Saturday, December 31, 2011

Taking Stock of 2011

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Photo information:  Photo from internet. Not sure the name of the photographer.

At the close of the year,  many of us look back and review how the year went.  Some of us,  make resolutions.  Others of us, set goals.  I've never been one to make resolutions but I usually do set some broad goals for myself.  Mostly these have been unwritten goals in 2-3 key areas.  For the first time last year,  I sat down and wrote out my goals in several major areas of my life.  Last year was also the first time I posted my goals on my blog.  Within each broad goal I identified, there are a number of smaller ones.  I didn't write these down, but kept them in mind as I moved through the year.

I wanted to see if writing and posting my goals would help keep me achieve some things that I "always want to do" but which just never seem to get done due to lack of time.  Does that sound familiar to you?  I've heard it said that if you want to make sure you do something, you need to make an appointment to do it.  Setting broad goals can help in setting those important appointments with yourself throughout the year, and keep you focused on what is important.  It can even help you decide where you will spend your money in a given year and help you be realistic about what you can and cannot achieve. 

Some of my regular readers know that I had major mobility issues this past year.  The lack of mobility and the constant pain impacted negatively on my ability to achieve a number of health goals, despite my best efforts. Nonetheless, I kept trying and I'm still trying.  Eventually I'll get there.  Having a very sick parent that was in and out of hospital and needed to move, also took up a lot of energy and resources.

While I did think about different ways to undertake some minor renovations in the kitchen, in the end I didn't make much progress on my "Home" goals.  I decided not spend anything in this area and I won't spend anything in this area unless I have saved it first.  Debt repayment and living within my means, or living under my means, is one of my key goals for the foreseeable future.  I've been making steady progress in this area over the past several years.  I've managed to make progress by organizing my finances to make things flow better (cutting interest rates and number of bills paid), implementing a lot of cost saving measures in running the household (food, electricity, buying medical prescriptions 3 months at a time instead of monthly, only shopping the sales flyers),  cutting costs on hobbies (buying books and yarn at thrift stores, buying exercise equipment rather than spending on gym members, buying used rather than second hand where cost effective, shopping the sales when buying new) and cutting out expenses that were no longer necessary or changing services to get better value for money (cable television, mobile internet, cell phone, pharmacist).

My debts do not prevent me from giving to charitable causes, like the Missions of Hope , my sponsored children or a variety of other needs.  I am a tither so giving ten percent or more of gross income is something that I do despite my other financial obligations.  Having said that, giving would be easier when debts are cleared.  No more debt would also give me more freedom to do what I'd like as well as prepare me better for whatever comes.

Of course, debt management is only one part of financial planning. One must also think about savings/investments for retirement, insurance needs, and paying off the mortgage while you still have the finances to do it.  If you are still working on all these steps don't forget to have a lawyer make up your Last Will & Testament.  Give some thought to your beneficiaries as well as your last wishes concerning "going home" arrangements.  It really isn't that expensive to have a lawyer draft your will so don't try to cut corners by going to a notary public.  It is better to see a lawyer who specializes in Wills & Estates matters.  So many people don't like to talk about these things but it is all a part of the life cycle and we must be grown up and practical about such things.  Otherwise you make it harder for those left behind to cope when they are grieving and having to sort through your personal and financial business.

While you're at it, you might also give some thought to having a lawyer draft up a legal document as to what you would like to have happen if you find yourself requiring life support.  Hospitals need to know whether their patients want to be resuscitated.  They get these wishes from the patient.  However, if the patient is too sick and weak to properly represent himself/herself, it really isn't a good idea to leave this decision until a critical time. It is important to know ahead of time and to give your loved ones your wishes in a legal document so that they can advocate for your wishes at the hospital.  More and more hospitals simply want to "pull the plug" before the family is fully ready. Don't be caught unaware on this one.  In Canada, this kind of legal agreement costs about twice as much (about $550.00) as I paid for my will (about $275.00) though the price may have gone up since I hired a lawyer.

Writing my goals down really helped to keep me on track and start doing the things I've been wanting to do,  like reading more and getting on with my swimming lessons.  While the achievement of my goals has been mixed, I am still happy with what I was able to achieve given my limitations and the always unexpected things that "pop up" to distract you.


I put a little mark beside those goals I was able to achieve, and an X beside those that I did not meet. If I was not able to action any goal, consistently throughout the year, I put an X beside it.

In 2012, I will undertake the same process of setting my goals in writing and posting them since I found it to be a helpful process.

SPIRITUAL
* Make more time for prayer and study
* Research and obtain some good study materials
* Support one person in reaching their dreams/goals
* Make one loan to a female entrepreneur in a Kenyan village
* Cultivate and nurture my Christian friendships and broaden my base of friendships
* Write to my new sponsored children in Kenya, send them photos and family/birthday gifts

HEALTH & LIFESTYLE
* Learn more about healthy diet for diabetics and incorporate pulses, grains, dark green veggies into cooking.
* Be more active & do more stretching X
* Ride my stationary bike for 30 minutes 3x per week, increasing to every day X
* Resume weight training X
* Continue with my swimming lessons
* Take a water aerobics class X
* Eat more vegan or vegetarian dishes. Limit protein eaten at any one meal. X
* Learn how to make make bar soap X
* Get more Omega 3 EFA, vitamins & fibre
* Daydream more X
* Laugh more X
* Watch more videos and invite friends for movie and popcorn X
* Use computer time more efficiently

FAMILY
* Continue to visit mom
* Learn about mom's special clothes needs
* Find new home for niece/mom

FINANCIAL
* Pay down debt X
* Learn tools to pay debt
* Live below income
* Save more X
* Continue saving in the snowflake jar fund for miscellaneous projects
* Think two or three times before impulse spending
* Implement strategic charitable giving (where my dollars will have the most impact to address grassroots needs) √

HOBBIES
* Read at least two books per month
* Learn more about creating an edible garden X
* Embroider 1 medium-large piece X
* Crochet several doilies
* Knit slippers, learn to knit sweaters X
*Take a quilting course X

HOME
* Redecorate master bathroom X
* Continue major decluttering project and give to the goodwill
* Consider and save for minor kitchen upgrades X




How about you dear reader? 

