord has brought me SO far in this aspect of my life! It was so fun to be able to give to several organizations that were near and dear to our hearts, and faithfully tithe at church. It's sometimes hard to look at the budget and see the money that we're giving away and think of what we could be spending it on (i.e. tuition). This next year Alex and I will both be in school full-time and at some point I may need to drop down from full-time work. This will be incredibly challenging as we navigate how to be stewards of our money and continue to faithfully give.

Generosity with Time and Home 
I want to be generous in my home by opening my doors to friends and strangers alike. I want to serve others food and show love at my dinner table share community around our couches. In 2015 we had many friend groups over and a big family gathering over. We really tried not to let our small space stop us from inviting people in. Game nights, Bronco games, and dinners were some of the sweetest memories of 2015 and I'm excited to see what 2016 holds. 

Generosity Out the Front Door 

I want the generosity to extend outside of my front door. In my original post I mentioned bringing soup to the homeless that stand on a corner near our home. I'm sorry to say that that never happened. But in 2015 generosity outside our front door meant knocking on our neighbor's door and offering to bring them dinner because they just had a new baby. It meant introducing ourselves to another neighbor that was new and bringing him cookies. Small things, yes, but at the same challenging and out of my comfort zone. 

This year, I will fight against the excuses and the heart of waiting that so easily turns into the heart of postponing. I read that line from last year's post and it still strikes me deep down in the heart. I do believe that 2015 was successful in terms of our goal to be generous with our time, home, and money. 

Just because it's 2016 doesn't mean that we're giving generosity the boot. Generosity will always be one of our goals. This year it may be the most challenging as we start paying tuition for the both of us and drop down to a single income again. But God. We know He's got us. And we pray that our hearts and homes stay generous even when the numbers don't make sense. 

How did your word of the year for 2015 turn out?? I would love to hear about it! 

A Generous Home: Update on my Word of the Year

The very first post on my blog in 2015 explained how my word of the year was generosity. I wrote how I wanted to be generous in my finances, home, and time. I wanted to reflect on how this goal had gone so far, and share it here on the blog. This post is not in any way meant as a bragging post, but as a post that allows you all to keep me accountable over the next 6 months. 

So far in 2015, we've opened up our table to more friends and family than we did in 2014. We've had game nights with couple friends that have been so fun, and have housed 6 people (at once, not total) in our 600 square foot apartment. These times have been highlights of my year. I've always been one to take joy in knowing that there is no more room at my table and that every single sleeping space is being used. We've been able to tip waiters and waitresses more than the cost of our bill, and donate to a couple of charities near and dear to our hearts. I reiterate: these things have been so fun. But, they've also been comfortable. I know that things don't always have to be uncomfortable to be effective, but in my heart of hearts, when I wrote that post back in January, I wanted to be so generous that it would make me uncomfortable. 

To date, I have only done one thing that felt uncomfortable. After hearing a little baby's cry from our neighbor's apartment, I walked across the breezeway one night and knocked on the door and introduced myself. This was our first time meeting, and I asked if they had recently welcomed a bundle of joy (to which they said yes), and I proceeded to ask if I could bring them dinner one night (to which they agreed). This doesn't seem like a big deal now, but I was sweating buckets you guys. I was more nervous for that than I had been for anything in a really long time! What would they think of me? Would they think I was weird or trying to poison them? Or since we live in Colorado, did they think I was going to give them pot-laced brownies? I especially didn't want them to think that their baby was bothering us ( because he wasn't). All these things ran through my mind as I debated whether or not I should walk across the breezeway and introduce myself. Thankfully, my power thought of the week, was "do not fear", and because of this thought, I pushed my fear aside and knocked on their door. This act of generosity, though seriously uncomfortable,worked out beautifully as they enjoyed their homemade lasagna and banana bread, giving us a sweet thank you note a few weeks later. 

