Sabbath Goals & Regimen / Why taking Sabbath is Essential

I am so incredibly proud of myself & the hubbs for taking this journey to the Burgh for a 1 year Sabbatical.  We've chosen this for our futures to be more firmly grounded so that any next steps we are led to take can be stronger.  We also want to prioritize our personal health, well-being, & family life over the things we do for everyone else, so this year gives us a chance to figure all of that out.

For me, this year is about ordering my life & getting productive routines to accomplish what matters most to me.  As I do this, I've decided on some goals that I will share here.

The first list is for the next 6 months - As a result of my time attending an amazingly rejuvenating & live–giving 9 day Pastor's Sabbatical Retreat, I've come up with this list to work toward body goals that have been long neglected, living in the shadows of busyness, childbirth, & ministry:

My 6 month S.M.A.R.T PSR Goals

1.  Healthy shopping & balanced meal planning

2.  Jazzercise 5x per week

3.  Reading about my body type & the healthiest ways to nourish it

4.  Home cooking verses unhealthy convenience foods & eating out

5.  Figure out how to "body cleanse" & add the right vitamins to my daily diet

6.  Taking my body back from the extra weight of 3 pregnancies & a stressful season of full-time work & ministry

This next list is for the entire year in Pittsburgh on personal sabbatical from ministry / work:

My Year in Sabbath Goals:

1. Body – Lose 100lbs through intentional eating & consistent workouts.  All around increase in activity & metabolism.

2. Home – Become a strong, well–rounded “Homemaker”, an all around renaissance kind of gal ;-)  Start making money from home, establishing my “business” legally & gainfully saving / investing from it.  Specifically learn to sew, scrapbook, hang personal art, keep a thoroughly clean house, cook for each meal, feeding us regularly from home cooked meals, setting up home office, copy & fax station for business, money making & gp, and whatever else I find this entails.

3. God – Practice “The Contemplatives” in monk–like life practices, maturing in my walk with Christ and also maturing in the triangle of God–me–hubby.

4. Art – Reconnect to my outter Artist / Hipster. Photojournalistic photography (and quarterly newsletters), break free into spoken word, acoustic growth in guitar & vocals, record w/Ramon & our musical friends, having a tangible musical product in the end, firm up my “stylo” in dress & appearance – general beautyness ;-)

5. School –Continue pursuit of my PHD & work through the right timing for it.

6. Kids – Get em on the right track for school, learning, independence & “self–sufficiency”. Entails potty training & educational / social / etc. steps of achievement. 

7. Rest – Trips, Visits, & Getaway planning.  Way of life of FUN & REST established & lived out loud!

I'm blogging regularly & posting a laminated poster board in the bathroom next to the mirror for constant accountability to these goals, in particular the body goals will be blasted so I don't lose focus.  You heard it here, & I also plan to post a pic of my poster when it is complete. 

As for the why ~ I am doing this as a biblical spiritual discipline for health & focus.   My time in ministry has been long & tiring, & I want to be strong for the next season in whatever capacity I am called into.  So this is not a frivolous random impulsive decision, but one that requires much sacrifice & planning & will keep requiring dedication & focus to stay on point.  Already I've been itching to get back involved with both work & ministry.  There is time, and it will come.  But for now, I pause for rest.