Resolutions - Revisited

At the beginning of this year I posted my resolutions, and such, for 2010.  Well, here it is, the end of the year.  Let's see if I've accomplished anything of value...

My resolutions for 2010 were as follows:

1. Pray with both my son & my girls before they go to bed.
2. Do coffee or breakfast with all my kids, but especially Carly. (Remember, God has engineered YOU to mesh with your family. You, not Mark, not Ryan, not Will, are the spiritual leader of your family for a REASON.)
3. Continue with small group. It's been a while since I've been encouraged in such a way that I'm motivated to go home and lead my family in the pursuit of following God.
4. Be diligent, honest, & committed to my spending plan. Understand that it's OK to revise the plan as long as we both agree.
5. Join a reading plan on Youversion.com. Make reasonable attempts to stick with it. Hold laura accountable.
6. Pick out a Bible verse with the kids to memorize. Attempt more as time permits.
7. Pray more frequently
8. When is God most apparent to you? Is it during worship? Driving, what?
9. God has placed His desires in our hearts! What are YOU going to do about it?!

Ok, let's see how I did...

1. Fail.  I don't think I did this at all.
2. Neither fail nor success.  Although I didn't really do coffee or breakfast with any of them this year, I did make a point to take them individually out with me to do things, like errand running and such.  It's not nearly the face time I had in mind, but it was something.  And the kids & I did have had some good conversations.  I like this one though, and I think I'll keep it on the list for 2011.
3. Fail.  Joined a small group, but dropped out.  No fault to the group; I was feeling the demand of the commitment I'd made, and I didn't like that.
4. Success!  Although I wouldn't call it a complete success, we did stay (relatively) committed to our spending plan, and managed to come out in the black.  (considering it's post-Christmas I consider that a definite success)  So, to improve upon this goal, I plan to make some revisions, and keep better track of where my money is actually going.
5. Fail.  Although I joined the plan, motivation was nonexistent.  I'm not really sure what the solution is here.
6. Fail.  Completely forgot about this one once I wrote it.
7. Neither fail nor success.  Although I feel I prayed rather frequently, I definitely didn't pray as much as I wanted to.
8. I think this is an ongoing question.  My answer as of now: during Worship.
9. This question fuels a complicated answer that I'm not prepared to answer now.

Although it appears that 2010 was mostly a FAIL for me, I'm not looking at it that way.  I did manage to carve out a new position at work, that I actually like.  Football this year was a success.  The hopes I have for my kids have not subsided. I have worked out at the gym a bit...

That leads me to my resolutions for 2011:

• Continue working out at the gym, but progress toward a 5 day workout week.
• Significantly reduce my daily sugar intake.
• Revise budget to include 401k contributions, and better weekly expenditure tracking
• Read a novel
• Better refine my work duties, responsibilities
• Create an actual schedule for one-on-one time with each of the family members - especially Laura.  (see number 2 above)
• Find a Disciple that works with me.
• Take more pictures, and publish them.
• Create and develop long-term goals
• Pray with, and for my children.
• Learn Mandarin (a little)
• Get another tattoo
• Do at least 1 fun thing with my cousin, Eric
• Visit my sisters (both of them)

It'll be interesting to see how I do this year. 

Figured out what's making the racket in the truck...

Not good.

What Made You A Car Guy? [Question Of The Day]

Found this on Jalopnik the other day:

What Made You A Car Guy? [Question Of The Day]:

Whether we're born with an innate love of automobiles or not, environmental factors fan the flames. Just ask an Andretti. What made you a car guy (or gal for the 4% of the Jalopnik readership who is female)?


Personally, growing up in a steadfastly working class neighborhood I had little access to fine automobiles or classics. It was mostly trucks and cars kept barely running. So quirky cars like an Isuzu Impulse and Subaru Brat became my objects of affection and shaped me into a strange car guy. The next transformation came when we moved to an apartment complex in Houston and a neighbor's son, a dentist, would bring over well-worn issues of Road & Track too dog-eared for his lobby.


Reading Peter Egan, Phil Hill, and Thos L. Bryant gave me an appreciation of the finer things in life. Finally, a grandfather willing to drive me anywhere to see anything (firetrucks, classic cars, new car shows) sealed the deal. Thus I can like a new fire engine, an old rusty El Camino, and a perfectly restored Bugatti. All in the same day.
What's the source of your car love?

For me, I'd have to say it was my dad taking me to car shows, crash-up derbies, drag races, etc. From there, the cars themselves took over. The countless color schemes, smoke from burnouts, the smell of burnt racing fuel, and the revs of V8 engines, was like the perfume and make-up of a pretty girl walking by. It still makes my heart flutter. The funny thing is, it's not the ride in the car(s) that I remember. I didn't get very many of those.

