Kim Waguespack Writes

Progress: Day 91, March 31 Today I *priced items for my "don't-know-when" garage sale *read chapters 1-18 of Leviticus *began reading Ask Suze ...about Stocks and Bonds by Suze Orman *did some light weight training * helped my son figure out his classes for dual high school/college next year ***Kim For Reflection Each year as I and other family members find items we no longer want or need, I price them and box them up and put them in the garage. This way, if the forecast looks good, I can set up tables in the garage and have a garage sale at moment's notice. But with this coronavirus and social distancing, I don't know when I will get to have a garage sale. I don't know when I will get to do a lot of other,  much more important things -- like going back to church, going to visit my parents in upstate New York, and going to see my husband's family in Missouri. As I am writing this, I realized my nephew may not get to have his high school ...

Progress: Day 90, March 30 Today I took advantage of the warm weather outside and worked in the flower beds, getting rid of some of the the dead from last year.  ***Kim For Reflection Just as we must clear out the dead in the  garden, so we must clear away dead things in other parts of our lives. What do you need to clear out?

Progress: Day 89, March 29 Today I: *colored the title page for the book of Leviticus in my Inspire Bible *continued organizing and decluttering the scrapbook room *priced some items for garage sale *wrote in the kids' journals ***Kim For Reflection Yesterday I only made progress in one area. Today I made progress in four! Isn't it funny how one day you make progress in lots of areas and other days you were lucky to just make progress in one?

Progress: Day 88, March 28 Today I worked on cleaning up my scrapbook room.  That is all. ***Kim I have a tendency to just pile things up when I am working on a project. I don't want to lose my mojo when I am making a scrapbook page. I know I should take the time to put whatever supply I just used back in its proper spot. But I don't. And so I just keep piling stuff up until I just have to spend some time organizing. Do you have a spot where you just pile things up?

Progress: Day 87, March 27 Today I made progress in these areas: *Stretching *Typed up a devotional for my book *Brought food to church for the food pantry. ***Kim For Reflection The coronavirus has people panicked and clearing store shelves of staple items. Our local food pantry could not get their usual donations from stores because so much was sold out. They put the call out  to the churches in town and asked for people to donate from their surplus. Has this happened where you live?

Progress: Day 86, March 26 Today I made sure all pieces were accounted for in all the games and puzzles my children have decided to put in the garage sale. I also read Ask Suze ...about Love and Money by Suze Orman. ***Kim For Reflection I have always felt reluctant to educate myself about money. Reading Suze Orman's books are helping me to understand and feel more knowledgeable and confident. Is there something you have resisted learning about, even though you know you should? Remember, you don't know what you don't know.

Progress: Day 85, March 25 Today I focused on making a birthday cake and chicken pot pie for my daughter's birthday. And then I cleaned up. So no progress on goals today. ***Kim For Reflection It is okay to have a day when you don't make progress towards your goals. Just don't let it happen two days in a row.

Progress: Day 84, March 24 Today I watched three Hope Writers Tuesday Teaching videos featuring Michele Cushatt, Kelly Minter, and Annie F. Downs. I also watched an If:Equip conversation between IF founder Jennie Allen and renowned Bible teacher Beth Moore. I took lots of notes and filled up my writing bucket and my spiritual bucket. Good stuff!! ***Kim For Reflection Do you ever watch online videos to educate yourself about a topic?

Progress: Day 83, March 23 Today's Progress: *helped my daughter to sort out her belongings that she brought back from college *wrote in the kids' journals *watched three Hope Writers videos featuring Jo Saxton, Jeff Goins, and Katherine Reay. Two of the three items where I made progress today were because of the covid19 virus: 1) My daughter's college closed the dorm, so she had to bring all of her belongings home. Since her college is in the same city as where my husband's parents live, the original plan was to leave her "college only" items at her grandparents' house, but 1) she only had two hours to pack and just did not have the time to sort out what should come home and what should go to grandma's house and 2) we did not want to expose my in-laws to covid19 if we had been exposed. 2) Hope Writers has very nicely made several of their Tuesday Teaching videos available for no charge. Since I am working on my book, it was nice to get ...

Progress: Day 82, March 22 Today I: *read, colored, and meditated on Scriptures from the book of Lamentations in my Inspire Bible *watched church service online *finished reading Suze Orman's book on debt *read  the devotionals in Tapestry Threads  Weaving Our Sacred Stories  and studied the book's format as a possible model for my book of devotionals ***Kim For Reflection I kind of feel like I have been focusing more on some of my goals while neglecting others. I am going to try to change it up this week and focus on some of my other goals, like writing in the kids' journals and working on photos and doing some scrapbooking. Do you ever get stuck in a rut? If so, change it up a little!!

