Time Analysis

As anyone who reads this blog already knows (all six of you), Sarah has jumped from the Blogger ship to start a Wordpress blog. Honestly...I blame Chelsea and her awesome blog for driving her away! With that said, Life on Dayton has been turned over to me. At some point in the near future, it will probably undergo a facelift so that it's really macho! (Rigggggghhhhhhttttt.....if by macho you mean lots of plants and/or fleece. What can I say? I am who I am)

Actually, it will become my gardening journal/blog and I promise myself and you that it will be updated every Monday and Friday at least. I know that the most important thing about having a blog is regularly posting so, that's my promise. I also may ask for input over the next few weeks as I try some different layouts/blog design choices so bear with me. Now, on to the important things...

The theme of this week for our family is time analysis (see also incredibly creative subject line). Sarah and I have both been convicted about where our time "goes" and how (un)productive we are with it. I have also enjoyed the added conviction that my life has become very worldly and I have lost an eternal focus. So, as part of some other things which God is doing in me, I am keeping track of how I spend non-work/non-sleep time this week. It will be instructive and, hopefully, life-changing (CHANGE being the key word there). So, check back here next Monday for a full report.

In the meantime, let me point you to tonight's dinner. Easy, quick, filling, and very good! See you Friday (if not before!)

Fried Rice With Egg

This recipe is a Johnson favorite go-to meal whenever there isn't time to fix a large one because it takes less than 20 minutes.

Leftover rice is ideal but not necessary- it will just be bit more mushy if you haven't refrigerated it.

3 tbsp. oil

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. ginger

3-4 cups cooked rice

3 eggs lightly beaten

Soy Sauce to taste (I like lots!)

Salt and Pepper

Cook the rice according to package directions.

Place the oil in a large wok or skillet and turn the heat to high. A minute later, add the garlic and ginger, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Turn the heat down a little bit, and add the rice, a little bit at a time, crumbling it with your fingers to eliminate lumps if necessary. Stir frequently for 3 minutes. Make a little whole in the center of the rice and pour in the eggs. Scramble, incorporating them gradually with the rice as you bring bits of the rice back to the center. Add the soy sauce and stir. Add salt and pepper if necessary and serve!

Update on 101 in 1001

Here's an update on what's been going on with my 101 in 1001 list: I have 923 days left...

I've completed 7 items!

#1- We paid off Corolla (in a round about way)

#39- I read the first Harry Potter book

#74- I visited IKEA

#75- I regrouted my shower

#76- I reorganized my bathroom

#94- I completed dressing appropriately for work (and still do)

#97- I got a new pair of glasses thanks to my Mom (they were a birthday present)

I've FAILED at 1 item:

#50- I didn't do a "Wayback Wednesday Post" each Wednesday

I'm currently working on items:

#2- So far, I've saved $70 because of completed items!

#3- So far, I've put back $10 to donate to charity because of my FAIL

#13- I'm working on Week 2 of 24 of walking my dogs twice a week

#19- So far, each dog has gotten their frontline and interceptor each month since July

#42- I got the newest photoshop on my computer at work so I'm learning quickly!

#45- so far I've made A's on my first two tests of the semester

#46- Hopefully, this puts me on track to get A's in half my classes

#48- I'm collecting the photographs of my 7 completed items

#49- This is my October update!

#51- I sent 2 letters this month- only 3 more to go before having 1 out of 6 months completed

#54- We have visited grandparents at least 1x a month since July!

#70- I completed September birthday's which makes 1 out of 10 times

#71- I babysat for my Mom once on August 1st (1 out of 10)

#81- With the calendar I bought from Office Depot, I've made this a habit!

So, that's where I'm at!

Community

At my church, I am currently going through a study called “Redeeming Recovery Step Study.” It is the traditional 12-step program broken down, sifted in with Scripture and put back together. But it isn’t just for people with outwardly addictive behaviors- it’s for anyone that has sin in their life and doesn’t know how to deal with it. The sin, no matter how big or small, how out in the open or how hidden it is, affects everyone and needs to be dealt with in order to achieve that life that God purposed us to live.

Community is something that I personally feel is an important aspect of the body of believers that we, in the present age, neglect. Why do I think this? Humans were created to be in community with each other and with God. You can look at Genesis 2 and see this. God made Adam a helper, Eve, because God saw that it wasn’t good that he was alone. Even though Adam lived in perfect harmony with God in Eden, it still wasn’t good, as everything else had been thus far that God had created. Throughout the New Testament, we are constantly commanded to love others, honor others, serve others, and put others above ourselves. The community I believe we are called to live in should be described as real and authentic, and a place where truth can be spoken in love. When this is the case in the body of believers, we don’t have to feel like we have to put on the “every thing’s fine” face every time we go to church- instead, we can admit that we aren’t okay and it’s okay because it is a safe place. We can quit acting like everything in our life is perfect and be encouraged, rebuked, and helped in this community.

Satan tries to keep us from living in this kind of community. He wants to make us believe that we have to keep all of our junk to ourselves. He wants us to believe that no one cares or wants to deal with our junk. He wants us to keep everything in the dark; but God calls us to live in the light, to confess those things so that they can be forgiven. Not confessing them to others keeps us focused on ourselves and not on God, in an endless loop of self condemnation, and undealt with and this is not how we are called, as Christians to live.

7 Quick Takes (Vol. 3)

Here they are: 7 things you may or may not want to read about on this beautiful Friday afternoon.

1. Apparently, there is something in the water down in the Student Ministry Offices at First Baptist Church (where I work and go to church). Our new Student Minister, Zack, and his wife Autumn are about 3 months pregnant, our Junior High Minister, (also my cousin) Justin, and his wife Amber are almost 5 months pregnant, and the College Ministery, Brady, and his wife Melissa, are just over 1 month pregnant. And NO, I am not pregnant.

2. This has felt like the longest week ever. After getting back late Sunday after an amazing weekend in Galveston, and staying up till 1 am Tuesday working on our budget for Financial Peace University, having the usual Wednesday (which is long because of working and Bible Studies), and being so far behind on homework and trying to catch up that I am so glad that it is Friday today! Sleeeeeeeep!

3. Jim and I continue to love our Nissan Cube! It got us some great gas mileage while driving to Austin/Galveston, made it easy for everyone to find the house we were staying in, and still has that new car smell! We officially have tags for it now, so there is NO turning back!

4. Hopefully, this weekend, sometime, I can type up my September update on 101 in 1001. I've completed about 6 items, so I'm on track, I guess (it's still long way out so hard to tell) with 925 days remaining!

5. This year at the Great State Fair of Texas, they are serving Fried Butter- wow- that's all I have to say about that.

6. Fall is here in North Texas! As are Pumpkin Spice Latte's! This is by far my favorite time of year! I love the colors, the temperature, and getting to where fleece's!

7. I'm apologize that this blog isn't updated more often! I've had to do some prioritizing, and between school, work, and other "adult" stuff, this just gets pushed down the list! After I graduate (MAY 2010) I hope to devote more time to it!