In the Storm

One Little Word 2020 | the blessing of nature

In my One Little Word class with Ali Edwards we were assigned to PRACTICE for the month of March. For one of my practices I chose to walk 8000+ steps everyday in the month of March. While I didn't walk 8000 steps every month I did make quite a dent in the month. Perfection is not the goal. Progress is. And, I made quite a bit of progress. By the middle of the month I was pulling out my phone and tapping into podcasts to push me over the plateau I hit when I found simply walking monotonous.

In the meantime, I observed. I observed the sky - of course. I would use the walk to take my weather observation. And, to observe nature around me. The secure compound where I work is primarily cement but there are a few trees, shrubs, and bushes and plentiful of leaves to spy on my walk. I began noticing the various shapes of leaves, especially the heart-shaped leaves. It was a personal delight to find the hearts in the leaves splattered on the ground.

No two leaves are alike. That would be us, too. What drives us and motivates us and what we find delight in - all different. In practicing walking 8000 steps I was also practicing observing God's creation.

One Little Word | February

I'm pretty stoked! I finished my One Little Word® February prompt recently and my word, LEARN, is remaining highly visible in my life. I think this is going to be a really good year for all things Learning - and my One Little Word album - and creating a traditional album, which by the way, I am having such fun working with physical product, yet remaining firmly in my digital scrapbooking.

After January's prompt and including a 'circle' insert, I decided that I'd like to include a circle insert with each Month's prompt. February's prompt was easy to include an insert. I began with the cover, using piece of chipboard from the LEARN Story kit.

The February prompt included creating a vision board, either a canvas, or another medium. I chose a digital creation and used the 'circle' for the background of my vision board. My plan is also to keep 'blues' as my color palette for the album so I made sure to have the board host blues.

Two things I will be including each month are 1) a list of intentions. I did this for January as well and set my intentions for February, also. And, 2) I will be writing out a note to self about lessons learned, or how I made my word visible each month. 

You can see January's LEARN intentions (above) and one of those was learn to watercolor. Which I did! I took a watercolor class online. One of the projects I created I included into my album. If there is some way to include what I've been learning into my album I am planning on continuing that throughout the year.

One Little Word 2020 | February LEARN

Each month this year, in order to make my One Little Word for 2020 more visible in my life, I am setting a few intentions for the month. Some months will overlap, or continue, into the next month, or I may repeat those intentions every month of the year through completion of a project (if it is a project), for instance.

If I set an intention one month and for some reason I didn't accomplish what I wanted I may repeat that intention - if I think it is worthy of being shifted to the current month. This month has one of those intentions.

Setting monthly intentions has worked well for me as reminders to 1) make my word visible, and 2) to actually, actively engage with my word. January intentions held successes and failures. However, I learned from those failures, too. Or, at the very least, I realized why I didn't meet those goals. Which is a win in my book!

For February I am setting the following intentions:

40 Day Sugar Fast (at the beginning LENT)

LEARN my WACOM tablet

Continue WATERCOLOR

Walk MORE

Continue memorizing the book of JAMES

One crafty project

It may seem like a lot but, I have already begun walking more. For instance, last week I only walked 24,185 steps logged and this week so far, I've already walked 33,812 steps logged (one day I was 12 steps away from 10,000 steps!)

I learned watercoloring in January but I'm not ready to move one from it and want to explore it more in-depth.

Memorizing the book of James is an ongoing project. I have almost all of Chapter 1 memorized but really need to step up my 'game'.

The WACOM tablet. Ugh! I have had this on my shelf for 3 years and it is still unopened. This is the month I am going to pull it out. I am buying a new laptop - so perfect time to sync up that WACOM tablet, too.

I failed miserably at the 40 Day Sugar Fast and instead of giving up I decided it will be my LENTAN fast. I will be doing the She Reads Truth LENT devotional and reading the 40 Day Sugar Fast book together during LENT. One, it will afford me the opportunity to prepare myself, and my heart, and my kitchen for a sugar fast. Hopefully, this will also jumpstart weight loss, although that is not the primary goal.

a Twenty Twenty Bucket List.

I probably could put together a gargantuan bucket list of things I'd like to do this year. But, I'm trying to be realistic as well as step out of realism for the anything is possible. This month's Ali Edwards' Story kit is LIST and who doesn't love lists. I make lists all the time. Even now I have a list of published books to read for each year since I was born. I have a monthly list of goals that follow my One Little Word - LEARN. I have a list of LEARNING focus for each month of the year. I have a list of pages I want to create for my December Daily (which I still haven't touched).

