2010 Year in Review...

Because it seems like the perfect thing to do... I'm going to do a Year in Review.
Get some coffee and a cookie, settle in, enjoy listening to my ramble... if you make it to the end... reward your self with another cookie!

To get started, I found these questions at this link from a friend's facebook page.

Year End Review Questions:
1. What are the 2-3 themes that personally defined 2010 for me?
Themes- WOW!! This is good!
Theme 1: Love!!
How could it not be. I mean seriously I did get married to the love of my life this year. I have spent the whole year transitioning into being a fiance to being a wife (which is much more work than I thought it would be!)
Theme 2: Relationships!!
There have been many changes in my life this year, however the biggest one (including location) has been relationship changes. Most have been great changes. A few that changed are:
I am now a wife
I lost a best friend for reason's I am not aware of
I left my home and my relationship with those friends shifted
My relationship with my parents has changed... it is a good change! There is more respect, love and understanding all the way around.
My relationship with Cami (my dog and most precious baby girl) even changed... she is not my top priority any more... we have both had a hard time adjusting to that. (she also had a relationship change... she now has a brother... she is still NOT adjusting well to this)
I have also developed some new relationships with wonderful people here in Bartlesville!! They have been amazing. Everyone has opened their arms to me and just taken me in!
Theme 3: Change!!
This year has been all about change... and for those of you that know me, you know that change does not come easy to me. In fact I tend to fight it with everything in my body. I would rather be miserable where I am than change and be happy sometimes. However, the changes that have happened have been amazing. Such a great opportunity for me to really learn to put my trust in God as my ROCK! Now that it is over... (for a while I hope) I have loved every moment of this ever changing season!




2. What people, books, accomplishments, or special moments created highlights in 2010?
People: My family!!
Book: I read for the 5th time Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers and for the 5th time it changed my life
Accomplishments: Did I mention that I got married this year?
Special moments: Our wedding... this is just a "no duh" answer for everything big in this year




3. Give yourself a grade from 1-10 in the following areas of focus for 2010: vocationally, spiritually, family, relationally, emotionally, financially, physically, recreationally.


vocationally: Well let me tell you, this has totally rocked my world this year. As I made the transition from Midland to Bartlesville I looked for a teaching position. However, due to budget cuts and layoffs in Oklahoma education there were few opportunities. So we began praying that God would provide a job for me. No sooner than we started praying than we were lead to the doors of a non-profit Christian organization. I am an Admin Assistant in our Newsletter department. I have learned a whole new skill set. I love the opportunities it has provided me, however, at times it has been a hard transition from the classroom. God is using this job to shape me though. I have learned so much and I am so grateful for that. 
spiritually: Sometimes I think we are brought to places where we MUST grow spiritually. In the midst of all these transitions, God has been my rock, my strength, my encourager, and so much more. So spiritually I have grown... and hope and pray I am always stretched and pushed to grow more. 
family: My family changed in a MAJOR way! Not only did I get a husband, but I also got a son (Buster the boxer-with a tail), I got a sister-in-law, I got a mother and father -in-law, 2 new aunts & grandparents. We have all been changing and adapting to what each other's personalities are, how we handle different situations, our strengths & weaknesses. It really had been great. 
relationally: Someone was talking to Andrew and I and he described relationships. He said that a relationship is deeper than a friendship. A relationship should mirror your relationship with God. Someone you talk to DAILY, someone that you share all your emotions with, someone who knows everything about you. So I have added the relationship of my husband to my relationships, I am also trying to be more cautions with the way that I use the word RELATIONSHIP. 
emotionally: I am TOTALLY not an emotional person!! I am probably the most level headed, constant person I know... BAHAHAHAHAHAAHHHAHAHHA that was fun! For a moment I believed it. Then I got my feelings hurt. Emotionally this year has been NUTS. There was the whole falling in love, engagement & wedding. I could really stop there but just for giggles and grins lets add leaving home, changing jobs, new friends, new church and getting 2 new roommates. HOLY COW!! I kinda want to have a quick little mini-meltdown right here right now! Yes emotionally this year has been a roller coaster- nuff said. Lets move on! 
financially: 2 incomes is nice!! However; rent, bills, groceries, dogs & entertainment are expensive. We have come a long way. We have & still are making the transitions into a 2 income household. It is hard being on a budget. It is hard having someone else who has input on how you spend money. It is just HARD! (But always getting better!!)
physically: Good gravy!! No one warned me that I would gain weight when I got married. SERIOUSLY!! I married a personal trainer and so I guess I thought that I would just be in shape. NOT! I have tried working out a few times... it was fun, until I hurt the next day. Andrew even tried training me, then he decided he liked to eat dinner with out worrying about food poisoning. Now for Andrew's birthday, we have decided to run a half marathon in May. So ... ask me next year how I'm doing physically, I'll either be feeling great or be dead!
recreationally: Fun?? What is that?? There is NO fun in Marriage!! There is no fun in Oklahoma!! YEAH RIGHT!! We have fun all the time... except when we are not having fun. Anyways- I have learned to have fun doing little things like cooking dinner & watching a movie at home for date night. My next goal is to learn to have fun while cleaning the house and doing laundry. If I succeed I'll be the happiest dang woman ALIVE!! You won't be able to contain the excitement!!