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In the next six months, I want generosity to push me out of my comfort zone. I recently read a book called "Bread and Wine" by Shauna Niequist that spoke directly to my heart. It talks about bringing people together over a meal, and the connections and life events that happen because of good food. She describes how early in her marriage, her and her husband's living room was full of people sitting on their floor sharing a meal off of paper plates while getting to know each other. 

This is my dream. I want my living room floor covered with friends, I want food spilled on my carpet because someone ran into someone else, and I want my sink full of dishes that aren't just mine and Alex's. But then the fear sets in... who would I invite? If I invite people who don't know each other will it be awkward? What if we decide to break out the board games and people don't like board games? What if conversation slows? What if people don't like the food? What if? 

Let these next six months be a period where I throw the "what ifs" out the window. I've let my fear stop me from being so uncomfortably generous. I really want to stop caring about what people think, and instead show them love. Show them good food, show them homely love, and create an environment where people feel like they can be real. 

In the next six months, I also need to be more generous with my time. It is so easy to throw money at something and feel good about it. It's much harder to spend precious days off waking up early to go serve at the soup kitchen, or come home early from camping to teach Sunday school. I have yet to stop and share a meal with the men I see begging on the corner, and have yet to start consistently volunteering somewhere. I've looked and thought about these things, but haven't taken action. Selfishness, greed, and busyness win over every time. I want these next six months to be a period of time where I slow down, take time to buy that man a cold soda and hear his story. I want the next six months to be a period where I give up control of my time, and let God use it how He pleases. 

I actually got a little anxious writing this post you guys. A lot  Most of this stuff isn't easy for me. I'd much rather sit behind anonymous donations and comfortable dinners with friends I know. But I know that I am called to do more. And because of that I pray for the ability to slow down and to yield my heart and goals to Jesus.  And more importantly, I pray for the courage to follow how the Lord leads, even if it's hard, scary, and makes my palms sweat. 

How are you doing with your word of the year? Any thoughts on how to be generous with time, money, and/or home? 

Winter 2015 Goals

When I made my fall goals, I had no idea how awesome of a thing it would be for me. Giving myself seasonal goals helped me structure my days off better and gave me a huge sense of accomplishment. I don't really do well with monthly goals because by the time I think of them, the month is halfway gone. So below are my goals for the winter season- I'll be recapping them sometime in March or April! 

Increase blog posting frequency to 3+ times per week. 

My fall goal was two times per week and I actually did pretty good with that goal so now it's time to give myself another challenge. Be on the lookout for more posts at Sometimes Photojenik! 

Consistently run 3 times a week

I've been running pretty consistently for the past two months. I work 12 hour shifts three days a week and there's no way I even think about running after being on my feet for that long, so I shoot to run the other 4 days. My goal is to keep at it at least three (but hopefully four) times a week. I like to give myself the leeway of the extra day since it is winter in Colorado and I don't have access to a treadmill. 

Invite at least 5 couples over for dinner. 

If you read my post on generosity, you'll know that my heart for the year is to have an open heart and open doors at my house. By making a tangible goal for myself in this area, I'll be able to practice generosity and challenge myself to open my doors.

Finish 5 pages of my wedding scrapbook

This was my fall goal that totally didn't happen. I bought stuff for our scrapbook and then it sat there for the next two months. This time I'm going to put a number on it so that it will be more measurable. 

Complete a weekly challenge outlined in "Power Thoughts" by Joyce Myer

This book is one I got last Christmas and never actually read more than the first chapter. There are certain "power thoughts" and challenges that she suggests you tackle on a weekly basis (one thought/idea per week for 12 weeks). My goal is to actually do this challenge this year and get past the first chapter of the book! 

Memorize at least one scripture verse a week.

This is something that I've tried to do over the past few years and just haven't been consistent with it. By writing it down, I know I'll be more motivated. And thanks to the gift from my Secret Santa, I have an awesome place to start! 

Get involved in one way at church. 

