Kim Waguespack Writes

Progress: Day 31, January 31 Well, today I did not get the books I bought for my friends boxed up the way I wanted. Instead,  I ended up going through the kids' linen closet and purging towels. Some that had stains or bleach spots, I put under the bathroom sinks in their bathroom and in the main floor bathroom. It is always nice to have old towels handy in case the toilet overflows or there is a spill that needs cleaned up. I am putting about a dozen towels that are in nice condition in my garage sale. I bundled the towels into sets of two, tied them together with paper ribbon, and priced them. In the process, I found some other items I no longer want or use, so I dealt with those as well. I have been having this "urge to purge" lately. And while I feel good about it, I feel like I have not been focusing on some of my main goals that I want to get done this year. I guess it is just a matter of getting back on course and making my main goals the priority each day. **...

Progress: Day 30, January 30 I made progress in sorting out stamp sets to keep or sell. I have 125 sets to sell. And I still have a lot of favorites left to use! I found a decorative trunk and put all of my daughter's journals and some other keepsakes inside. Previously, the journals were precariously perched on the shelf in my closet. I had been considering recently that I needed to store them in one container, and today I found this trunk. It is just perfect! Now I need to keep an eye out for something similar for my son's journals and keepsakes. I went to The Book Nook in Peoria and purchased books to send to friends. It was a lot of fun selecting books that I have previously read and thinking who might enjoy them. Tomorrow I will get them boxed up and mailed out! ***Kim For Reflection I never realized how many stamp sets I have. A girlfriend of mine told me she had 62 pairs of shoes in her closet, and like me, she did not realize the large amount of footwear she...

Progress: Day 29, January 29 Today I made progress in the following areas: Volunteering:  helped to regroup SnackPacs into totes for individual classrooms. Cleaning:  Oiled the island cabinets and the pantry door. Decluttering:  Sorted through 4 more shelves of stamps and priced the ones I do not want for my garage sale. Reading:  I read more of The Art of Arranging Flowers . ***Kim For Reflection When you declutter, what do you do with your unwanted or unneeded items in good condition? Do you set them aside for a garage sale, take them to a consignment shop, sell them online, give them to a friend or family member, or donate them?

Progress: Day 28, January 28 I had lots of medical stuff going on today, so I guess that counts as progress in self-care. I read more of The Art of Arranging Flowers . Progress on my reading goal. Today, after the answering machine alerted me that there was only 2 minutes of storage left, I recorded a few of the phone messages my Mom has left me on the answering machine. She is in her 70s now and I always wonder just how much longer will I have her. This way, I will have some recordings of her voice. And more room on the answering machine. ***Kim For Reflection With the prevalence of cell phones, do you still have a landline and an answering machine? Do you "keep" phone messages from special people?

Progress: Day 27, January 27 I made progress in 3 areas today: I read the book of Hebrews, chapters 1-13, and colored the artwork in my Inspire Bible. I even ordered some more watercolor pencils because some colors are almost gone. I read some more of the fiction book, The Art of Arranging Flowers . I did some massage and stretching. ***Kim For Reflection Sometimes we need to physically stretch our bodies, but we also need to stretch our minds.

Progress: Day 26, January 26 Today I made progress in the following areas: 1. I finished reading Flourish Writers The Power of Story  course workbook. 2. I read more of The Art of Arranging Flowers . 3. I wrote in my kids' journals. ***Kim For Reflection What book are you reading right now? Do you find it enjoyable?

Progress: Day 25, January 25 Today the areas I made progress in were: 1. I sorted through two shelves of rubber stamps and decided which ones to keep. I priced the ones I want to sell. 2. I began reading The Art of Arranging Flowers by Lynne Branard. 3. I stretched. ***Kim For Reflection Do you have a collection of items that you need to pare down?

Progress: Day 24, January 24 Progress made today includes: 1. Learning that going to the Salt Cave was NOT relaxing for me. There was too much light for me to rest and relax. I only got anxious. So, that is not a good self-care practice for me. 2. I went to visit a friend who is in hospice care. 3. I read some more of The Art of Racing in the Rain . The book is different than the movie. I think I like the movie better. Still have 20+ chapters to read. IDK if I will finish it. The rest of the book is the court battle. Do I really want to read that? Maybe I will just read the end and be done with it. I was satisfied with the movie. 4. I spent time stretching to keep my muscles from tightening up as bad as they were. ***Kim For Reflection Are you okay with not finishing a book?  Why or why not?

Progress: Day 23, January 23 Today I watched 2 Flourish Writers videos on editing a rough draft. I also read some chapters in The Art of Racing in the Rain . I stretched. I went to my Moms' Bible Study group. I helped my daughter with her application to be a Resident Assistant at college. ***Kim For Reflection Do you agree that making time for friendship and fellowship is an important goal in your life?