Progress: Day 81, March 21 Today I: *finished the book of Exodus in my Inspire Bible *did housework *went to the store for a few groceries before the "shelter in place" order to combat the spread of covid19 begins at 5PM *watched "Joni", the story of how seventeen-year old Joni Eareckson became a quadriplegic following a diving accident, her recovery, and her faith in God. For Reflection: I remember watching "Joni" at church when I was 10 years old. I decided to watch it again tonight. (Thanks youtube!) What movie did you watch as a child that you would like to or have watched again?

Progress: Day 80, March 20 Today's Progress: *stretched *packed up 6 banker's boxes of collectibles to put in storage for my son *read more of Suze Orman's book on debt For Reflection: How long do you store something before you decide you should just get rid of it?

Progress: Day 79, March 19 Today I: *decided to expand my tornado devotional, adding more context to the devotional than I originally wrote *worked in the book of Exodus in my Inspire Bible *began reading Suze Orman's book Ask Suze ... about Debt *read a chapter in the book The Case for Easter by Lee Strobel for my Moms' Bible Study Group ***Kim Due to the coronavirus covid19, our Bible study group is just doing an online discussion of our selected book, rather than meeting in person. Have you had to make a similar change in order to keep participating in a group?

Progress: Day 78, March 18 Today I made progress in these areas: *Writing: I wrote a rough draft for a devotional about God protecting our home from a tornado. *Decluttering: I sorted through some collectible boxes to find the proper ones to pack up some items that my son wants to store. While I was doing that, I decided to go ahead and sort by type of collectible and/or the person to whom the items belong. That will make it easier to deal with in the future. ***Kim For Reflection While I was sorting out the collectible boxes, my kids were busy sorting through games, deciding which to keep and which to sell. Have you found that others in your home get inspired to sort/organize/declutter when you are doing it?

Progress: Day 77, March 17 Today I took advantage of warm weather and worked outside in the yard. I cleared leaves out of 4 flower beds and also some that had blown up against the back of the house. I did some stretching before and after my time outside. I made progress in my Inspire Bible, working in the book of Exodus. ***Kim For Reflection Do you set aside household chores or put aside your goals to take advantage of a nice day outside?

Progress: Day 76, March 16 Today I made progress in these areas: *Spiritual: I worked in the book of Exodus in my Inspire Bible. *Health: I did my stretching. *Decluttering/Organizing: I sorted through a shelf of books and papers. *Writing: I refined two of my devotionals. ***Kim For Reflection I have a tendency to put newsletters from a historical site on my bookshelf instead of filing them in their binder. Organizing guru Peter Walsh has a mantra: "Don't put it down, put it away." After sorting through about 5 years of newsletters today, I am going to try to live by it and reduce the piles of stuff I have. Another mantra I have heard is, "If you can do it in two minutes or less, do it now." Both are good advice and will save lots of time in the future. Do you have a mantra for keeping your space organized?

Progress: Day 75, March 15 Today I made progress in these areas: *Spiritual: watched church service on Facebook due to Corona Virus 19 causing church to close to protect people from getting sick. *Decluttering: sorted out 3 more shelves of books. *Garage Sale Preparation: priced books to sell. *Health: stretched. *Reading: read some devotional books *Writing: while reading devotional books, I came upon some Scripture verses that apply to stories I am writing for my book. ***Kim For Reflection Corona Virus 19 is causing us to approach life differently. Have you ever experienced anything like this in the past? How did you cope with it then? How are you coping now?

Progress:  Day 74, March 14 Today I *worked in my Inspire Bible (journaling Bible) *finished reading Joshua and the Children *stretched ***Kim For Reflection Have you ever tried Bible journaling?

Progress: Day 73, March 13 Today I: *stretched *made some edits on a devotional *sorted through 2 shelves of books *read from several different devotional books I have For Reflection: Do you read a daily devotional?

Progress: Day 72, March 12 Today I *reviewed and reworked my devotion about feeling Jesus' presence in the Garden of Gethsemane.  I also found out about a Bill Gaither song called, "Have You Had a Gethsemane?" as I was looking for Scripture relevant to the devotional. I may use it in the devotional somehow. *stretched. *priced more books for my upcoming garage sale. *read more of Joshua and the Children. ***Kim For Reflection "Have You Had a Gethsemane?"  In the garden He went to pray  when it seemed hope was gone.  He prayed with a broken heart.  And he prayed all alone.  Have you had a Gethsemane?  Have you prayed in despair?  In the dark of those weary hours  did the Lord meet you there?  Have you had a Gethsemane?  Have you prayed the night through?  Have you shed tears in agony  when no hope was in you?  Have you prayed, "If it is thy will  may this cup pass from me?...

Progress: Day 71, March 11 Today I made progress in these areas: Spiritual:  read the book of Esther in the Protestant Bible and the Catholic Bible to prepare for discussion of Esther in my Becoming Women of the Word study group. Volunteer work: I helped to regroup Snack Pacs by school and classroom. Decluttering:  I went through another book case and decided which books to keep and which ones to get rid of. Reading: I read more of Joshua and the Children . ***Kim For Reflection Did you know that there are two different versions of the book of Esther? The Catholic Bible has 5 more chapters than the Protestant Bible. The basic story is the same. The Protestant Bible leaves out prayers and letters that the Catholic Bible includes.