This was also a fall goal that was left undone. My recap post explained that we had emailed our church about ways to get involved and never heard back. We're definitely going to follow-up and hopefully get plugged in this winter!

Okay, I think that's enough goals for this season. I'm excited and hope that I'm not being over zealous but I'm always excited for a new challenge.

How about you? Do you have some winter or January goals? Share them below with a link or a comment so I can cheer you on! 

2015: A Generous Home

Happy happy New Year!!! Welcome to 2015! If you're anything like me, you're excited for all that a new year brings!  I've been sharing why I think goals are important and how to make realistic goals for yourself. I also shared that I've always been a fan of New Year's resolutions but I mostly love the feeling of a fresh start that comes with a new year. The past couple of weeks I've been praying about the new year and what the Lord has for my husband and I in 2015. 

In sitting and listening, the Lord has clearly brought to mind a "theme" for our year instead of specific resolutions. It's a broad theme- one that stretches across many aspects of life, and is something that has been deeply resonating in my heart over the past couple of months.

I want to live generously in 2015

Generosity is something that is not often talked about in today's culture and if it is, it's usually in the context of a wealthy someone donating a large amount of money. 

I think we (I) often forget that generosity applies to so much more than just money. It can apply to our time, our home, and how we treat others. The dictionary defines generous as "liberal in giving or sharing; unselfish". 

That is what I want my year to be about. I want it to be a year of giving and sharing of my finances, my time, and my home. I've shared my struggle in not letting money control me, and I think my challenge will be trusting in the Lord's provision as we strive to be generous financially. I've already seen drastic and very real examples of how the Lord provides and I need to continually remind myself of those times. Over the past couple of months, Alex and I have also really enjoyed doing some fun things with some of our income including tipping a waitress generously and sponsoring a family's Christmas presents. We have absolutely loved it, and hope to continue doing random financial gifts throughout the year.

Second to our finances, I want to be generous in my time and home. I grew up with a large family and our house was always full of laughter and people. I want to be generous in my home by opening my doors to friends and strangers alike. I want to serve others food and show love at my dinner table share community around our couches. 

I want the generosity to extend outside of my front door. A few weeks ago it was bitter cold out and as Alex and I turned on our street to go home there were some homeless men holding signs on the corner. We had chicken noodle soup waiting at home and I thought to myself that it would be good if we went home, put some soup in a couple of containers and brought it to the men on the corner. Unfortunately, that thought stayed a thought and never turned into action. I haven't forgotten that moment and it's resonated deeply within me that I want my generosity to extend out of the front door and to the street corners. Things like taking soup to the homeless take so little time and effort, yet I almost always don't make it happen. I want that to change in 2015.  

I've come up with so many excuses that limit me in my generosity. Things like our 600 square foot apartment, 4 person table, and single income have given me an excuse for not doing more. As I've watched those of you I know in person and read about the stories of you in the blogging community, you have shown me that these things should not be a hindrance. I've realized that I need to stop making excuses and be generous with the resources I have now.

The transition after college has been pretty difficult for me, and I often feel like I'm in an awkward in-between time. Alex is still in school, I'm still figuring out what it means to be a nurse, and we are nowhere close to having kids or buying a house. I feel like I'm in a time of waiting, and this feeling tends to make me shy away from involving myself in things. I often find myself thinking that "oh we'll invite more people over when we have a house" or "we'll do that when Alex finishes school and we have two incomes". But if my whole life is a season of waiting (which in one sense or another I will always be in a season of waiting), then I will have wasted my life hoping for the cards to fall into place so that I could start this thing or that thing.

This year, I will fight against the excuses and the heart of waiting that so easily turns into the heart of postponing. I pray that the Lord guides Alex and I to opportunities requiring generosity, the wisdom to hear His direction, and the courage to follow the call.

Do you have any New Year's resolutions? Or maybe a theme like I do? I would LOVE to hear them!