While it’s been a difficult season in some ways, being home more has meant more time with my sweetie and more time to do all those things at home I’ve put off for one reason or another.  :)  I’m looking for the silver lining and taking advantage of the somewhat simpler lifestyle.

On to my 2020 goals.

Spiritual Growth –

• Read a daily devotional.
• Have personal and weekly Bible study (with doing).
• Read 2 books about spiritual growth topics.
       🗸 When to Walk Away by Gary Thomas
       🗸 The 7-Day Prayer Warrior Experience by Stormie Omartian
• Prayer and Meditation

Bob Goff’s devotional, Live in Grace, Walk in Love is delightful. It’s really stretching me to think practically about how I love on folks. It’s become even more challenging as we are socially distant.

Linda, Sarah, and I are working through the gospel of John. I think I’m falling more in love with Jesus. I love the words in red.

I did finish reading The 7-Day Prayer Warrior Experience. I just needed to get back to the basics and Stormie Omartian is a good resource with it comes to prayer. Put on your armor, gals! Let’s stand firm in Him and pray for those around us.

Marriage –

• Be more intentional about conversation.
• Sex more days than not.
• Create a bucket list for 2020.
       🗸 Oregon coast
       a writing retreat
       Farm to Table event (Mont Lamm)
       Riverfront Park (in Spokane)
       seasonal foraging (morels & huckleberries)

It’s a good season for conversation. We’re both at home and Spring is here. Well, hopefully, it’s here. :) With so much to do on the property, there is no lack of subject matter to talk about.

We both got sick for a couple of weeks (not COVID-19), so our sex life took a hit.

Our bucket list is on hold for the time being, though we could do some foraging if we went hiking around on our own. It won’t be long until the morels start popping up.

Family and Friends –

• Drink more coffee.
• Babysit the grandkids.
• Be present and engaged at our weekly family night.

Meetings at my favorite coffee shop are currently not possible. Paul and I are connecting with friends by phone, text, Facebook, and Zoom. It’s a bit weird, but you have to connect to love on folks.

Thankfully the grandkids are a part of the small family group on our property so we still get to see them. Family night is even more of a treat because it’s one of the few places where we get to gather with a few others.

Personal / Emotional –

• Be artsy fartsy.
• Be a good bunny mommy.
• Learn four new songs on my ukelele (and play them well).
• Play in the dirt.

My art has truly suffered this month. Between sickness, tax paperwork, and crazy life, it took a backseat. I did manage a few pieces and I added to my collection of patterns. I found these slim photo albums and started creating 4″ x 6″ step-out cards for all the patterns.

I’m a bunny grandma! All three of my does had their litters this month. It’s still a bit cold here in Washington, so they are in cages in the bunny barn. I’m hopeful I can put them in the bunny meadow soon though.

I’ve played a little on my ukelele, but no new songs.

Woo-hoo! I ordered a few plants and some of my perennials are peeking out. Gardening here I come. :)

Physical –

• Stick with the 6-8 hour eating window.
• Have a day of rest each week
• Develop an exercise program.
• Keep doing Kegels.

Eating window, rest, and Kegels are all pretty good habits. I have been walking more around the property and I’m doing OK with the small exercise routines. I’m hoping to up the number of reps in April.

Occupational / Vocational –

• Make regular time to work on and improve The Marriage Bed site.
• Create a writing schedule for TGW posts.
• Be more regular about posting on Meemaw’s Place (my personal blog).

The Marriage Bed site is coming along nicely. I work on it a couple of times a week and am deeply grateful for my editor. I’m in the process of getting a Spanish/English editor for the Spanish version of the site.

My writing schedule went bye-bye in the crazy of sickness and social distancing. I did get to have a couple of writing days using church wifi, but now we are writing from home again. I write when I can and publish to pending when the Internet allows. It’s truly a dance.

Meemaw’s Place has suffered this month. I did a few postings, but when life gets complicated this blog is on the let-it-go list (confess, moms, you heard the song playing in your head).

Financial / Office –

• Update our budget. 🗸done
• Update and clean up my files and folders (hard copy 🗸done and digital).
• Keep the email corralled.
• Bookkeeping – Stay current week by week, both ministry and personal.
• Trello.

I got all my hard copy files organized in one file box (they’re so pretty) and my online files are a little cleaner (still a bit more to do).

I’m doing pretty well keeping my email under control and bookkeeping is less stressful because I’m current week by week.

Trello continues to work well for me. My calendar board keeps me on track and I’m looking for ways to add new projects into the system.

Physical Environment –

• Be more consistent with housework.
• Do the next few steps in building our house.
• Plant more trees. (🗸 1 cherry, 1 peach)

While we’ve had our messy moments this month, overall Paul and I are neater and more organized. I’m seeing some good change in the kitchen and laundry systems.

As the weather is lightening up, we’re starting to uncover and de-winterize. We are trying to figure out how to get the metal roofing for our house (there are limits to who can do what in construction right now).

The cherry and peach trees are in the ground. <happy dance> We also ordered some willow trees and a couple of black tupelo trees (they’re showy specimen tress).

Well, that’s it for March. I’m praying for all y’all as we move into April. (Yes, I said “all y’all.” It’s a thing.)

We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope. Martin Luther King Jr.

---

• Prayer Prompt: Ask God to help you and your sweetie enjoy each other this season.
• Her View From Home Asking “How Can I Serve My Spouse?” Changes Everything Change your marriage dynamic with this simple question.
• (in)courage: Love Listens Well Listen with your ears, eyes, heart, and body language.

---

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.
Image credits – morel mushroom © Klaus Heller / Pixabay, art © Lori Byerly, file folders © Csaba Nagy / Pixabay
Shop & Support TGW Thanks!
We’re Donation Supported