Progress: Day 70, March 10 Today's Progress: I worked in the book of Exodus. I read more of Joshua and the Children . I sorted through books and decided which ones to sell. I stretched and did some reflexology to help my shoulder feel better. I did some housework. I helped to pack 335 Snack Pacs for kids who receive free and reduced lunch and are food insecure. ***Kim For Reflection Have you ever tried reflexology?

Progress: Day 69, March 9 Today I made progress in the following areas: Iced my shoulder and elbow and stretched. Worked in the book of Exodus in my Inspire Bible. Sorted through a bookshelf and decided to get rid of some more books. Read more of  Joshua and the Children. ***Kim For Reflection Exodus literally means a mass departure of people, especially immigrants. Have you or someone you know been part of an exodus?

Progress: Day 68, March 8 Today I worked on the kids' journals and read  Joshua and the Children.  Attended church. ***Kim For Reflection I did not do much today. It is kind of nice to have a lazy day. Do you ever take some time to rest and recharge?

Progress: Day 67, March 7 Today I *did my stretching *worked in the chapter of Exodus in my Inspire Bible *finished reading Joshua by Joseph F. Girzone ***Kim For Reflection I read Joshua for the first time in September 2009. I loved it so much, I requested more books in the series. My mother bought them for me that Christmas. Unfortunately, I did not read them. They have sat unread on my shelves for 10 years. However, I have decided to read them this year. Progress! Have you ever started a series of books and then never read them? I encourage you to begin!

Progress: Day 66, March 6 Today's progress:                              stretching                              read Joshua                              organized photos on computer                               finished the book of Revelation and also the New Testament today ***Kim For reflection Do you read God's Word regularly?

Progress: Day 65, March 5 Today I : stretched. read several chapters of Joshua . wrote in the kids' journals. priced books for garage sale. ***Kim For Reflection Have you been working on your goals for the year a little bit at a time? I am finding it easier and less  stressful to alternate the goals I work on from day to day. It gives me some variety so I don't get bored, and it means I make progress in all areas.  On the other hand, it could be argued that I should pick one goal, work exclusively on it, complete it, and then start on completing another goal. What is your preference?

Progress: Day 64, March 4 Today was a busy day with lots of appointments, etc. so just a little progress today. I read 4 chapters in Joshua by Joseph R. Girzone.  It is a parable about Jesus. I decided to get rid of 40 books that I am no longer interested in reading. I received an email from  M.C. Starbuck who is a book-loving minimalist who decided she needed to clear out some books. She reasoned she can read 40-50 books a year and was willing to let go of all but 250 books, with plans to read those 250 in 5 years. She actually had 4 categories to help her decide what books to keep: Definitely Keep, Not Right Now, Sentimental Value, and Decorative Books.  For me, Sentimental Value = Definitely Keep. I really don't have books that I want to display because they are decorative.  So I chose to use the Definitely Keep and Not Right Now categories. It really did not take long for me to weed out 40 Not Right Now books. It was quite liberating. I will have to c...

Progress: Day 63, March 3 My progress today: 1) I wrote in the kids' journals. 2) I read aloud, colored, meditated, and prayed while reading the first 12 chapters in the  book of Revelation in the Bible. 3) I finished reading Jesus, The Man Who Loved Women . I really enjoyed the book. ***Kim For Reflection: I usually read the Bible silently, but today I read aloud. I enjoyed it. Do you ever read the Bible aloud?

Progress: Day 62, March 2 Today's Progress: I iced my shoulder and then gently stretched it since I woke up in a lot of pain. Ugh! I finished reading A Wilder Rose and then left kind of a ranting review on Goodreads. Not a fan of the Laura Ingalls Wilder detractors. ***Kim For Reflection Are you more likely to post a review on something if you have had a negative experience or if you have had a positive experience?

Progress: Day 61, March 1 Today I made progress in these areas: 1) I did my stretching. 2) I read more of A Wilder Rose . 3) I prayed, read, colored, and meditated on Psalms 139-150. I finally completed that Psalms Bible reading plan challenge from Summer 2018! ***Kim For Reflection I wonder why I did not finish reading the book of Psalms in the summer 2018?  Maybe I got tired of being in Psalms.  One hundred-fifty Psalms is a lot. Maybe I got distracted by something else? Maybe we were on vacation?  Ah, yes!  We were traveling a lot in the summer and I did not bring my Bible and colored pencils and blender pens with me. And then school started back up for my kids, and I got into a new routine, and I guess finishing the challenge did not make the cut. I find I have seasons where I am in and out of my Bible. It probably should not be that way, but it is. I am glad I got back around to being in the Bible more consistently, and that I finally finished the ...