spot check

According to the Free dictionary, a spot check is "an inspection or investigation that is carried out at random or limited to a few instances."

Its officially the second half of 2013. Seems unbelievable right? This year has flew by. More amazing, I've been pregnant since like last November. Am I the only person to whom this seems crazy? ;)) I should insert that I've got mad respect for womanhood now. This pregnancy thing is not for the weak or lame. I can't imagine being pregnant 50 years ago and having multiple pregnancies without pregnancy pillows, elevators, orthopedic shoes, back support thingies...you get the point.

Anyhoo, I digressed. This post literally began a week ago on the 1st/July as it dawned on me "wowsers, only another 6 months left of 2013". I couldn't help but think about what I had accomplished that was planned and even some other achievements that were unplanned. I also began to think about my goals for the next 6 months...in light of the lessons I've learned this year.

What have I achieved (major):

• successful dissertation proposal
• received clearance to begin collecting data (a secondary process AFTER successfully pitching the idea via a proposal meeting)
• moved into a new house
• maintained my sanity while juggling internship and a part-time job and life 
• remaining healthy throughout pregnancy
• launch the counselling and development ministry at my local church 
• applied for extension on study permit in Canada
• cleaned up the vision for Mercy House/Homes of Hope

What I did NOT do (that was planned):

• collect data for dissertation
• get Homes of Hope established as a legal organization

What I'm looking forward to in next 6 months:

• safe and uneventful labor and delivery
• adjustment to parenthood
• collect data for dissertation (November & December)
• secure an internship for January 2014
• maybe return to work? yea..the jury is still out on whether I will take the benefit of study leave from full time work and maternity leave from school and just enjoy my daughter for the full semester (August-December) or whether I'll return to the part time job about November. However, this will be the ONLY job I'll commit to during this time. No more two-job scenarios moving forward. It really is just too much...at least until I get dissertation fully in swing and that is progressing.

So while I conquered a lot in 6 months, there is still a lot to conquer.... point #2 on the goals for the next 6 months is definitely more than a 6 month goal. :) Although, I am looking forward to some big dreams as it relates to settling into a routine with a newborn. I'm scouring books and praying now...

So what are your goals/plans for the next 6 months? Are you continuing to work on those from earlier in the year? Are you starting over? Reassessing? Its never too late until you are dead. lets get planning...actually lets get working!!!!

Grace peace and love,
Gia

the flashlight

Last week, we had an interesting encounter with the flashlight. We were spending time with a family member and she had just recently gotten this flashlight. It was new and cool so hubby decided to test it out; this required putting the battery in and clicking the button on...simple enough right?

Right.

That process took literally upwards of 10 minutes. This is with multiple attempts by at least two people to get the cover screwed back on. At one point, as I sat fairly amused, yet semi bored, I suggested that they look closer at the battery to ensure that all extra coverings/parts were removed. I was immediately reassured that this was done and this was not the reason why the cover refused to snap back on. I shrugged and left it alone.

Finally, and maybe almost 15 minutes later, it was noticed  that there was a thin black covering on one of the battery prongs and this small, thin, and very insignificant protective piece literally impeded the flashlight from being put back together and being useful.

As I smugly smiled to myself (yes, I had a moment of gloating), I couldn't help but think how similar this is to life.

1. There were no instructions (for the flashlight or for life).

2. It seems that it can be done by intuition or common sense.

3. Very small things impede productivity (or successful living).

It also made me think of my role in the process. I was very hands off. I sat and watched. I wasn't invited to assist or give input and for that, my input was minimal (other than the one statement earlier in the process). However (ironically), the one piece of input I did offer was brushed off/ignored but happened to be the "key" to the problem; it seemed too simple to be the reason why the flashlight was not being put back together.

How often has the solution to the problem been a really really simple answer? Or how many times have we received the answer, but because it seemed too obvious, too small, too simple that we ignored it?

