Week 1: Setting Goals

     Well, one week is complete of my challenge.  I wish I could say I never yelled, but that would be a lie. Yesterday, when my little one bent the curtain rod, I was very angry...I didn't yell till she refused to go sit in the corner for time-out. Oops! However,  I didn't yell nearly as much this past week. After a week of being much more intentional, it still leaves me wanting more. It is not enough to not raise my voice...the problem is that I can still be unkind at a lower volume. The real challenge is to be kind with my words and to be constructive with my comments, not just refrain from yelling.  I think that is why my girls sometimes feel like I'm yelling even if my voice never raises. At the end of the day, one girl will say I yelled while the other who was right there beside me will say I didn't. It is the tone and the way I say things that are just as damaging as my volume. 
     The book "The Me I Want To Be" by John Ortberg talks about how just as we need God's grace for Salvation, we also need it to become who we want to be. "God's plan is not just for us to be saved by grace--it is for us to live by grace." For me this means letting go of my personal agenda and expectations and trying to focus on what God is asking me to do. It also means leaving the results to Him. That is hard for me...I like to be in control.
     This next week, I'd like to not only be conscious of my volume but how kind/constructive I am being with my words.
      So now you know my goal for this week ...I also met a different goal as of this week for my pregnancy.  I was hoping to make it to my third trimester and still be running. I'm excited to say that I am still running for 30 min. (although slightly slower) Reaching a goal has always felt good, and I'm sure that reaching my goal of changing how I deal with my anger will also feel good...a Christmas present fit for me, my daughters,  and the Birthday King.
     As a side-note, my two year old is not yelling as much either. That REALLY makes me smile!
     What goals are you setting and reaching for?