tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5913509871552116412.post4632199940705059124..comments2020-06-28T09:33:21.598-05:00Comments on Erika's Funny Farm: Pipe Dreams vs. Goalserika's funny farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07340515859829692151noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5913509871552116412.post-23639119754165643392009-03-08T00:13:00.000-06:002009-03-08T00:13:00.000-06:00Erica, I am inspired and encouraged by your post. ...Erica, I am inspired and encouraged by your post. I usually stop by your blog to enjoy the tales of having a large family and adoption. Two things that I encourage and that interest me. This post on goals is helpful to me because I am beginning to feel the awakening of some new goals in my life and new priorities. I am happy to see that being who God wants you to be and putting Him first is key to your plans. That is how my husband and I hope to be also. Unfortunatly the 1, 5, and 10 year plan type thing is so far beyond my grasp right now. We are constantly struggling with my husbands career setbacks and financial strain. At this point in our lives it is very hard to see beyond today. We have faith though. God has seen us through and will continue to do so and that is about all we have right now. As far as our goals -We have two little children and a strong desire for more and a strong desire for homeschooling and I have been convicted more and more lately of the importance of my role as mother and wife and homemaker as the ultimate priority. I have a lot of talents and skills and love to help others and do my own thing, but more and more I am able to let that go and focus on the goals that matter to God and my family. It is nice to come across encouragement like yours. I do want to set goals and like you I do like to plan. I have quit that however because my plans aren't always God's plans and I am trying to keep myself from getting in the way of His leading. Maybe others don't have that trouble. I also have what might be called a "pipe dream" but I guess it boils down to whether or not I decide to put the work in that is needed. Maybe some day I will be able to do that without neglecting my other priorities and it will become a reality instead. Thank you for pointing out the distinction. I also am very sensitive to that question you wrote: Will it satisfy everyone around me? Right now my husband and I are wanting to give God the control over when or if we have another child. Because of our current job situation, this will be looked upon as a stupid decision and believe me, we didn't arrive at it lightly. However, we feel convicted about it and feel that God will be pleased that we are having faith in Him to decide what is best for us and that we will be blessed by this decision. I can only imagine the reaction that wil occur in not only family but church friends as well who have demonstrated time and again, couple after couple that "two is enough" and then there is the surgery to end the possibilities. Well, It is good to hear someone say, don't worry about others, set your goals and priorities, see that God is in it, and proceed.<BR/>Thank you, I will be praying for your daughter.Misty M.https://www.blogger.com/profile/00846203168574015490noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5913509871552116412.post-4691242072812637542009-03-02T18:53:00.000-06:002009-03-02T18:53:00.000-06:00As the incredibly blessed husband of this amazing ...As the incredibly blessed husband of this amazing woman, I can vouch, first hand, to the dedication and determination Erika puts forth concerning goals. I have lived my life in the knowledge that I have been created by God with specific talents, opportunities and gifts that He has entrusted me to use for his glory. <BR/><BR/>Until I had the good fortune I marrying Erika, I live life one day at a time, using the lifelong goal of being a good steward of the gifts given to me by God. Many times I look back and realize that despite the good intentions, I missed the opportunity God laid before me. <BR/><BR/>The wisdom of goal setting and benchmarking it at 1,3 and 5 years helps put the goals in a more "immediate" light. Now I look upon the day to day with a new perspective, and I see the results. <BR/><BR/>An example is our children. My goal is very much like Erika's and for me, it meant breaking the mold of my family and being a God fearing man. I have prayed, studied and learned the lessons of how to be a God honoring father and husband. And, believe, I feel that education has just begun!<BR/><BR/>However, where is the benchmaks that say I am moving forward? Our desire to adopt truly provided a test of how well I am doing. <BR/><BR/>The fact that the Lord overcame criticism from work, financial obstacles and even political ones in order for Him to provide us with another of His creations. It is proof to me that I am on the right path. Without the goal setting strategy that Erika talks about, I would not have had a benchmark. <BR/><BR/>Now I spend most of my quiet time looking, analyzing and praying that today I make that difference that Christ's commands his disciples to do. I look at long term and short term goals and make sure they align with my ultimate life goal; that I will stand in front of my Savior and hear the words "come in, my good and faithful servant."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com