For those of us who are Christians, how often has the "still small voice" (Holy Spirit) given us a nudge, or a directive and we've ignored it (intentionally or not)? In the Bahamas, we refer to our intuition (which I'd like to think is the Holy Spirit) as "one mind". I can't tell you the amount of times I've said:

"one mind told me I should have checked the glove compartment." (fill in the details to make it relevant). He's there, waiting for us to ask for direction and/or clarification. The truth is that He won't push Himself on us, or in the situation even though He knows ALL. We've got to slow down, humble ourselves and actually ask. And then, once we ask- it behooves us that we should maybe take heed to the answer. ;)

I guess the lesson I walked away with, wasn't that I was a genius but it really made me think a couple times over the past couple days about how many times had I been stuck and the answer was staring me right in the face. Additionally, because hind sight is 100%, I look back and realize that there was an indication of this but due to whatever other circumstance I overlooked or ignored it.

Life may not come with explicit instructions and it may seem that we can conquer it with common sense but I've accepted and challenge you to consider using The Guide for the big and the small situations.

After all, what do you have to lose?

Grace peace and love,
Gia

life lessons

I'm a firm believer in walking away with something from every season. As I mentioned last week, it has been an interesting couple weeks. As I sat, congested and feeling empty to blog, I reflected on what I am learning...or have learned:

1. "Later" is a reasonable time expectation

I'm a now girl....With that said, a week is what I was hoping it took to get the house where I want it to be.  And in all honestly, I'm guessing that I *could* have moved and had the house set up perfectly in a week but there would have had to been a bit more conditions first ( not pregnant, not working 2 jobs, both hubby and I taking time off, etc etc). However, what I've come to accept is that I can't change those conditions, but I could change my expectations. This meant, recognizing and accepting that it may be the end of June before the house is where I want it to be...and probably mid-July before baby girl's room is where it *needs* to be for her arrival. Slow and steady...


2. No matter how well you multi-task, there is a limit and once you have arrived at the amount of things you are juggling, you. just. can't.

 ...You just can't do anymore. At least not do all and be effective. With that said, I had high hopes for data collection during these summer months BEFORE baby arrives. But with the internship, the part time job, the move, the pregnancy...and just life. Something had to give. I've been able to make feeble contact attempts but the key word is feeble. I've given up on chastising myself about it. It is what it is. It will get done. Maybe just not before baby comes...

3. Life doesn't ever stop for me (or you).

....I must factor in stop points. Points of rest. Breaks. These should be done regularly. It should also be more than just sleeping at night because truly, for the true multi-taskers, overworker, crazed personality...sleep isn't always resting. This past week, I have found myself sitting on a chair and just staring into space. One part of me is going over the list of things left to do but physically and emotionally, the bigger part of me knows it wil be okay. And so I am slowly learning to actually sit and do nothing (fascinating concept indeed).

4. Being pregnant, I can't move as fast as I think I should.

....this must be a "duh" for most but its a lesson that I am fighting to get. Yes my belly is growing but it doesn't stop my legs, hands and brain...right? partially. I keep comparing myself to every other pregnant person out there, thinking...I can do this. The trick is: yes I can...but it all boils down to #1...I can do it "later" or in smaller increments. le sigh

5. Say "no"!!!!

...this final one is most interesting. A couple years ago, I began the journey toward saying no to others in an effort to protect myself. Healthy boundaries and the like. What I am learning is that I now have to say "no" to myself. I must learn to choose what is more important, more beneficial, more ________ and go with that.

Perfect example was my plan for today: wake up, do some laundry, blog, go to doctor, go to work (put in 4 hours), go to lamaze class (leave early) to make it to church's anniversary service for 8pm.  After a closer reflection of the insanity of this, primarily because I'm still kinda tired and congested, I decided that: laundry could wait (to be done by hubby) but I could possibly still blog, definitely go to doctor, and then stop in to work to collect something I could do from home (IF I felt good enough). And that is what happened with the addition of the fulfillment of the antibiotic prescription. I then came home and ate, took antibiotics and then napped. This also meant me making a very difficult decision: either lamaze class or church or neither. But not both. Thus far, I've ditched lamaze class in hopes of making the once per year special service but we'll see if I even make that. I should note, that I haven't looked at work brought home (and making myself be okay with this) and am now just finishing blogging since I began at about 9 am. ;)

Did I mention that saying no to myself hurts even more than learning to say no to others. sucks actually.

Grace peace and love,
Gia