I actually think I'm more a car guy now than only just a few years ago. I recently let go of all my auto-inhibitions and started taking a car for what it is, rather than how old it is, or who it was made from/by.  I have a greater appreciation for the automobile now than I ever have.

I sometimes notice how my son is attracted to cars.  I'm finding he likes many of the same attributes, but really likes trucks & Jeeps.  ...not my thing, but that's ok.  I really think this stuff runs in the blood.  Thanks dad!

Getting there...

Ok, joined the gym last month, and have gone 2-3 times a week ever since. I still feel there’s a long way to go to look good naked, but at least I have a regimen. The next step is to eat healthy…no easy task.

See more progress on: exercise more

Discipline is a challenge

For over a year I've been stashing money away for the purchase of a new car.  I decided on what I wanted last August, but was nowhere near the down payment I wanted.  I had even considered purchasing the car late last fall, to take advantage of the sales tax savings, but decided that a larger (30%) down payment outweighed the good interest rate, & tax savings.  It was then that I decided to buy a 2010 model toward the late spring of 2010. 

A couple weeks go the 2011 models were announced.  I reviewed the specs & looked at the pictures, but decided that I didn't really like the styling changes, and was glad that I had decided on the 2010 model.

So, it was yesterday that I had contacted the dealer to see what's available and place my order if need be.  Come to find out, the last date to place an order for the 2010 model was a month ago (March 19th), and there's no cars on the lot in all of Michigan, Indiana, & Ohio.  I'm screwed.

People keep trying to talk me out of the new car purchase.  I completely understand the difference in value new vs. used.  I am conscious of the whole “the car goes down in value by X% as soon as you drive it off the lot” argument.  I have 2 rebuttals: 1) I'm not going to sell my car as soon as I drive it off the lot; I plan to keep it for 10+ years,  and 2) This car is absent in the used market; people buy these cars and keep them.  Buying used isn't really a viable option. 

So now that I have to wait an additional 3-4 months, I must stay diligent with my saving.  It's very difficult to see a woot-off and not press the I Want One button.  I see the deals at Newegg on a weekly basis, & have to close the site as soon as I open it, because I know that I'll be tempted.  There's a video game that I want to get next month, and it pains me to know that I can't.  Keeping my 'eye on the prize' takes more willpower than I had originally thought.  I just hope I can make it.  :)

Photo courtesy of Autoblog

Great idea, no place to put it...

This morning as I lay awake in bed, not wanting to get up for work, I had an epiphany.

I’ve been trying to come up with a tattoo idea for my left forearm, for the better part of 3 years. I knew how I wanted the tattoo to make me feel when I looked at it, but that was all I could come up with. I knew that it had to be a certain size in order to fit my forearm. That there is the problem.

So I lie awake in bed, brain is contemplating the crazy dream I had, when this image popped into my head! (I’m going to attempt to explain what the image was in text, so please bear with me.) Picture Jesus’ face. Now picture his face made up of puzzle pieces. Now picture some of those puzzle pieces missing. I believe that this image represents how we know Jesus. We have some idea what he looks like (metaphorically of course), but we’re missing some important details.

I would love to get this tattoo, but there’s no way it’ll fit on my forearm. I’m stuck; I don’t know what to do. :(

See more progress on: get another tattoo

Resolutions

Today a friend asked me what my spiritual goals/resolutions are for 2010. I didn't really have any definitive resolutions that were specifically spiritual so I didn't really answer the question. On the drive home I managed a little reflection time & came up with a laundry list of things that I want to do, be able to do, or accomplish this year. (Please note that sometimes it helps me think to write in the third person.)

Goals for 2010:

• Pray with both my son & my girls before they go to bed.
• Do coffee or breakfast with all my kids, but especially Carly. (Remember, God has engineered YOU to mesh with your family. You, not Mark, not Ryan, not Will, are the spiritual leader of your family for a REASON.)
• Continue with small group. It's been a while since I've been encouraged in such a way that I'm motivated to go home and lead my family in the pursuit of following God.
• Be diligent, honest, & committed to my spending plan. Understand that it's OK to revise the plan as long as we both agree.
• Join a reading plan on Youversion.com. Make reasonable attempts to stick with it. Hold laura accountable.
• Pick out a Bible verse with the kids to memorize. Attempt more as time permits.
• Pray more frequently
• Baby steps...

I also came up with a couple questions that I'd like to answer:

• When is God most apparent to you? Is it during worship? Driving, what?
• God has placed His desires in our hearts! What are YOU going to do about it?!