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My quarter 2 goals update

7.6.2021

My quarter 2 goals update by Valerie Woerner, prayer journal, women's ministry, prayer, refresh, meditation, how to make a prayer journal, praying for your kids, husband, goals, motivation, productivityThis year I’m trying something new. In the past, I’ve updated goals monthly and felt that was way overkill and then completely stopped updating. I think it’s helpful to see how goals ebb and flow throughout the year in real life so I hope this is encouraging as you look forward to the next 3 months. 

Here’s a recap of my goals for 2021 and what I did in Q2 as well as Answered Prayers. Next week, I’ll share the 12 books I’ve read in Q2!! 

1. CREATE ENOUGH CONSISTENCY SO I’M ON A PATH TO LOSING 20 POUNDS AND KEEPING IT OFF. 

This might feel too wordy. Just say, “lose 20 pounds,” right? Nope. I really want to lay a good foundation for healthy changes so my goal ultimately isn’t to lose the weight but to be headed in that direction. My ideas for mini-goals (broken down quarterly):

  • Get sugar intake down by half
  • Get a good meal prep routine going
  • Get serious about Histamine diet for 1-2 months
  • Go through Meredyth’s gut program

Q2 Update: 

  • This past year has been such a struggle healthwise (more on that below!) so I’ve been trying all the things. I am currently going through a reset program with Meredyth Delayne Nutrition to restore good bacteria and eliminate bad bacteria. A stool test revealed my gut is way out of whack. Besides taking between 20-30 supplements a day, I’m also not eating any gluten, dairy, sugar or soy for 12 weeks. I didn’t expect to lose weight so quickly this year but eliminating those things will certainly do it! I’m down 10 pounds in just a few weeks and am learning how to cook without cheese and enjoy the afternoons without chocolate. It’s not easy but it is worth it!
  • The program has made the sugar intake decrease (to ZERO! 😜) happen obviously and meal prep routine happen because I will starve if I don’t prepare for a healthy meal and I don’t tend to skip meals unless it’s for fasting. And ironically one of the supplements helps the histamine issues I have so I’ve been able to eat a moderate amount of histamine foods. The histamine issues also all stem from the gut issues so my hope is that after the 12-week program, I will be able to continue eating more histamine foods!

2. RELEASE THE PRAYER BOOK AND HAVE 10,000 COPIES PRE-ORDERED. 

This is a huge goal for me! Many of y’all know, I’m praying for 100,000 copies of the prayer book sold. Which is pretty much impossible without the Lord. I felt Him prompting me to pray for this so I’m going for it. If it happens, you’ll know who gets full credit! Mini goal ideas:

My quarter 2 goals update by Valerie Woerner, prayer journal, women's ministry, prayer, refresh, meditation, how to make a prayer journal, praying for your kids, husband, goals, motivation, productivity

  • Host a prayer group – We’ll be testing out some content I hope to share soon!
  • Create a marketing plan early (We’ll be pitching podcasts, blogs, etc. so if you have one and want to talk prayer and the new book, email kara@valmariepaper.com!)
  • Implement the plan
  • Host launch team

Q2 Update:

  • We wrapped up our prayer group! It was sooo encouraging and I’m making plans to start another in January after the book releases! 
  • We’ve created content for most of the episodes and have begun interviewing guests! I am so excited about this!! Prayer in a Noisy World, coming in mid-September! Sing up here for weekly episode recaps once it launches!

3. CELEBRATE FAMILY MILESTONES WELL. 

We are welcoming two new babies (one on the Met side and one on the Woerner side) and I really want to be available to help where I can. So often, I plan work and forget to leave room for big personal things, but this year we’re keeping the calendar pretty clear so I can do this!

