the list

So lately I have been doing a lot of reading. I have been doing a lot of thinking and praying. And the Lord is doing something oh so wonderful in my heart...He is giving me joy that is truly unspeakable. I'm not the happiest I've ever been in my life; happiness is fleeting. But I can say that I feel as though this is the most joy I have ever had in my life. As though God is doing something wonderful and preparing me for something much greater than I could ever imagine. It is a thrilling and terrifying experience at the same time. But I cling to the fact that He is good.

In all of my reading, I stumbled upon a new blog that I really like. Now I will say that I do not complete agree with everything the author says or the way in which she says it, but one thing I like is that she is not putting up a front, and she writes honestly. One thing that a contributor to her Good Women Project wrote about was that while she is single, she wants to make the most of her time. And even though everyone and their brother/sister/cousin/neighbor/best friend/roommate is getting engaged, married, and/or having babies or trying to set me up for eternal marital bliss, I am quite contented where I am...waiting on the Lord. I love living on my own. My friends are the bomb. I love my family. He has been good to me. And He will continue to be good to me. I know I can trust in Him for every single thing.

Thus, my list. The author of this post on the Good Women Project made a list. A goals and objectives list, if you will. Why spend my (hopefully) limited time single pining away for ~~Mr. Darcy~~ Mr. Right when the Bridegroom speaks unconditional love over me each morning and brings me new mercies and unspeakable joy in His presence? There are so many things I want to do- places I want to go, people I want to know better, hobbies I want to try. I've always been a dreamer. And what time better than now to begin pursuing these things? I am not less of a person because I am unmarried. The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me; He will not abandon me. So I thought about just what it is I want to do with this precious gift of time I have been given, and this is what I came up with, in no particular order:

Read, read, read: at least one book a month
Write, write, write: at least 2 blog posts a week
Read through the Bible at least once
Run another half marathon (preferably this one)
Learn how to make a good pot of coffee
Submit my writing somewhere online
Learn how to be hospitable by sharing my home and what the Lord has entrusted me with to others
Take a trip by myself
Have one unplugged day: 24 hours without phone, internet, TV
Try one new recipe a month and cook for myself at least once a week (Lean Cuisines don't count, but The Pioneer Woman does!)
Become a woman of prayer
Truly invest in the ones I love
Get a new haircut (It really is about time...)
Learn to play the guitar well
Disciple middle, high school, and/or college girls
Give to those who can give nothing back