Progress: Day 22, January 22 Today I made progress in the following areas: *putting photos from 2013 into "albums" on the computer *stretching to help my muscles stay flexible post-massage, per recommendation of the masseuse * read "The Woman at the Well" chapter from the book Jesus, The Man Who Loved Women by Bruce Marchiano, in preparation for another Bible study group tomorrow ***Kim For reflection I feel like I am finally making progress on some goals I have had for a long time. I think blogging helps keep me accountable. I also like mixing it up and doing different things each day. Do you focus on one goal at a time? Or do you work on several goals at one time? Do you track your progress and if so, how do you track it?

Progress: Day 21, January 21 Today I diverged from the Old Testament reading plan to read and color the book of Ruth in my Inspire Bible. I decided to read Ruth instead of Exodus because one of my women's Bible studies will be discussing Ruth tomorrow night. We are reading the book  Becoming   Women of the Word  by Sarah Christmyer. Each chapter focuses on a different woman from the Old Testament.  I decided to study Ruth now while we are also discussing her in group. Progress was made even if I went off plan a little bit. I also made progress in the area of self-care and went for a massage. My muscles were really tight and it was such a relief to have them released and stretched and lengthened by Kyra. ***Kim For Reflection What have you done for yourself lately? Maybe you soak in a hot tub or go for walks... Whatever it is, make time to for yourself.

Progress: Day 20, January 20 The progress I made to were in these areas: * I completed reading the book of Genesis in the Old Testament. * I sorted photos into "albums" on the computer. * I watched "The Art of Racing in the Rain" at my local library today and began reading the book tonight. ***Kim For Reflection When there is a movie and a book, which do you typically prefer, the book or the movie?

Progress: Day 19, January 19 Today I made progress on some housework that needed to be done. I also worked on sorting photos into "albums" on the computer. I finished reading  Riley's Fire . I attended church this evening. ***Kim For Reflection Do you have a schedule for housework? Daily? Weekly? Monthly? Whenever?

Progress: Day 18, January 18 I did not work on a lot of my major goals today. I had an eye exam and did some shopping. I bought a wolf puzzle because my son likes wolves and we worked on putting it together. We had a good conversation while we assembled the border of the puzzle. Those things are just as important as my major goals. That is one of the reasons why I chose "progress" as my "word for the year." I have to do what each day requires and still try to keep moving forward toward my larger goals. Today's progress occurred in these areas: * I read chapters 34-45 in the book of Genesis in my Inspire Bible. * I started a new book, Riley's Fire . ***Kim For Reflection Are you able to find even small bits of time to work on your long-term goals despite other commitments?

Progress: Day 17, January 17 Today I made progress in the following areas: *1. I read chapters 27-33 in the book of Genesis and colored and meditated upon these two Scriptures: Genesis 28:15 "I will protect you wherever you go."  This is such a comfort to me. Thank you God for protecting me and mine wherever we go. Genesis 33:11 "God has been gracious to me and I have more than enough." This is so true. God has been gracious to me. God has given me more than enough. Thank you, Lord, for all of your grace and gifts, none of which I am worthy to receive except by your blood shed for me. *2. I finished This Is Me by Chrissy Metz. What an uplifting, inspiring, encouraging read. ***Kim For Reflection What have you read lately that has lifted you up?

Progress: Day 16, January 16 Today I made progress in the following areas: 1. I sorted pictures into "albums" on my computer. 2. I watched four Flourish Writers videos about writing a rough draft and about writing the crucial first paragraph. 3. I read several more chapters of Chrissy Metz's book, This Is Me . 4. I made out  "thinking of you" and "get well cards" for some people. ***Kim For Reflection We are at the halfway point of January. Are you still making progress on your goals?

Progress: Day 15, January 15 Today I: *worked in my Inspire Bible, read chapters 22-26 in the book of Genesis *looked on the computer for pictures of my son in 2013 for his scrapbook (and discovered that 2013 must have been the year I stopped sorting photos...tomorrow I will be sorting 2013 photos!!) *read more of  This Is Me  by Chrissy Metz *listened to a hopewriters video, and based on the video, I created my vision statement for my writing According to what I learned today, a vision statement is: *short (anywhere from 3-15 words) *simple (your vision for what you want to happen) *hopeful (something you want to be true but it's not true yet) *not about you A vision statement is NOT what you do. It is what WILL BE BECAUSE of your work. My vision statement for my writing the book that God has given me is: "To help others to see God at work in their lives." It is short (11 words). It is simple. It is hopeful. It is not about me. ***Kim For...

Progress: Day 14, January 14 Today I made progress in the following areas: 1) Washed clothes and did some ironing for me and hubby. 2) Helped pack Snackpacs for the local school districts so kids who are food-insecure can have food on the weekends. 3) Read several chapters of  This Is Me  by Chrissy Metz. ***Kim For Reflection Is there a local organization that you can volunteer at?