  • Be available emotionally (send prayers, verses, advice) and physically (babysitting, chores, cooking).
  • Help celebrate my parent’s 40th wedding anniversary! (Q3)

Q2 Update:

  • Wren and Owen both arrived!! It’s so fun to see my siblings and siblings-in-laws become parents! And being an aunt is my new favorite thing! I was right outside the door when Owen was born and what a magical thing it was to hear his first cry!! Birth sure is a miracle! My aunt name is Aunt Rie. My mom’s mom passed away in a plane crash when my mom was only 3 years old. I remember finding some clippings about her and her nickname was Ree (Her middle name was Marie). Since my name was ValeRIE MaRIE I felt such a sweet tie to her and secretly wanted to be called Rie. Now that I’m a grownup and can pick my own nickname without feeling embarrassed 😜, I’m excited to carry the legacy! 
  • My mom finished up radiation! 😊  She was such a champ! Not such a softy as me. We’re still so grateful it was caught early.

4. MAKE MUCH-NEEDED REPAIRS AND UPDATES TO OUR HOUSE. My quarter 2 goals update by Valerie Woerner, prayer journal, women's ministry, prayer, refresh, meditation, how to make a prayer journal, praying for your kids, husband, goals, motivation, productivity

We’ve been in our home for almost 7 years and have done almost no repairs even though there’s plenty of things broken. 

  • Walls & Doors – Painting, fixing cabinets
  • Lighting
  • Outdoor area
  • Kitchen counters

Q2 Update:

  • I have pretty much nothing to report here. I am determined to get it done but does a project manager for home repairs exist? I have no idea who to call for things or what steps are required for home improvement things so I procrastinate it more than most stuff. 

5. SPEAK WORDS OF LIFE TO THE PEOPLE AROUND ME AND MYSELF. 

I can naturally go negative and catch myself saying jokesy criticism (jokesy makes it feel ok?) with Tyler and even the girls more than I hope. I also want to speak more positively to myself!

  • Write a song. This sounds odd but I used to play guitar and write songs and so often even now, hymns come out my mouth when I want to go negative. I’d love to write a song that will shift my mindset to speaking life. 
  • Start the day with affirmations. Like the ones in our Best of VMP pack
  • Send encouraging text messages to friends out of the blue. 
  • Write a quick encouraging note to Tyler and the girls every week.

Q2 Update: 

  • I finished The Power to Bless and have been practicing saying more encouraging things to the girls. 
  • I also read Soundtracks by Jon Acuff that was about the words we say to ourselves and it was so helpful! 

6. TEACH THE GIRLS WELL

This goal shifted from finishing the parenting course because right now, I want to be implementing what I already know and need to focus attention on a few other things (below). 

  • Homework – prep for school
  • Money – chores – responsibility
  • Easter – presenting the Gospel very clearly to Vana

Q2 Update:

  • We’ve done well prepping Vana but probably need to spend more time with Vivi. I thought we’d have tons of time this summer to do this. Where does the day go??
  • They got money from their great grandparents and we taught them about tithe, save and spend and now they keep track of their own money. They have been very generous. Vivi bought Vana a birthday present with her “spend” money. Vana bought lipgloss with hers. 😂
  • We started having them help more with chores around the house and they LOVE it!! Oh my goodness. Why didn’t I start this sooner? They have been emptying the dishwasher and putting up folded clothes for a while but they discovered the scrub brush and cleaning dishes and dusting. It’s been really nice getting to do chores with them! 
  • Sharing the gospel during Easter was important to me because this was the year Vivi understood it and it was partly due to how much she heard it over a short period of time. We did read books and have conversations about it but have been careful not to push it with Vana so that it actually turns her off. She’s still discovering what it all means.

7. SPEND LESS THAN OUR PAYCHECKS.

This goal sounds very obvious doesn’t it? But with both our businesses, we take home modest paychecks but are able to do bonuses throughout the year. We also have a rental property but we’re working to get to a place where we’re less reliant on those bonuses and the rental to cover our expenses so that we can save that for our future and medical stuff. Health insurance and bills as two entrepreneurs is 😳.