4. What am i working on that is BIG for 2011 and beyond?
Wow- after the year that I have had BIG for 2011 is going to be quite small on most people's scales. But as a family our BIG project will be running our half marathon in May.
For myself it is going to be working on changing my attitude. If you haven't noticed... I can be QUITE the pessimist.
5. As I move into 2011, is a majority of my energy being spent on things that drain me or things that energize me?


OH wow! This one is hard, and I hate the answer I have for it.
I do believe that it is draining me and I hate that. I do believe that I am waisting WAY to much time on the negative things in life and not celebrating ALL the joy that I have to experience every day! I am way beyond blessed. God has been so good to me!!
6. How am I preparing for 10 years from now? 20 years from now?
I know you are going to laugh but...
for the next 10 and 20 years ...
I'm preparing to keep up with my children!! Physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually and educationally!! NO we are not expecting and do not want kids right away. However, someday... they will be here. And when they are I want to enjoy everything about them. I don't want to be so sleepy, overwhelmed or depressed that I can't love them fully.




7. What 2-3 things have I been putting off that I need to execute on before the end of the year?
YIKES... my dads gonna get me for this but... I think that I still have a handful of thank you notes from the wedding that need to be sent out... they are done... just not sent!! I know... total laziness. I here you loud and clear. I will do it!! OK!! I promise!! Before 2012 I will have them in the mail... ohhhhk dad... I will have them in the mail before you come see me January 7th!! I PROMISE!! I REALLY DO. (I'm sorry...)


New Years Resolutions- I usually don't do New Years Resolutions because honestly, I never follow through much past January 5th... if that far. However, this year I am setting some pretty serious goals. Here they are... feel free to hold me to them and ask me about them often!

