Minnesota Key-Chain

This key-chain is from my home state, Minnesota! I can't remember when or where specifically I got this key-chain, but I think it is a fun one! I love it because it highlights many different parts of the state. It has our state bird, the loon. It has our state flower, the lady slipper. It shows our state, the flag, and the date it was established.

Minnesota Key-chain

2013 Resolutions - one month later

It has been about one month since I made my resolutions/goals for the year. Below I will once again list my resolutions and where I am at with them.

• Read more (fiction and classics) - I read 4-6 books in January. I read mostly fiction and didn't get to the classic books that I want to read. But the main point is that I was always reading a book! So good to have some time to read again.
• Memorize Scripture - This goal, well, hasn't gone well.I had planned to start this one in February. I was going to memorize 1Corintians 13. One verse per day up to Valentine's Day. Well, it is the 6th day of February and I have yet to memorize any...
• Read my Bible and do a Bible study - I am back to reading my Bible a little bit more consistently. I am currently reading the ESV version and would like to finish it this year. I started it back in 2011 and my new goal is to finish this version this year!
• Pay off my college debt - Excited to finally be able to start paying down my loan!
• Complete MEPS - This is a year-long program, I am almost halfway through! And it is going well! Really enjoying it. (click the link for more info).
• Continue to be politically active -I think this one would be impossible for me to NOT do! I am currently writing my story of how I got started in politics! Look for it soon!
• Journal (prayer journal) - More consistent as of right now. About weekly. 
• Blog (weekly?) - Again, this one is for you to decide :) but I think it is going well right now.

One thing that I noticed about my resolutions this year is that I was really careful about what kind of resolutions that I made. Last year after making resolutions and not completing any, except graduating from college, I didn't want to make resolutions that I couldn't keep. I didn't want to set myself up for failure. Failure, or even just the feeling of it, is something I detest. I want to do my best and I want to complete my goals.

After realizing my real reasoning behind my goal setting, I think I had the wrong attitude about it. I believe it is okay to have big goals, its okay to strive for things bigger than we can imagine. We may not always achieve those goals, but we will never know until we try. And if we put our trust in God and let Him lead us along the way, we may be surprised at what we can accomplish. God may even have bigger plans for us than we have ever thought of.

What kind of goals did you set for this year? How are they going? Are you willing to let God use you and your goals?

Texas Vacation Key-Chains

Back in January, I said I was going to post pictures of my key-chain collection. But I have yet to be consistent in doing that. Last week, I took pictures of all the key-chains that I have and they are ready to be posted. 

The key-chains I am posting this week, are some that I recently got. They are from our family vacation back in November 2012. One of my favorite ways or times to get new key-chains are when we are on a trip. It is my special souvenir and a way to remember the fun times we had. It also helps me remember the places I have been!

The first key-chain I got on our Texas trip was from Padre Island. It is a National Seashore that goes about 30 miles. But there are no roads, so if you want to drive down the island, you have to drive on the beach. We drove for about 10 miles on the beach. It was quite the experience. There was a ton of debris that had washed up. While we were there, someone told us that that beach gets a lot of debris because a lot of different water currents wash up there. On the beach we saw all kinds of things: TVs, chairs, a boat, crates, ropes, bottles, lots of plastic, etc...

Padre Island (many turtles are born on the island) This key-chain also has a whistle on it!

 

On the next part of our vacation we went to the Alamo in San Antonio. The key-chain below is from the Alamo gift shop.

The Alamo

The last key-chain on here is also from San Antonio. I found it at a shop in the Mexican Market. I wanted to get a key-chain with the Texas saying on it!

"Don't mess with Texas!"