A list of daily to-do's.

A list of project steps toward writing my meteorology class.

A list...a list...a list...you get the picture.

This is a small, doable, yet challenging, bucket list for this year. Those things that, if I accomplish this list, by the end of the year I will feel satisfied.

One Little Word 2020 | LEARN January

 

Today I am sharing a few intentions, a few focus-items I am incorporating into my life to make my One Little Word® for 2020 - LEARN - more visible in my life. To tackle those things that have long been on my to-do list but for one reason or another, procrastination, laziness, lack of discipline, fear, I just have not done.

I am paying attention. Ali Edwards' said, "If we are willing to pay attention it's likely we learn new things every single day." I am going to pay attention and see what I learn each month. I'll be re-capping what I've learned at the end of each month. Just another way to make my word visible.

I intend to be disciplined in learning. I so often plan to do but then don't follow through. I want to invest the time and effort into getting those things I've wanted to do, or learn - done.

It will be slow, steady progress. Yet, I hope to see the fruits of what I have learned. Results. I don't have to chase extraordinary moments, simply pay attention to the ordinary. Success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out.

Here are my LEARN-ing intentions for January 2020:

Watercolor

40-Day Sugar Fast (Read the book and through prayer determine my fast)

Begin memorizing the book of James (again!)

Revise and rewrite the Meteorology class for sale

While it seems daunting, it's not. Remember, slow and steady. I have already joined a watercolor class online and purchased what I might need to begin practicing. I want to include a piece into my One Little Word album at the end of the month. Simple as that.

I have joined a local Facebook group for the 40-Day Sugar Fast and have begun reading the book. I am conflicted about Sunday small group desserts. I may, because, hosting and hospitality is so much a part of who I (and we) are that it might be important to fast from the fast for that small group dessert.

I am going to attempt to memorize the book of James - again. Enough said. Otherwise I'll just get frustrated and it's not about the past only what LEARN-ing has for me this year.

My ultimate goal is to create a meteorology class for sale to homeshoolers - and teach it locally. For this I would need to revise the materials for copyright purposes. Before, I wasn't selling materials but I want to be able to market the class for homeshoolers to buy.

That's it. Of course, my reading goals are still in place and I am working on the One Little Word album and scrapbooking album for the new year, too.

                                                                                                                                                           

One Little Word 2020 | Learn

Ali Edwards©' One Little Word® class

The dictionary defines learn as:

learn [lərn] verb.

1. gain or acquire knowledge of or skill in (something) by study, experience, or being taught;

Commit to memory; become aware of (something by information or from observation

2. the act of acquiring new, or modifying and reinforcing existing knowledge, behaviors, skills,

values, or preferences; Synthesizing information.

Synonyms:

discover; be informed · gather · pay attention · acquire a knowledge of · gain an understanding of ·

acquire a skill · become competent or proficient in · grasp, master, absorb

For several years now I have chosen a One Little Word® for the year. I have had varied success in making my word visible throughout the year, but I am not letting mediocre results in past years affect this years potential.

Ali Edwards®

I am joining Ali Edwards' One Little Word® classroom, choosing to be intentional about making my word visible this year. I hope to carve out time each month to complete the monthly prompts that Ali provides in the classroom, not only to complete the prompts in writing but creatively. I will be documenting my One Little Word journey throughout the year in a 6 x 8 album. I will create the album using digital and traditional product + my words and thoughts and creative endeavors. This will tell the story of the adventure in 2020 I took with my word LEARN.

In order to set myself up for success I am losing those expectations of fast sprint each month to complete the prompt for - a slow growth, a year long, slow journey, a marathon instead of a sprint - of learning.

a house in the hills

Showing up again and again - and LEARN. I will be reminding myself to take slow, deep breaths throughout the month. The journey of LEARN will be imperfect and messy, but worth it! This is not a race or a competition. But, I am going to listen. Write. and do the prompts.

This journey with my One Little Word® is like starting a new relationship. I will be curious about my word. Keep asking myself what I hope to learn. Reassessing, sometimes, daily, what it is I am learning and what I want to learn. And, I am going to show up. I am going to be a part of the One Little Word community via Facebook and in the classroom. I am going to post my monthly prompts in the classroom, on Facebook, and here on the blog. If I want to go big and LEARN big, I have to put in the effort.

Once I complete the January One Little Word® prompt I will share more about my intentions with my word LEARN but today I am leaving with a favorite quote I found regarding learning:

"There is no failure. You either win or learn." - unknown