Hello 2011!

Philippians 3:13-14
No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven. (NLT)

This last week, I pulled out my 2010 Dream Board--the one I created with pictures of all the things I wanted to accomplish in 2010 and beyond.  As I looked over my dreams, I was surprised at how many of my dreams have become reality--and in the strange ways they have!

One of my dreams was to publish License to Dream--which we did in November!  Hurray!  That is one of the biggest accomplishments of my life, I think. 

A big section of my dream board was focused on spending more time as a family and being more involved with doing fun things with my kids.  As I worked on that section, I was looking forward to multiple full-time positions teaching.  I knew that I would be gone 6 hours a day, then come home to have another 6-7 courses waiting for me online.  My heart was breaking.  I can honestly say that the Spring of 2010 was one of the hardest few months of my life. 

But isn't it amazing how things work out?  Here we are in Texas (something I never, ever would have imagined), and we spend more time together as a family doing fun things in a week than we ever did in a year back in AZ.  Wow!  Talk about a dream realized!  I still have a ton of things on my plate as I work on action steps that will make my business (SendOutCards) take over the income of my jobs (teaching).  BUT, I am home with my kids all day.  I get to spend hours each day focused on them doing school, and in the evenings and on weekends we PLAY! 

Another one of my dream pictures was saving money and paying off debt.  The move to Texas and Ryan's new job is bringing that dream into reality, as well.

So, what am I working on this year?  I still have many of the same dreams that I had in 2010.  I would like to publish a new book this year...but I'm not sure what I want to write about yet.  My SOC goals remain the same--to help five of my team members get to Sr. Manager.  So, what's it going to take?  It's going to take organization and discipline.  I'm going to have to cut out all the things that don't matter (like TV and reading fun books!), and really focus on my goals.  Most importantly, I have to remember what my WHY is--my family and freedom to work in God's kingdom--"Seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added unto you!"