Resolutions BEFORE the New Year

I have decided I want to accomplish some things before the beginning of the new year. Odd, I know, since many people put everything they want/need to do off until they can make them “New Year’s Resolutions.” Well, I have some time off from school while still working my lovely internship here at Abunga.com, and I want to get some stuff done. Here are my goals:

1. Finish The Shack by William Paul Young

2. Finish From Dust and Ashes by Tricia Goyer

3. Start a prayer journal- and commit to it.

The first two are mentioned in my previous blog. The reason that I want to start the prayer journal is because I feel like there are so many things I want to talk to God about, but I seem to lose track of them all. Sometimes I will write them down, but they are usually scattered in different places. And I also feel that if I log each into this journal that I’ll be more committed to praying about them and praying more. Here’s my plan for the journal. First, I have actually already got the notebook, with five subject dividers. I am going to divide the sections by the area in my life. For example, I was thinking of having sections for “Personal,” “Professional,” “Friends,” “Church,” and “Miscellaneous.”

I am going to enter my prayer requests as the arise and check off those that I feel have been “answered.” I know that sometimes He answers them, but I just don’t realize it! We have a prayer list in our church bulletin, so I plan on adding those, too. I also want to add prayers for people who ask me to pray for them, so let me know!

What do I hope to accomplish from this? I want to develop a closer, more meaningful relationship with the Lord. I feel that by having these documented entries and seeing God move through them will help me with my “commitment issues.” Of course, I know that all of this may not be attained by January 1, but I at least want to get it started!

Have any helpful tips for me? Let me know!

-Brittany

Books on My Desk: Strengths Finder 2.0

Last year for my birthday I received the book Strengths Finder 2.0 by Tom Rath from a friend. Leave it to me to crack it open only 9 months later. Despite my procrastination, I am thoroughly enjoying this read. Unlike many books I have read, Strengths Finder is very interactive, and you feel like you are participating in the content. You start by reading the introduction which gives you the history of the study of strengths in which Tom Rath has been involved. The major question that seems to have began this study is, “At work, I have the opportunity to do what I do best everyday.” After a survey that showed about 2/3 of over 10 million people worldwide either “strongly disagree” or “disagree” with this statement, the team of Gallup scientists decided that this needed to change.

Rath then prepares you for what you will do after you take an online assessment, which consists of over 150 questions. From 34 “Themes and Ideas for Actions,” you are assigned your top 5. Rath calls these “talents” not strengths, because he feels that you cultivate these talents into strengths. Here are my 5 top talents:

1. Empathy
2. Communication
3. Strategic
4. Woo
5. Futuristic

After receiving this feedback, you return to the book to read the descriptions of each theme. Rath even gives you suggestions on how to make this talent a strength. For example, here is one idea for action in Communication: “You will always to do well in roles that require you to capture people’s attention. Think about a career in teaching, sales, marketing, ministry, or the media. Your Communication talents are likely to flourish in those areas.” There are also suggestions on how to work with others who have the same talent(s).

I haven’t gotten through reading about all of my talents yet, but this book has already inspired me to concentrate more on my strengths than on my weaknesses. Hopefully, after completing the book and trying out some of the ideas for actions, I will have a new outlook on work, school, and home. I’ll let you know!

Have you taken the assessment? What were your top 5?

-Brittany

Help! My Blender is stuck on grind

When my husband and I married 18 months ago we were so excited to start our new life with our blended family. Webster lists multiple definitions for the word blend.  My favorite one in relation to my blended family is “to produce a harmonious effect.”  This is what I strive for on a regular basis.  What I achieve on the other hand is something not quite so tranquil.  Many days it feels like our “blender” is stuck on grind which means “to wear down, polish, or sharpen by friction.”

 

Friction sometimes rules the day. The good news is my husband and I never for one second thought this was going to be easy.  While we sometimes get stuck on grind for awhile we always eventually remember the word in the middle of that definition for grind: polish.  God is polishing each one of us to produce a harmonious effect. We handle the friction one spark at a time.

 

It is truly a blessing to be in a marriage where we are both committed to finding the right balance to make the blending of our family to produce a harmonious effect instead of a daily grind.

 

There are so many resources out there to help with blending families.  My husband and I have sought out several. I recently read an article called Enduring Disharmony by Ron L. Deal which I found to be useful.  I also recently came across the Blending a Family web site by Moe & Paige Becnel.   It had some good information.  Of course Abunga.com has many books on the subject of step-families as well.

 

I would love to hear about your experience and success stories on blending a family plus any resources you have found helpful. You can post your comments to the blog or send us an email at customerservice@abunga.com.

 

~Kerri

Encouragment Email

We recently received an email from a new customer of Abunga who wrote a very nice note about us in an email he sends out. I hope you find it as encouraging as we did.

Enjoy!

- Gavin

Meek versus Weak
For way too long I believed in the underlying misconception that meek was synonymous with weak, but as we all know – it really isn’t. Actually to be characterized as being meek is defined as one being humble, gentle, modest, compliant, and unassuming. Yet, nowhere have I found that it also means to be weak in any form, or fashion. I think too many people in the world gets the wrong impression that someone who is totally dependant upon God is also a person of great weakness. Rather, I like to think of it as just being really smart, don’t you?