Goals for 2006

"We first make our habits, and then our habits make us."

I have categorized the 7 main areas of my life into an acrostic that spells habits (with an extra “s”). H.A.B.I.T.S.S. = Home. Abilities. Body. Intellect. Treasures. Social. Spiritual. Within these areas I have listed my goals for 2006. I’ll use this blog to help track them throughout the year.

HOME

As a husband and father, I want to love and lead my family closer to each other and closer to God. I will do these 4 things everyday:

Stay: Stay in their world. Everyday listen to understand their world, heart, hopes, and values. Be there. Help with housework and homework.

Say: Say I love you. Everyday express with words my love for them. Share my world, heart, hopes, and values with them.

Play: Play together. Everyday do something fun with them. Wrestle, board games, ping-pong, ride bikes, catch, hike, etc.

Pray: Pray for them. Everyday take time to pray for or pray with Julie, Elle, and Shelby.

ABILITIES

I will use by leading, teaching, writing, guiding gifts (and Internet experiences) to help lead Christians and Church leaders.

Start a Blog. Done

Write and publish a pamphlet on listening to sermons. 100 times more people listen to sermons than preach one. I’d like to write a pamphlet for churches on how to listen to sermons to get the most out of them.

Write and publish a pamphlet on The Da Vinci Code. This book continues to be a best seller and the movie will be released May 19^th. It is a great tool for spiritual conversation. A small pamphlet could help inform Christians on some key talking points.

Write and publish a book on preaching. There are several titles I could pursue. Get it published with a reputable Christian publisher.

Write and publish a book on praying. Get it published with a reputable Christian publisher.

Start Spiritual Formation ministry or a missional/organic type church (or network of churches).

Start a profitable website to help pay for my ministry addictions. (Unclear as to what that would be at the moment).

BODY

Weight: I weighed 195 pounds on 10/17/05. I hadn’t exercised in about 7 years. I started slowly working out and eating healthier. I weighed 186 pounds on 12/31/05.

Goal: Weigh 175 pounds

Push-ups: I did 40 push-ups at one time on 12/13/05. Before working out, I would have had struggled doing 30.

Goal: 50 push-ups

Crunches: I did 22 crunches at one time on 12/14/05. (Feet in air all the time, hands cupped around ears, elbows touch upper thigh).

Goal: 40 crunches

Pull-ups: I did 7 pull-ups at one time on 12/26/05.

Goal: 12 pull-ups

Mile: I ran a mile in 9:20 on the treadmill on 12/30/05. (Pace set at “7.5” for 3 minutes, and “6.0” for 6:20 minutes).

Goal: 7:30 mile

INTELLECT

Research the expansion of Christianity (church history, missiology, and ecclesiology) and the missional/organic church movement.

TREASURES

Keep track of finances. Install Quicken software and enter all financial records. Financial record keeping is a major weakness of mine. I have virtually no idea where the heck our money goes.

SOCIAL

Write a letter each week. Write a letter of encouragement / thanks / challenge to whomever comes to mind – from prince to pauper. Preferably the old-fashioned way with pen and paper. But emails still count.

Call a long-distance friend each week. I have friends throughout the decades and throughout the nations. I need to keep in touch.

Meet with a local yokel each week. I work alone mostly. I need face-to-face time. As a newcomer to this part of Colorado, I need to meet and greet local to build friendships.

SPIRITUAL

Read the whole Bible in Chronological order in 2006. Blog entries and encourage other people to join me in this.

Meditate on a short passage of scripture each week (a.k.a. Lectio Divina). Praying is a two-way street: talking and listening. I’ve practiced the talking part for many years. I need to work on the listening part. Blog entries and encourage other people to join me in this.

Comments

[Ed Bacon]

Hi, Brian,

I hope your reaching your goals.

This is a cool website. I especially liked your review of "Organic Church." I'm going to pick up a copy (one of my new goals).

Hang in there, brother.