Did you set goals last year and did you reach them?



Friday, December 30, 2011

Do You Use Wikipedia?

Dear friends,

Do you use Wikipedia?  I know I use it a lot and find it very helpful for the most part.  If you use it too, please consider making a small donation to keep it going. I made my small donation of $5. last year and again this year. If we all do our part, we can continue to have this service benefit us when we need it.

Here is an excerpt from the personal appeal from the founder of Wikipedia.
With just a few days to go in our 2011 fundraiser, we're so close to reaching our annual budget. Then we’ll have everything we need to keep Wikipedia going in 2012.
Only about 1 of 500 Wikipedia users donates each year. But that’s enough to keep us free for the whole world to use, without ads, and without restriction.
When we raise our budget, we stop fundraising. Please help us end this year’s fundraiser today with a donation of $5, $20, $50 or whatever you can.
Thanks and Happy New Year,
Jimmy Wales

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

An Update on Mama Linet

My friend visited Mama Linet on December 12, 2011 to take her some support I sent to try and help her get on her feet.  Some of you remember me writing about Mama Linet before. She is the young mother with the little girl named Linet who has a cleft palate.

I came to know of Mama Linet through my friend Jonah.  He found this little family while on a medical mission.  On that mission he learned about the little girl Linet who was rapidly losing weight and could not eat.  He felt led to help her get some medical attention and the right food to help her get stronger.  He was so gratified and excited when the little girl stopped losing weight and started to get healthier. Now the little girl is thriving, running around, playing and drawing.  She still needs cleft palate surgery and hopefully she will be able to get it some day.

In the meantime, we also wanted to help this mother try to provide for her family since times are very hard in Kenya with runaway inflation and poor maize prices.  Initially, the young mom thought she would like to try and start a beauty salon.  After she thought about it some more, she decided to start a  charcoal business instead.  I do hope and pray that she will make a success of it for the future of herself and her children.

(Click photos to enlarge)

Here is Mama Linet with her children and the charcoal she is now selling.

My friend also visited some Internally Displaced People (IDP) in early December.  He returned to see them on December 24, 2011, to take food.  I wrote about this in my last two posts in case you are interested in reading more about this. It will bless you so much to see that someone's Christmas was brightened.

Jonah has visited the IDP Camp whenever he can to try to encourage the people and bring them hope. He tries to take blankets and mosquito nets whenever he can purchase them.  These IDPs are Kenyans and they were displaced about 4 years ago from their homes.  They lost everything and escaped with their lives after the ugly violence that erupted soon after the last national election in Kenya.

Here is Jonah distributing candy and medicine to the children as well as mosquito nets to some of the elderly.

These are the living conditions at the IDP camp.

We know that most people will never get a chance to go and visit these places.
We want to show you the conditions the people live in so you can determine whether you can share whatever you have to help these people.

Even a little goes a long way but we don't want anyone to give what they cannot afford. We only want you to give if you have enough food and if you are thankful for what you have.
We want you to give if you feel blessed enough to help someone else and have faith that your future needs will be met.

If you can help, you can do so here.

God bless.

Photo credits:  Jonah, Missions of Hope

Sunday, December 25, 2011

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, 
The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 
~ Isaiah 9:6



God is love. ~ 1 John 4:8

 


Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself ~ Matthew 19:19


Saturday, December 24, 2011

Christmas for the IDPs

On Christmas Eve day,  my Kenyan friend Jonah went shopping for food at the local Gilani's Supermarket in Nakuru town. He hired a truck and got together some volunteers. (Click all collages for a large view).


Their mission was to visit and encourage some people living in a camp for Internally Displaced Persons outside of Nakuru.  These people live in deep poverty.  That means they do  not have proper housing, jobs or food or clothes.  They live in ragged tents and ramshackle buildings constructed with scraps they have been able to find. They live without water, electricity or basic toilets. It is a miserable and hard life.

Now and then if they are lucky they might get a glimmer of hope through the gifts of strangers like Jonah and those that help him in the missions.

Here are a few photos of the children and the people of the camp.

Children love to be remembered. These small gifts of snacks made them happy at this time of year.



The grownups also love to be encouraged and remembered.  Many of the people in IDP camps once had land, homes, jobs. Now they live like beggars not knowing what will happen to them tomorrow. They are trying very hard to get some kind of compensation and a new start from the governing powers.


They were very happy to receive the gifts.
This is what the spirit of the Christmas season is about.
Bringing joy to others.

Blessings of the season to you.


A Few Days in March ~ Skywatch Friday

Hello friends and fellow bloggers. I hope Spring is treating you well so far. It's been roller coaster weather where I live with mostly ...