Today I made progress in the following areas: 1. Worked in my Inspire Bible, chapters 13-21 in the book of Genesis. 2. Organized more recipes in my cookbook while waiting for jambalaya and corn bread to cook. 3. Began reading the book,  This Is Me , by Chrissy Metz, star of the hit television show, "This Is Us." 4. Organized the next group of photos to put in my son's scrapbook. I feel motivated to make more progress on my goals each day. This is a good feeling for me. I think I have been "in limbo" for a while. Maybe it has been a bit of a dry period for me. My daughter is at college and my son is in high school, so I think I have just been floundering as I try to figure out who I want to be once both kids have left home. Making progress on my goals will help me to leave one season of life behind as I figure out who I want to be and what goals I want to achieve in the next season of life. ***Kim For Reflection Are you in a period of transition from...

Progress: Day 12, January 12 Goals I made progress on today: 1) Wrote in kids' journals. 2) Attended church. 3) Read chapters 7-12 in Genesis. 4) Watched a hope*writers video. 5) Finished reading Dolly Parton's Dream More book. ***Kim For Reflection Have you made progress on goals you have set for yourself this year? Keep working on your goals. Little by little is better than no progress at all.

Progress: Day 11, January 11 Today I had some quiet time while my husband and son went to a car show this afternoon. I was able to work in my Inspire coloring Bible while they were gone.  I am working through a couple of Bible reading plans, one for the Old Testament and one for the New Testament. The New Testament plan I have been working on for a while. The Old Testament plan is one that I have just begun this year. I read the book of Philemon in the New Testament and chapters 1-6 of Genesis in the Old Testament and colored the preprinted images in those sections. I meditated on the Scripture verse and prayed as I colored. I also cleaned out a cabinet in the living room. I priced some blankets and furniture cleaning kits I no longer want or use for the garage sale. I then reorganized what was left in the cabinet and even had room to put my magazines in the space that was emptied. This evening I began reading Dolly Parton's book, Dream More . Progress made today:  Wor...

Progress: Day 10, January 10 My husband decided to work from home today, so that messed with my goals to do "quiet things" like work in my Inspire Bible and watch some more writing videos. My husband's job involves lots of phone calls, and I cannot block out his conversation when I am trying to meditate on Bible verses or listen to a video. So, my goals for the day had to shift. In between hubby's phone calls, we managed to run a few errands -- make a return to a store, pick up a prescription, and do a little grocery shopping.  While hubby was driving, I went through the coupons and took out the ones that had expired. We keep our coupons in the car. I began that practice years ago because it seemed like I would get to the store or restaurant and then realize I had left my coupons at home. Now that the coupons are in the car, I always have them with me, and if I forget to take them in the store or restaurant, I just go back out to the car to get them. Occasionally,...

Progress: Day 9, January 9 My oldest child went back to college today, so my main goal was to get beds changed, trash baskets emptied, vacuum, and do laundry. Done. Done. Done. Done. I also got lots of sewing done as I had a comforter, a pillowcase, and a pj top that all needed repairs. Throughout the year, as I find items I no longer want or need, I set them aside for a garage sale. I have some clothes that I need to price, so I washed and dried a large tote to store them in once I get the price tags made out and attached. I like to price the items when I store them, that way when I decide I want to have a garage sale, everything is already priced and ready to be set out. I hope to get my pricing done tomorrow. It was a busy day, and even though I did not work on my major goals for 2020, I still accomplished a lot of daily tasks that needed to be attended to. Today's Progress:  Housework done. Mending done. Cleaned tote to store clothes for garage sale. ***Kim For ...

Progress: Day 8, January 8 Today I completed my second book of the year, God Always Has A Plan B . I set a goal for myself to read daily, and so far I have done that. I also set a challenge goal for myself on Goodreads to read 52 books this year. We will see if I make it to 52. It is an average of a book a week, so if I pick some that are not too lengthy, I should be okay. I take notes on all the books I read, so that adds to my reading time.  Progress today: Completed book #2 out of goal for 52 books for the year.  ***Kim For Reflection Have you ever kept track of how many books you have read in a year? 

Progress:  Day 7, January 7 One of my goals is to write the book that God has given me to write. Today I watched a Hope Writers video titled "Write". These are the things I heard in the video that spoke to me: *For you to become the writer you want to be, you don't need to know your whole path. You just need to do the next right thing, and move forward one step at a time. *Develop a daily writing routine. *Say "yes" to bearing this work of writing. *Give a daily offering of your art. *You can't just stop being a writer. *Do the things you were created to do. Those around you will benefit. *See yourself as a writer. *If you want something to grow, you have to sow. Sow into what you want to grow. *Don't get distracted from your writing. *You can do this! *Have the confidence to make your dream a reality. *If you have a message that needs to come out in words, you are a writer. ***Kim For Reflection Where should you sow in o...