• Run a half marathon- Why not? Everyone is doing it.
• Have more control over my eating habits- There really isn't an option in my house.
• Find time every day to appreciate something God has done in my life- SERIOUSLY... He is so good to me and I take it for granted all the time.
• Quit biting my nails! - yes I know this should have been my New Years Resolution when I was 7... but it never happened and I just wasn't ready. However, now I am no longer getting my nails "done" and I am making the choice to act like an adult and QUIT biting them. It is nasty!! It is GROSS!! EWWWWWW who does that... oh yeah KIDS... kids who don't know better. SO I will be quitting. You heard it here. If you see me biting them... SLAP ME! Tell me it is nasty. Tell me you can't be friends with nail bitters... tell me I stink. Just please don't tell me I'm not pretty... you don't even want to know the melt down that that will lead too...
• Learn my husband's love languages- and use them often! - I hate that I haven't really taken the time to do this. I "thought" I knew them... I was wrong. (Or I'm not doing them right!)
• Continue to build relationships no matter how scared I get about loosing someone - Weather it be from moving, death or changes in situations; I don't need to be scared to get close to someone. The friends that I have are what have made my life here in Bartlesville amazing!
• Hang out with friends at least once a week- My hubs and I were talking last night about the fact that we NEVER ever see our friends. We were wondering what ever happened to just stopping bye someones house. So ... ladies and gentle men- this is your warning. The Schumacher's might be stopping by at any moment. Don't freak out if your house a wreck, the kids are crying or dinner is on the table. We are just stopping by to say Hi and see your fabulous faces. After all... for now we are pretty mobile. It is fairly easy for us to run around. When we have the babies and yours are bigger... we will fully expect for you to just stop by our place unannounced. OH and here is the good news- if you are busy... "busy" or it is NOT a good time, don't answer the door. We won't lurk long. And if we see all the lights go out and blinds suddenly shut... we will eventually get the hint. Also, we don't want to intrude, so if we are staying WAY past an acceptable time, by all means- KICK US OUT!! We do not want to be "those people"!!

SO that is my year-in-review!
I hope you enjoyed it... It was good for me to think through.

Happy New Year!!

Quiet little prayers

I am blessed to work in a place where I am surrounded by fellow believers. Weekly we have a chapel meeting where we hear updates on what our organization is doing in other countries.
Today we hard about North and South Korea. Our speaker told us about the different ways that they are taught and basically brainwashed.
One thing that we always as them is HOW can we pray for YOU? This is how they responded:
We pray for you! Westerners are so full of money and things that they truly don't know how to worship. How true is that. We don't know anything about going with out.
This idea blows me away!! But, it is so true. Us "westerners" don't have a good grasp of what it is to be 'with out" anything. Everything we have ever needed or wanted is at our finger tips. However, in the Bible it says that TRUE believers will be persecuted against. So Koreans see this as a natural way of life. If they choose to follow Jesus, then they chose to do without. However, Americans have a comfortable relationship with Jesus. We will NOT do with out. Just look at our churches today... many of them have nice cushy seats, some serve coffee and some even serve donuts and other breakfast treats in the  mornings. The lights are turned down low during worship time so that we can "focus" or "not be noticed" as we worship. Everyone wears their "Sunday best" and often leaves church to go indulge in a meal that could normally feed 2 or 3 adults.
Shame on us for thinking that this is what we deserve. We do NOT deserve anything... Christ gave up His LIFE for us. We deserve nothing but death.

The second point that was made was the way we pray. Koreans are blown away that we pray so quietly. When they pray they SHOT to the Lord. They begin their prayers by throwing their arms up in the air and shouting "LORD! LORD! LORD!" then they speak their prayers out loud with out humiliation, with out being self conscious, with out shame. I pray all day long. They are simple and in my head; usually sounding like "Jesus give me patience" "Jesus help me understand!" "Jesus help me figure this out!!" And occasionally it may sound something like this "Thank you Jesus for ..." but honestly that is rarer than the cries for help!
I have no doubt that God hears these prayers. There have been often times I have been granted understanding, patience, and peace... but in my heart I wonder how much more peace I would feel should I shout my prayers and praises to the heavens.
In chapel this morning we did just that!! We started by SHOUTING "Yo Choy! Yo Choy! Yo Choy!" which is Korean for "Lord!" then we spoke our prayers out loud. I will admit I was afraid to do this. Even in the safety of our small chapel group, however I stood there surrounded by others who were worshiping and crying out their prayers to our Lord. It was amazing. The room was filled with the Holy Spirit!

I'm not saying silent prayers are not ok, I'm not saying every prayer needs to be shouted. I'm just saying that we Americans take for granted the freedoms we have.

Ok that is my rant and rave for now... Hopefully after Christmas I'll have happy wonderful things to report back on.

Merry Christmas to you all!!