August Review

I've committed each month this year to reporting out my progress on 3 specific year long goals that I've set for myself. Below is my progress for the month.

Goal 1: Read 25 books.
I read two plays this month - Death of a Salesman and The Importance of Being Earnest. This continues to be the easiest of the goals to chase. I'm at 18 for the year.

Goal 2: Write 75 blog posts.
This wasn't a great month, but I plugged away and made some progress. Five for August puts my total at 52 for the year. My favorite for the month is probably And the Fear Came Tumbling Down, primarily because I got to mix in some Calvin and Hobbes with my writing. I can't afford any more slow months, though - I need at least six every month the rest of the way to finish this one out.

Goal 3: Write 25 letters.
I wrote two more, which puts me at 14. This is really the only goal I'm worried about. I need 3 a month the rest of the way, which is definitely doable. However, this continues to be the one I put off the most. It's ironic - this is the one I feel like is the most important for me to complete as well.

Other stats from the family:
August has also seen major milestones for my oldest daughter - her first lost teeth, her first unassisted bike ride, and her first day of kindergarten. Fatherhood continues to be a blur. . .

Quotes to note from the month:

• "The less we read the Word of God, the less we desire to read it, and the less we pray, the les we desire to pray." - George Muller
• "The excellence of the church does not consist in multitude but in purity." - John Calvin
• "If God had granted all the silly prayers I've made in my life, where would I be now?" - C.S. Lewis
• In principle we should be spending most of our time on our highest priorities. In practice, many of us spend our time doing whatever happens to be in front of us. - Jemar Tisby
• "Mad is a human emotion, but I don't find that if you act while you are mad, you are at your best. So get mad if you have to, then get over it." - Colin Powell

Good Articles:

• Offering HELP in times of suffering: I thought this was really good for advice for the situation we all face but never want to.
• 8 Email Mistakes You Make
• My Six Word War

2013 marches on. May our priorities guide us.