March Goals – my reports and confessions

This was the first month of the year when my goals felt like a bit of a dud.

Just being honest about that.

During March, my foster baby developed increasing bellyaches, and required a great deal of holding and TLC. On her third formula, Nutramigen, she is peaceful at last and doing extremely well – and her weight gain throughout has been lovely. She’s over nine pounds! Up from five and a half when I first met her. I’m so happy. And in love with this sweetheart.

But some days in March, I was just trying to get through till the next sleep.

Scripture Focus: John

I made it through the book of John by the skin of my teeth. The reading was less meaningful for me, maybe because I couldn’t focus like I usually can. Late in the month, I pulled out one to three tiny quotes from each chapter, printed them out, and tried the approach that’s called “dwelling” – just camping out on a Scripture thought and resting there. That meant most to me.

The dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.

Stop judging according to outward appearances.

This is the work of God – that you believe in the One He has sent.

Remain in My love.

Here are all the verses I pulled out. 1A, 1B, 1C means those are each from John chapter 1, and so on.

Abstinence: Lunch

I hated skipping lunch. And it did not get easier.

That is all I’m going to say about that, except to confess that I made approximately four exceptions when I had a special opportunity to eat with people I love. That’s probably too many exceptions, but not like January when I pretended to give up sugar for the month…

It was an interesting experiment, but to be honest, it wasn’t worth it. It made me think and care too much about food – more energy than usual went that direction, not less.

This is your moment to look smug.

Growth Goal: Minimalism

I am pleased to report that I spent minimal effort on minimalism.

• Also on Easter preparation,
• Blogging,
• Dieting,
• Spring cleaning,
• And several other things I usually tackle in full force this time of year.
• And list-making. I spent a minimum of effort on list-making.

Truth be told, the minimalism goal was fun. I entered a Lancaster County fabric shop and my favorite Erie clothing store and did not buy a thing in either place, can you believe it? That took real grit. I bought a ten-dollar pair of shoes for myself, but no other personal clothing for the month. I sorted through our closets and bureaus and gathered three huge bags of things we no longer need, and donated them. That was satisfying.

I skipped a lot of more elaborate recipes and cooked pretty easy foods. We had more dinners of BLT’s or hotdogs or breakfast foods, slotted between nights of heartier fare.

And I hosted a Grand Minimalism Contest for my kids, just for fun, to see how much they could clear out of their rooms. They all earned ice cream cones, and the rooms looked delightful (for two days).* I was so delighted.

* I’m mostly joking. They do a good job.

Going into April, I feel a little confused because the abstinence on my list is to give up “Buying extras/ Buying online” which I think was supposed to go with the growth goal of minimalism, and I got mixed up. I’m not really up for a second month of the same thing. Sooo… Taking suggestions now for an alternate thing to fast from, besides food and shopping.

Anyone?

And if you skipped meals alongside me in March, how did it go? What did you learn?