School got underway last week and I’ve upped the course anti this time around, going from two to three courses.  This semester I’m tackling Old Testament Pentateuch (first five books of the Bible aka the books of Moses), Spiritual Formation and Hebrew.  Yes, Hebrew.  More on that later.  This is year two for me leaving only two to go.  If time continues to move like this I’ll be one happy camper.  It seems to be fast enough to feel productive and slow enough to enjoy the journey.

This year I am trying out some new technology and gadgets to help make academic life easier.  First, up is the Apple iPod touch.  Last semester I thought it would be a good idea to record my lectures so I can listen to them later, checking for anything I may have missed.  The information and discussions in my classes are so rich that I found myself learning just as much from the sidebars as the main lectures.  So, after some research, I bought a mini microphone for my iPod Touch and started recording the lectures.  This was a genius move!  It would have been a super-genius move if I actually had time to listen to them all, but it did come in handy for those days I used the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art for work-outs (yes, the Rocky steps).  The playback was clear and I had the benefit of fast forward when needed.

Next, I’m using the Dragon Dictate 2.0 Mac, or Dragon Naturallyspeaking if you have a PC, software I bought last semester (or was it the beginning of the first school year?) to create typed notes.  I have to mention that I’ve had it for a minute because I have yet to put it to good use.  I know, I know.  So much technology, so little time.  Well, this semester I’m definitely changing that.  The plan is to listen to the recorded lectures and dictate the key points into a Word document.  This will make it easier when it comes time to study.  It will also help bring together all of those highlighted pages in my text/books.  With everything in one typed document, I should be better organized for tests.  That’s the prayer anyway.  I do know that the typed pages are way easier to read than my handwriting so, we’ll see how it goes.

Finally, I’m using my Kindle.  It was a birthday gift from mom over the summer and I really like the convenience of having so many books in one place (especially since I now know I have 1313 physical books…sheesh).  I can take it to class and read, or search, the Bible from it instead of carrying my physical Bible.  I can read the multiple titles I’m plugging through any where at any time.  The best part is I have the app on my phone, the iPod touch and my Mac at home, so I can synch all the devices and pick up where I left off on any of them.  To see if it would work for school I decided to buy the Kindle version for some of the required books I need for class and so far it seems to be working out.  The cool part about using the Kindle is being able to highlight, or make notes, as I read and then printing out the highlights and notes later.  It saves me the extra step, and time, of typing it up or using Dragon Dictate.  I don’t plan to use it for textbooks since I think that may require more highlighting than the other books.

That’s my beginning of the semester game plan.  I’ll check back mid-semester and let you know how well it works.  Do you have any strategies for staying organized in school?  Share them in the comments below.  I’d love to hear what other are doing to stay on task.

Well, not really a dress.  I'm trying out a new theme and need to get it set up properly.  If you see anything out of whack…that's why. 

Its day two of the Lent Season and this year I’ve decided to give up sweets and snacks, to fast and pray, and get my health and diet back on track.  To make this achievable, I’m going to take three approaches: making my own snacks and desserts, participating in the Daniel Fast and giving the Raw Foods Diet another shot.

Snack-tastic!

This is going to be tough because I love snacks.  Sweet snacks, savory snack, my snacks, your snack, his snacks, her snacks…I love snacks! And, that’s the problem.  They are my go to “food” which isn’t good for my waistline.  Overdoing it is bad, but the sugar and sodium is worse.  They are both usually high in the good tasting, red dye #40 laced treats.  Instead of denying myself a snack by going cold turkey, I’m going to make my own. 

Using healthy recipes, I’m planning to make snacking health-ful & tasty.  Not convinced?  Need some examples?  Ok, how about 94% fat free popcorn spiced up with herbs and seasoning, or sprinkled with a little cheese.  I especially like it with a little cayenne pepper on it.  And I mean a little.  If you use too much, you’ll be coughing your head off every time you pop some in your mouth.  You do not want that.

