Done with my tech writing class!

I finished the work for my tech writing class tonight! I just need to print out the final assignments to turn in and then take them to class on Tuesday and I will be finished! I'm in disbelief right now but I'm also relieved. Now I can go back to a somewhat normal schedule again. I can catch up on all the things I let go while taking this class. I'm glad I made it through since I wasn't sure if I could do it. Partway through my class my hours went back to being full-time and it was challenging to find time to do the work. I had to make a radical adjustment the last month or so to cut out some activities I normally do but it paid off. Thank God I made it through!

I am a Winner!

Today I got to listen to a talk on YouTube by Zig Ziglar. One of the things he talks about is how important it is to think of yourself as a winner. I tend to criticize myself, but I think that Zig has a point. I need to train myself to see myself as a winner, even though there isn't necessarily evidence of that at the moment. Coming from a loving position toward myself is the right way to treat myself and it will help me make decisions that will tend to make me a winner anyway, so it ends up being a self-fulfilling prophecy. So, I am a winner!

The Tenth Commandment as an Antidote to Envy

For some reason I have a tendency to compare myself with others and to covet things that others have. This is the opposite of the last of the Ten Commandments, which says not to covet various people and things. I am realizing that I am not following this commandment and it's hurting me. God gave us His commandments not to restrict us but to give us life. He is a good Heavenly Father to His children and as such He wants us to be happy and mature. I have made it a habit to indulge in envy and covetousness. I really need to fight this.

He says somewhere else (I think in Psalms but I can't remember where) that "no good thing will he withhold from that that walk uprightly" (in the King James Version). I don't think I live up to the walking uprightly part all the time, but in general, that sums up His approach as Provider to His people. He is able to and does provide good things. If there is a lack in my life, then He wants me to learn something through it or ask Him for the thing I need to remind me that I am dependent upon Him.

Also, I think that I tend to forget the good things He does give me. I think this comes from my fallen nature as well as from the world system under the control of the devil. I can help my heart be content by counting my blessings and remembering them.

Here are some of my blessings:

• Health
• A relationship with God
• Forgiveness of sins
• Heaven to come after I die
• A place to live (especially one that's inexpensive)
• A full-time job
• People who care about me (family and friends from church and my singles' group)
• A car
• A laptop
• The ability to think, write, walk, and sing, and other abilities
• My flowers at my house and my apple tree

This is a start. I am sure this list could grow.

So, I want to not give in to discontentment but learn to be content and obey the Tenth Commandment and experience the life that God intends for me by doing so.

Inspired to Find and Make Opportunities to Write

Today I went to my tech writing class that I've been taking at De Anza College. It's the second-to-the-last class. We turned in our portfolio today of our writing that we've done. I'm inspired to continue to build my portfolio over time. It's very empowering! Writing is something that has no economic barriers (other than the writing instruments themselves) and so it's something I can do and practice and get better at over time. I had asked my professor about ideas for finding ways to build my portfolio after the class is over and she said not to wait for requestors (as she put it) but to just look at my portfolio for skills that I haven't demonstrated (e.g., doing creative writing or writing a white paper) and just think of something to write about and just do it! I'm inspired! I want to keep up this habit and I'm inspired because I can do it.

I think one area I would like to explore is poetry or some creative writing. Sometimes I ponder deep subjects and prose just doesn't do those subjects justice. I need to get better at poetic and creative writing.


She also recommended asking friends for projects that they need help with that requires writing, such as writing a business plan. I want to start broadcasting to friends that I'm available to write things for them and just start doing it.

Rebooting My Blog Again

This is an entry just to reboot my blog again. I haven't written an entry in awhile so I wanted to put something here. I'm getting inspired to keep up the writing habit since I'm working on a portfolio for a tech writing class I'm taking. So, this is short but it's an entry.

How I See God Affects Everything Else in My Life

Lately, I've been reading again The Knowledge of the Holy by A. W. Tozer. It's a book that attempts to describe several of God's attributes such as His eternity, His transcendence, His holiness, and His love. Although I've read it a few times, I like to reread it to help remind myself of God's attributes. It's amazing how my attitude toward life changes as I take time to think about what God is like.

This time through so far I've been struck by by God's wisdom and His power. I sometimes doubt in my heart whether God is truly in control of the world and if He is intelligent enough to handle all of the problems that occur. I am more convinced now that God is infinitely wise and powerful even over seemingly uncontrollable situations (to me, anyway). This gives me comfort and it helps me be more believing in prayer. It means a lot to me to understand that how I view God affects my whole outlook on my life. It also helps me feel safer knowing that God is powerful even over things like suffering and over so-called chance and powerful beings like Satan. God is truly worthy of worship and service! There is no one like Him!

Making Goals (aka Resolutions) for the New Year

I have a few days off from work this week partly because of the New Year's holiday and partly because the economy is slow, so I'm setting some goals for 2009. I'm not very good at setting goals and I have to admit that it's very daunting. There's a voice in my head that keeps saying, "Why set goals? You know you probably won't meet them anyway, so why are you bothering to do it?" And that voice also says, "You're not like other people who are good at accomplishing what they set out to do." I don't think that voice is accurate, but it's what I hear in my head a lot. So, it's hard to sit down and do it. Plus, I haven't made it a habit of setting goals in my life. Now I really regret that, but I can't look back and wallow in regret! I must move forward! I know that setting goals is a profitable exercise and it seems like a wise thing to do, even if I don't achieve exactly every goal. I would probably be better for having set goals than if I had not planned to do accomplish anything.

I find it comforting to realize that no matter how old I am (I'm turning 40 in a few days) that God can take what I offer Him and do some amazing things with it even though I don't deserve it. There are examples of people who have made some significant accomplishments even though they were older. I do see the advantage of starting off well during one's youth, but that's not my situation right now. I will learn to be wise with what I have now and offer it to God and ask for His blessing on it and grace. He still lets me live for a reason and I think His reason for doing so will be seen in time as I offer Him my life and serve Him.

Tonight I updated a sheet that I use to give my age at different stages in increments of 1, 2, and then multiples of 5 years. I do this for my parents and siblings, too. It really shocks me in a good way! It helps me to realize how precious time is and how little of it I really have to work with (and actually I don't know if I will be alive tomorrow). So, I'm glad I do it. It seems like a tedious exercise, but I know it will prove useful. It's kind of like how I feel bad after exercising sometimes but then later I feel better than I did before I exercised. So, that's my hope. :)