  • Read a finance book
  • Set up non-negotiable habits 
  • Follow budget 
  • Have “no spend” days

Q2 Update: 

  • Not much to report here. Seriously, this is the goal that I just can’t seem to prioritize well!

8. LIVE MORE SPIRIT-LED.My quarter 2 goals update by Valerie Woerner, prayer journal, women's ministry, prayer, refresh, meditation, how to make a prayer journal, praying for your kids, husband, goals, motivation, productivity

The end of 2020 was so difficult. I struggled to make decisions and feel confident in where God was calling me forward. In 2021, I really desire to live more fully “led, not driven”

  • In-depth study of a few books of the Bible
  • Read through the whole Bible in 90 days!! This one scares me but I’ll be listening on my Bible app. I want to immerse myself in Scripture in a totally different way than studying a book in depth. 
  • Add more questions to my prayer journal
  • Get back in the habit of using one of our discontinued products–expectant cards.

Q2 Update:  

  • I will finished up reading the Bible in 100 days on July 11! This took a lot of time and effort these past 3+ months but it was sooo good to challenge myself to do it. It’s not sustainable long term to read that much daily for me and I am super excited to do more in-depth study next but it was good for a short season!!

OTHER THINGS ACCOMPLISHED THIS QUARTER:

  • Tyler became an elder. 
  • Tyler volunteered for the interim youth director position. He felt led to step in as they continue searching for a new youth pastor. I’m so proud of his willingness to step in and grateful we have the margin for him to add it to his plate!
  • I joined our church prayer team! As a church, we’ve talked about emphasizing prayer more and I’m excited to be a part of it! 
  • I joined our neighborhood party planning committee too. 😜
  • Didn’t have covid! I tested the morning of Vana’s party just to be sure. So grateful it wasn’t. 
  • I prayed with a stranger. I shared the story in my monthly peptalk but in case you missed it you can read it here.

ANSWERED PRAYERS

First off, I am LOVING using the Signature and don’t think I could ever go back! It challenges me in the best way to write out prayers daily and the internal growth I’ve experienced these past few months has been more than I’ve experienced in a long time.  If you want to grab one to try out for the rest of 2021, get one of our 4 colors here.

I wanted to share some answered prayers from this quarter. Some I’m not able to share because they aren’t my requests to share so I’ll just share the personal or ones I know I can share! 

  • Having a deeper passion for the lost. I created these journals 8 years ago because I wanted to pray more for myself. I am so grateful for how the Lord has continued to expand my prayers! 
  • Vivi doing better with her anxiety. (This was on my “yet to be answered” list last quarter!)
  • Feeling more freedom from hypochondria. It’s not completely gone but it’s been having a much smaller hold on me! 
  • Safe deliveries for Maddie and Natalie. Neither were what they hoped for or expected but both babies are healthy and HERE! 
  • Peace before answers come.“It’s a process and I honestly don’t think it’s ‘time’ to be healed. I’ve got a little more to learn. That attitude right here is a miracle and answer to prayer.” 
  • Some answers with stomach. (Also on my “yet to be answered” list from last quarter!) Discovering the cyst could not have happened without the CT scan which would have never happened without the stomach pain. It’s a reminder that God is in control. 
  • Eating GF, DF, SF, SF has been difficult but not as bad as I expected when I started thinking about 12 weeks with no bread, cheese or chocolate. 😉
  • Lots of direction and creativity with vision for VMP and the book launch! I’ve been praying more for creativity and the Lord has been so faithful. He puts passions in me that I feel will impact how I talk about the book. I am genuinely sold out for this message and humbled to get to do. We also had a wonderfully productive discovery process with Megan Gonzales that I highly recommend to any business! 

YET TO BE ANSWERED PRAYERS

  • Complete healing with the stomach and smooth surgery on the cyst in coming weeks! 
  • Youth pastor search
  • Recording audiobook

 

My quarter 2 goals update by Valerie Woerner, prayer journal, women's ministry, prayer, refresh, meditation, how to make a prayer journal, praying for your kids, husband, goals, motivation, productivity

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