I’ve also been making dehydrated apple and banana slices that everyone in the house seems to like.  I can’t make them fast enough.  They’re perfect for travelling, that 3:00 munchie attack, snack when in my night class, and the really ripe fruit doesn’t go to waste.  That, my friend, is a win-win.

Daniel Fast

I’m also going to be apart of the Daniel Fast. This fast is based on Daniel 10:2, 3 in which Daniel fasted and prayed for 3 weeks eating only fruits, veggies.  It was during this time that he received a vision and the revelation that explained it. 

  ² At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. ³ I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over.

What better time than this to get clarity in a few areas of my world.  So, what can I eat?  As Monique put it, “you can’t eat anything that has a mother.”  Sounds fun right?  Yeah, well my mental and physical health says that it will be.   If you think about it, this is basically calling for a vegetarian diet for three weeks.  I have enough cookbooks and recipes on hand to keep this interesting.  I won’t be doing this alone, which is always good for staying on track, and I plan to get going tonight with Black Bean and Vegetable Enchiladas with Pumpkin Sauce.  Sounds so good, I can’t wait to taste it.

 Living Foods Diet

This is also referred to as the Raw Foods Diet.  You’ve heard me talk about this before when I took a raw foods class with Krista.  It’s not as gross as it sounds, and no you’re not eating raw meat (it’s not allowed on the fast anyway!).  You are actually eating fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds and sprout, but in their raw state.  That means no cooking and no temps higher than 118 degrees (getting mixed info on this one) when using the food dehydrator. 

I gave this a try last summer and lasted about 2 weeks.  I felt great and my skin glowed.  Then I got a nasty summer cold from all the running around and went back to my Standard American Diet (SAD).  At the time, I was trying to do it 100%, but this time I’m going to incorporate it into the meal rotation and work my way up. 

That’s it!  Sounds challenging, but I’m going to do my best to stay the course.  I’ll post some of the foods I’m making so you can give them a try as well.  Most importantly, I'm looking forward to clearing the mental clutter and getting back on a healthier path.

What sacrifice are you making this Lent Season?  Let me know in the comments below.

Can you believe it’s February already?  Me either.  January is definitely gone, but it left behind a ton of snow and ice for our enjoyment.  Oh well, that’s winter in the big city.

Having said that, I plan to make the most of this year.  It will be a year of firsts, but it will also be a year of follow through.  I have long been the queen of “I’ll do it later,” or “it’s almost done, I can take a short break and finish up later,” or  “<insert put-it-off excuse here>”.  You get the picture.  Well, no more! I have put off my desire to stop putting things off for the last time.  It’s time to move forward and finish what I started, start what’s been on the back burner and get everything else out of my way.

One thing I plan to do this year is to revisit my creative roots.  I miss creating for the joy of creating and I need that back in my life.  Pronto! That means finishing up all those UFOs (UnFinished Objects) sitting in my knitting basket.  Yeah, there are more in the basket than I care to count, but this year I will finish them!  And, I plan to finish that 7 year crochet blanket I’ve been working on! How’s that for follow though. Ok, technically, it’s now the eight year blanket, but I’m putting my foot down. This year, it will go from a UFO to a FO (finished object)!

I also plan to do something I’ve wanted to do for a few years now.  Become a tourist in my own city.  Sounds weird, but when was the last time you explored your city…through the eyes of a tourist? I haven’t since high school and plan to hop on a tour bus this year and take the scenic route.

Anther major project I’m excited to follow through with this year is the completion of my fiction novel.  I wrote it years ago, but have yet to sit down and really make it worth shopping to publishers.  It also needs to be reshaped since I am no longer that brazen college student I was when I first started on that writing journey.  This year, I plan to finish it and get it out of my hands and into the world (you can stop yelling at me now Monique!).

I’ll keep you posted on my accomplishments throughout the year.  Do you have anything you’ve been putting off and need that push to get it started or finished?  Consider this your BIG PUSH!  Tell me about it in the comments below.