2018 Goals: Time to FOFI
2018 is here! Are you still on track for your New Year's goals? Here’s what I am trying out this year. My 2018 theme for my goals is to Focus On Few, Immerse (FOFI)
1) Eliminate One Task Before Starting a New Task
I will eliminate things to do, before adding on new things. Elimination could mean finishing an urgent task or dropping a task altogether. One example of this would be on website software. I’ve tried all kinds of apps with bells and whistles. Some of them works well, others are not needed. My goal is to do a few things well.
2) Go Inch Wide and Mile Deep on Books
I read / listen to Christian books and other books. In terms of Christian books, my goal is to finish these and have my own notes for them. I feel like these are so rich on content that I need to create my own book report to hold on to some ideas:
2.1)
Making Sense of God: An Invitation to the Skeptical by Timothy Keller
I started reading this last year but put it down because things got busy, and it’s not an easy read. I plan to pick it up again. Making Sense of God is a Christian apologetics book. It is especially a great resource if you have a friend who is a non-Christian and your reasoning with him can’t start with the assumption that he believes the Bible already. Tim Keller does a great job with his reasoning and facts. There are some people like Mr. Keller that can articulate points so clearly on a difficult Biblical topic. I plan on finishing and annotating this one.
2.2)
The Daniel Plan: 40 Days to a Healthier Life by Rick Warren, Daniel Amen, Mark Hyman
I started reading this last year but stopped because I felt I should take notes as I read it. The Daniel Plan is a Christian manual on health and fitness. It offers advice on five areas of life: Faith, Food, Fitness, Focus, Friends. The five areas of life are interconnected. Similar to the purpose driven life, the authors connect the writing back to the Bible. For example: “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit …Therefore honor God with your bodies.” 1 Corinthians 6:19a, 20b
Even if you don’t read this, I would suggest even browsing through the overview of it on danielplan.com
Note that I don’t buy many paper books nowadays, usually just Ebooks. The Daniel Plan is like a reference manual that you would want to thumb through so I have the physical copy of it =)
2.3)
The Action Bible: God’s Redemptive Story illustrated by Sergio Cariello
We are far removed from the historical events of the Bible. It is very helpful to have a visual representation of what these events looked like. The Action Bible is a collection of Bible stories in graphic novel format that accomplishes this beautifully. The graphic novel sticks close to the original inspiration (the Bible). This is professionally illustrated and littered with lots of Bible references. Some of your favorite Bible characters are not in the Action Bible. The reason for this is because the author is focused on portraying the Bigger story of God’s redemption. This is a great one to read along with your kids. Just be careful because it does get into some graphic details. Parents may want to read ahead just to make sure 😉
I won’t be taking notes on this, rather visual and mental notes. The next time you read about a plague of locust, you’ll have an idea how that even looks like. This is my Biblical visual immersive experience.
2.4)
Word of Promise Audio Bible
Similar to above, amazing production quality. Does anything from your actual experience come to mind when talking about the plagues?
This is the best dramatized Bible audiobook that I have listened to. Some notable voice actors:
- Jim Caviezel (voice actor as Jesus, same actor who played Jesus in the Passion of the Christ)
- Jason Alexander as Joseph
- Marisa Tomei as Mary Magdalene
I won’t be taking notes on this, rather auditory and mental notes. The next time you read about a plague of locust, you’ll have an idea how that sounds like. This is my Biblical auditory immersive experience.
3)
Sunrise Devotion
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. (Mark 1:35)
Do at least one devotion per week early in the morning. We tend to get distracted and busy. I remember hearing a pastor mention in a sermon that if you don't do your devotion by 9 am, you are unlikely to do it at all. I'm starting small here, one sunrise devotion weekly and going to try to work up from there.
4)
Maintain a physically healthy body throughout the year
Since the body is a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19), Im not going to wait to finish The Daniel Plan to stay healthy. My goal is to stay active in simple ways:
Minimize optional sitting time - As Dave Ramsey would say, I'm taking baby steps. I'm reading a book about being Deskbound and its effects on the body. I'll try to not be sitting when possible.
Body weight exercises - Pushups, pullups, squats, lunges would be a great starting point for men and women. Let me know if you have other recommendations.
Let's check back on each other mid year!