Hello, Friends!

Wasn’t 2017 a good year? Before we rush headlong into 2018, it’s good to reflect on God’s goodness, don’t you think? I could write this entire post about how thankful I am for my sweet husband, kind sons, precious daughters in law, and treasured granddaughters. But, that goes without saying, right? Trust me when I say they are all delightful. (And don’t want me to talk about them all over the internet.)

No one has a year without some problems and concerns, but I’m dwelling on the positive!

Drumroll……..

Reflections….What Worked for Me in 2017

1. Habit…..Using a Bullet Journal. Mine is nothing fancy, but I have loved keeping track of things in one place. I’ve made lots of lists and as I look back on them, it is almost like a journal, too. I’m definitely going to keep this up and start my 2018 combining the 10 areas from last year with the OOla 7 Keys Areas of Life.

2. Quotes…..I collect quotes and these are some of my favorites from this year. Sorry I forgot to source when I recorded some of them.

• “Time will still go by whether you take the leap or not.”
• “The words you speak become the house you live in.”
• “Faith is the fountain of youth.” Alissa Keeton
• “The most extraordinary thing in the world is an ordinary man and an ordinary woman and their ordinary children.” Chesterton
• “Tend your own knitting.” Kent Klier
• “Wash another person’s feet and you will understand why they walk the way they do.”
• “Viewing this meal as medicine, I shall enjoy it without greed or anger, not out of gluttony, nor out of pride, not to fatten myself, but only to nourish my body.” Dalai Lama

3. Do it Afraid…. I attended a Young Living Balance Conference in Chicago, all about yoga and essential oils all by myself. I’ve been so blessed to attend several Holy Yoga events alone and now I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my Holy Yoga friends. Once again at this multi day event, I was so happy to become acquainted with several other attendees. Shari from Minnesota and I frequently message one another on FB and are part of one another’s FB groups. SO FUN!!!!! The world is FULL of friends we haven’t met yet!

4. Out of My Comfort Zone….We have a little place in Florida that we are fortunate to visit several times a year. Building a community of friends there has been delightful. I’ve decided to 54321….GO on some ideas when they enter my head. One of those was to make a cold phone call to someone I’ve never met who I learned from a brochure I saw at the library, loved Young Living Essential Oils, too. I called Patricia, we met for coffee, hit if off from the beginning and now we are buds!

5. Big Project …… God’s timing is perfect, isn’t it? Debbie and I took training several years ago to implement a program in our community for the unemployed, underemployed or seekers-of-a-more-fulfilling life called Getting Ahead in a Just Getting By World. God kept putting the brakes on the idea every time we tried to implement it. This year we felt like we got the green light to proceed and we worked hard to bring it to fruition in our community. God brought just the right couple to be facilitators, Ryan and Kelsey, and we were so humbled to be able to work with them. We were able to visit a similar program in Evansville and were encouraged and aided greatly by the director of that program, Steve Ralph. The first cohort led by Ryan and Kelsey is in the books and we will see what happens next.

6. New Discovery….. Oh. my. goodness. I stumbled into the Enneagram this year. I mentioned it in a previous blog post, but the fun is continuing for me. I want to be a healthy 2, my enneagram number,  and I want to better understand the motivations of those closest to me. Learning about my foundational issues is making me more aware and helping me to give others and myself more grace. Light bulb moment: I don’t have to try to solve everyone’s problems and take care of everyone. Many people do not even want my help. What? If you aren’t a “2”, you may be snickering, but the struggle is real!

My intention is to abide in Christ and let him transform me into a healthy helper. My Favorite Things..October Edition

7. Biggest Surprise…… One of the very pleasant shockers of the year for me has been my growing love of Young Living Essential Oils. I love my little bottles of oily blessings. I’ve learned a ton about the body through my study of the oils, I’ve made a bunch of new friends, and my world has expanded. I’d love to share with you when you are ready to learn more about living above the wellness line!

8. Bible Studies….. I’ve been so blessed to participate in and lead some very good Bible studies. There is nothing I love much better than being with a group of women who love God’s word. The Good and Beautiful God study this fall ranks right up there as one of my all time favorites. It was so special to sit on Debbie’s patio this fall surrounded by the beauty of God’s creation, sharing our blessings and struggles and falling more in love with our Savior.  You should join us sometime! Snoozing and Jesus

9. Hard Thing…..Finishing Whole 30. My sugar dragon is still not dead, but I have maintained my war against adding artificial sweeteners, creamer in my coffee, and Diet Pepsi.

10. Favorites…..

• • TV show…… Crown
  • Fiction Book…. 9 Women, One Dress, Small Great Things
  • Nonfiction….. Ragamuffin Gospel
  • Fashion Help….Putting Me Together Challenge. We are getting ready to begin the Winter Challenge soon! Learn more about it HERE.
  • Blog post I want more people to read because I think the message is important that got lost in the shuffle…..High Vibe Living
  • Worship Song…..What a Beautiful Name It Is

11. Favorite Pet….. Since we lost our little Pearl, I haven’t let myself love a pet, but Daisy is changing that!

12. One Little Word….. Last year my one little word was GATHER. I have done a BUNCH of gathering in the past year. Lots of new information, new friends, new lessons, lots of company have come my way!  And even when the gathering involved some painful stretches, the outcomes were valuable. One Little Word That Will Teach Me..Gather

After quite a bit of pondering and soul searching, my One Little Word for 2018 is DREAM. “Dream” is a word that keeps popping up for me in the last few months. A couple of weeks ago, a friend asked some of us what a dream of ours would be if money were no object. My dreams were pretty small and mainly didn’t involve money. All that has me thinking that it is ok to have dreams, even at my age. So, I’ll see where my one little word takes me this year!

Well, friends, this is it for A Vintage Farmwife for 2017. Do you have a word for 2018? What things worked for you in 2017? Please share with us!

Praying your 2018 is full of God’s blessings and eyes to see them.