Finishing Books...and other things

I am the queen of starting things and not finishing them, especially with books.  Ever since I can remember, I get about two-thirds of the way through a book, and then I stop reading it.  I have no idea why I do this, and it's not just with books.  I have multiple blogposts that get half-written and never posted, crafts that I start but give up on, organizing and cleaning projects that end up creating more of a mess than before, and so much more.  But I've decided that this summer will be the summer of finishing books and other things, and hopefully that habit can continue.  I started with finishing the Hunger Games trilogy.  I stopped reading the third book about halfway through. I blame this partly on the fact that the busy end of the semester prevented me from reading, partly on the fact the third book was not nearly as exciting as the first two, but mostly on the fact that I just don't finish books.  I went to my bedroom in my house that I hardly spend any time in anymore, and I looked at my bookshelf.  I grabbed seven or so books that I didn't finish back in high school, so I'm going to start with those and then move on to some others.  I'm excited for some good reading this summer!

So...one of the ways I'm going to stay accountable to finishing things this summer is by posting a list of just some of the things I want to finish.  And as I finish things, I'll post updates and pictures and my thoughts on the books I'm reading and whatever else.

1. Organize and deep clean my bedroom at home...I haven't lived in this room for more than a week in over two years, so it has become the room where I dump everything and where my family puts boxes of who knows what.  Coming home to this room is pretty stressful, so it is time to throw things away, give things to charity, and organize.  Since I'm not living at home during the week this summer, I'm going to have to be very diligent with the weekends I'm at home.  I have a history of being a pack rat for a couple years and then throwing masses away all at once.  I'm going to try to go slow and really decide what to keep and what not to.  It'll definitely annoy me that this is something that can't be done in one day.

2. Meet regularly with two of my best friends from home to do a Bible and book study...All three of us are in different worlds during the school year, one at a huge public university, one living at home, and then me living in the Christian bubble of Wheaton.  We've got different perspectives to contribute, and I truly think that God has knitted the three of together for some specific reasons.  We're planning to read Crazy Love  by Francis Chan.  I've read this before, but I know it will be so worth it to read again, especially while discussing with my friends.

3. Keep up with my 5K running plan...I don't run.  At the gym, I use the elliptical or the stepper machine or anything besides the treadmill.  I've always hated running and have so many terrible middle school gym class memories associated with running.  So this summer, I'm trying to condition my mind and body to like running.  I started a couch-to-5K running plan.  There was a handy app to buy where a voice tells me when to run and when to walk.  So far, the only thing I've enjoyed about my running time is that it is fun to see what people are doing outside.  Each time, I've seen the same man smoking marijuana...he waved at me though the last time.  At the end of the workout, I feel so accomplished, but during the running, I dread it.  Right now, my first goal is to finish the plan and be able to run a 5K.  But if along the way I could learn to enjoy running, I would not mind a bit.

4. Use Pinterest, don't just look at Pinterest...I've pinned and pinned things, but I have hardly done or used any of them.  I'd like to make some creative crafts and try out some fun new recipes this summer that I have pinned already.

5. RA Crafting and Planning...This fall I will begin the exciting journey of being an RA (resident assistant) in an underclassmen dorm on campus.  The summer is when I actually have some time to think clearly, and I know that I will regret it if I don't sit down and do some praying and planning for the year with various events and dates for things.  And of course, I have decorations to make.  I've bounced around a lot of floor theme ideas, but I finally settled on one.  To say it simply, my theme is the progression of the sun.  As you walk down the floor, the decorations will illustrate the rising to the setting of the sun.  My floor verse is Revelation 21:23, which says, "The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the lamb is its lamp."  I just love the idea of the glory of God being so bright and understanding what it means to root yourself in that glory in order to have abundant life.  I'm excited to make some really cool crafts that represent the sun's journey from the beginning to the end of the day.  If you have any crafty ideas, let me know; I'd appreciate the help!

6. Keep my plant alive...My grandma bought me this cute potted flower plant, and I've never kept a plant alive for more than a couple weeks. I'd like this one to stay alive! :)

7. Watch the Lord of the Rings movies and the Harry Potter movies...I've never seen any of these movies, and I'd just like to be able to understand the references to them that I hear all the time.  I feel very behind in the pop culture world...which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

8. Oboe Oboe Oboe...Consistently practicing over the summer is so difficult, but I've got a recital in November that I want to go well, so I'm going to need to keep my oboe skills up and growing.  It's so hard to sit in a practice room when there are more fun things to do outside, but I know the practice time will be worth it in the long run.

9. Write letters...My grandpa still lives in the non-computer using world.  He would love a letter from me.  I don't know how many times this year I wrote half a page of a letter but never finished it.  I'd love to become one of those people that sends nice little notes in the mail.  Who doesn't love getting mail?

10. Read, Take Pictures, Read More, Take More Pictures...I've already talked about my reading goals that I'd like to keep up with, but I'd also love to take advantage of my camera.  I have a DSLR that does not get used nearly as often as I'd like.  I want to learn this summer to focus more on the quality of the picture rather than the quantity of pictures.

...and finally...


Pursue God more and more and more...In each of the goals I have above, I want to get to know God more and understand a new and exciting aspect of his character.  This is his summer to do with me what he wants, and I want to bring glory to him however possible.  My problem with not finishing things often is seen in my faith too.  I start working on a discipline and don't keep up with it, or I have brief moments where I begin to grasp what it means to be rooted and God, but then I lose sight of that.  I'll never finish pursuing God, like I finish a book, but it is so exciting to know that there will always be more of God to pursue!