Progress: Day 6, January 6 The snow melted and it was pretty dry (but chilly) today, so my daughter and I got the outdoor nativity picked up and put away in the garage. So, now, all of the Christmas decor is back in the proper storage places until next December. Goal complete!! I got back into watching my Flourish Writers video series today. God has given me a book to write about how he has spoken to me and has worked in my life; and taking a course about how to write a book seemed like a logical first step. I purchased this video series in the fall and was working on it pretty regularly, but with the holidays and travel, it went by the wayside.  I was excited to get back to it. I worked on the "Phase Four" module titled, "The Art of Storytelling," and I read the corresponding chapter in the book. I am making progress toward my goal of writing about God's work in my life. Tonight I read some more of God Always Has a Plan B  to make progress on my goal to r...

Progress: Day 5, January 5 Today the goals I accomplished or made progress on were: 1) I synced my calendar on my iphone with my paper planner for January. (I use my phone to schedule appointments, but tend to use my daily planner to plan out the weeks and months.) 2) Paid bills with my husband. 3) With my husband's help, we took down the Christmas decor and put back all of our regular decor. That took several hours. We still have some outside stuff to take care of. 4) I read 43 pages in God Always Has A Plan B . 5) I prayed with my pastor about working on the book God has given me to write. Thanks, Pastor Sarah! 6) A friend and co-traveler to Israel offered to encourage me and asked me to encourage her in getting our Israel photos organized. (Since our pastors are now taking another group to Israel, I think we feel remiss in not having done it sooner!) It is great to have someone to encourage me on this goal. ***Kim For reflection Do you have someone who could ...

Progress: Day 4, January 4 My family went away for Christmas vacation, so I missed two Sundays of our pastors' Advent sermons. One of my goals for today was to watch the videos and take notes on those sermons, and I accomplished that just a couple of minutes ago! The other goal I worked on today was that I organized and captioned 70 photos from our 2018 trip to Israel. This is so I can accomplish a bigger goal, which is to put all our Israel trip photos in a photo book in chronological order and be able to write about the places and people in the photos. One of our fellow travelers made herself and her sister each a photo book, and it is a beautiful and tangible remembrance of the trip.  I am excited to have gotten back to working on these photos and I look forward to making progress on this goal. Today's progress: Got caught up on sermons I missed while away. Organized and captioned 70 Israel trip photos. ***Kim For reflection: Do you have a special trip that yo...

Progress: Day 3, January 3 One of my goals for our family while the kids are on Christmas break from school is for all of us to frost Christmas cookies together. Today was finally the day when everyone was home at the same time, so we spent about an hour frosting cookies. It was awesome! We had a great time and the cookies are delicious!! Speaking of cookies, I have a habit of collecting recipes for cookies and other yummy things and just sticking the loose recipes in the cabinet where I keep my cookbooks. This is making for a messy cupboard and has been driving me crazy! I keep saying to myself that I need to organize the recipes into a book. So, today, while I was waiting for water to boil, I got those recipes out and began putting them in a composition notebook turned cookbook. I did not count, but I probably got about 20 or 30 recipes properly filed in the time it took for water to boil. This was a great way to use my time. I plan to keep working on getting my recipes filed whe...

Progress, Day 2, January 2 Today my husband helped me to put up the Eclipse blackout curtains in our bedroom. We saw a big difference right away. I have never been so excited about the prospect of sleeping in total darkness!! Sleep has been hard the past few months. The light from street lights at night makes it hard to go to sleep and the early morning light wakes me up earlier than I would like. I began wearing a sleep mask to bed, but that was starting to get old. So, I am very happy that we got the blackout curtains hung. What a great goal accomplished! Today I made progress in two of my goal areas for 2020. For my daily reading goal, I read some more chapters of Angel in Aisle 3. I also got my kids' journals caught up through July 31, 2018. I have kept journals for my kids since before they were born. I also keep journals for myself, so I use those and my old planners to spark my memory of what was happening in the kids' lives and record it for them. I plan to kee...

Progress: Day 1, January 1 My word of the year for 2020 is Progress. I came to decide upon this word of the year because for many years now,  I have kept setting the same goals for myself, and at the end of each year, they remain unmet. So, this year, I plan to make progress on all of my goals. I may not complete them all, but I am going to make progress on each one, little by little! Part of my issue in years past is that I didn't have any set schedule for myself. I noticed that on days when I had doctor's appointments or a lunch date, I accomplished more than on days when I did not have set plans. So, I think that this year I need to decide ahead of time what goal I am going to work on each day and schedule it. I have decided to write this blog as a way to keep myself accountable. Several years ago I started a blog because I wanted to work on scrapbook and card-making projects every single day of the year. That blog really helped me to meet my goal. I think writing this...