candice mclean

staying the path | FOCUS

i write with a heavy heart but with hope.

this year has already presented some challenges and heartache. january started with the flu spreading through my clan one week at a time. my mother had another stroke on january 21st. in february, my grandfather's health rapidly declined and we lost him on february 16th. though all of these events are sad and even tragic, i'm choosing to focus on the good. the promise. the love.

mom | after the stroke, i sat down with her and pleaded for her to try harder. she has so much to live for. and... she is really trying this time. she is eating healthier and walking everyday. i phone her at least 3 times a day. i remind her that each day is a new beginning, and i'm praying she stays the path. i'm happy to see this new change in her attitude.

brother | he too was sick with the flu in january. the nursing staff we had in place was not working at all so i had to fire them and look for a new agency. luckily, i found an agency located closer to my mother with a larger staff. we still need a morning shift nurse so i'm praying we have all of the nurses in place soon. i'm also praying that they are reliable and loving for my little jj.

papa | watching him decline and his body slowly exhaust was extremely difficult. talk about a fighter! he was such a fighter. he loved life with a passion and this was truly evident. he was an amazing man. an amazing husband. an amazing father. an amazing grandfather. and an amazing friend. our family had time together as we all sat with him in his last days. we laughed. we cried. we shared stories that warmed my heart. through this very difficult time, i found joy. i found joy in knowing that my papa sat in the same room with us all listening to us share those stories. those laughs. those tears. those hugs. i know he heard them all, and i know he had to feel the love that surrounded him. his funeral was a celebration of life. he lived 95 wonderful years. thank you to all of the family and friends who came to visit us at the viewing and funeral. thank you for the sweet thoughts, prayers and the gifts of condolences.

staying the path. with february quickly closing and march approaching, i'm looking forward to conquering my goals and living with more focus. the last two months have proven to me that life is worth celebrating everyday. i'm eager to find purpose in everyday tasks no matter how small or large. i'm excited to live with intent everyday... enjoying the laundry and even the cleaning, expressing my love through cooking meals for my family, sharing laughs over coffee with a friend, loving my talents as i pick up the camera to capture and freeze time even if for a second, sharing my love of art with others... it all has purpose.

i want to share a message from joel osteen about reprogramming your mind. here's an excerpt...

I believe that as you honor God with your time, He’ll multiply it back to you. As you stay faithful and focused on Him, He will direct your steps, and you will embrace the blessing and victory He has in store for you!

forty2 | sweet everyday life

this year i'm turning forty2 so i'm making a list of forty2 things to do, to see or to accoomplish by december 31, 2013. my focus is to enjoy the everyday. live simply. try new things. and live with intent. here we go.

1. run a 5k

2. bake forty2 cakes

3. read forty2 books

4. take a vacation with chip sans the kiddos

5. learn to say a few things in spanish (maybe forty2 sayings?) "si!"

6. run a 10k

7. complete forty2 diy projects around this house

8. blog more often with more joy

9. participate in a photo challenge (FMSphotoaday)

10. run a 1/2 marathon

11. make a book of my favorite forty2 quotes

12. take forty2 portraits of other people (preferrably strangers)

13. make a collection of forty2 random things (hmm??? shells, rocks, poems)

14. draw forty2 different flowers

15. practice more yoga

16. try forty2 new recipes

17. be a better menu planner

18. photograph forty2 pairs of shoes

19. draw forty2 portraits

20. write down forty2 words that inspire me

21. hold my breath for forty2 seconds

22. make forty2 homemade rubber stamps

23. take a family summer vacation (beach cottage or mountain lodge)

24. make a list of forty2 things that i'm thankful for

25. volunteer at a homeless shelter

26. using mema's pickling recipe... make my own pickles this summer

27. create a garden space in our backyard

28. take the kiddos on more nature walks (hiking the blue ridge mountains!)

29. attempt a family camping trip (i am not a fan of tents)

30. donate forty2 one dollar bills to random people

31. make forty2 different types of pizza

32. create forty2 designs for textiles

33. paint forty2 kokeshi dolls

34. go fishing with chip and the kiddos

35. take forty2 portraits of jj

36. crochet a scarf (i need to learn to crochet first!)

37. take forty2 self portraits

38. write more notes (hand written letters) to family & friends expressing my gratitude for their love

39. make dinner for a friend

40. take a class (any kind of class... online, art, photography, anything as long as i learn something new)

41. plan a fun girl's weekend away with my closest friends (wine tasting, thrifting, eating, sightseeing)

42. hug and kiss my children more often when they least expect it

*FOCUS* | one little word

Hello Twenty13. Hello to choosing my one little word. Hello to... What do I want to accomplish? What is my purpose? What are my goals? What areas of my life need realigning?

This idea of starting new and hitting the reset button is invigorating. It's like spring cleaning... out with the old and in with the new. I love what a new year offers. A new hope. A new vision. A new dream. Along with new inspirations and new goals. I look at it like I'm shaking off the bad habits, poor decisions and self doubts; and more importantly, I'm realigning my vision for a happy, simple and successful life.

I've had some hesitation and I've struggled with choosing my one little word. I've been going back and forth between focus and intent. I've decided that I want to live each day with more intent and less habit. In addition, I want to focus on life with intent.

 

focus /(fks)/

1. To converge on or toward a central point of focus; be focused.

2. To adjust one's vision or an optical device so as to render a clear, distinct image.

3. To concentrate attention or energy.

Okay so #3... yes I need to concentrate. No doubt.

intent /(n-tnt)/

1. Something that is intended; an aim or purpose.

2. Law The state of one's mind at the time one carries out an action.

3. Meaning; purpose.

 

And with perfect timing, I received Joel Osteen's Daily Message the other day (January 3rd) and it talked about FOCUS.

The verse... "Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you." Proverbs 4:25, NIV

Joel writes...

What are you looking at today? Not in the natural, but with your spiritual eyes. In other words, what is in the forefront of your mind and in your heart?

In the natural, you will move in the direction that your eyes are looking. In the spiritual, it works the same way. Whatever you focus your mind and heart on, you will move toward. That’s why today’s verse tells us to look straight ahead.

And right there, I had an "aha" moment. Yes... FOCUS is what I need right now in my life.

Some of my goals and inspirations to FOCUS on this year include...

my faith

my family

my art

my business

my friendships

Have you given any thought about choosing one word for Twenty13? If so, what word have you chosen and why? Feel free to share your word and/or link your own blogpost here in the comments sections.

 

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first day of twenty12

with the beginning of the new year, instead of making a new year's resolution, i carefully choose a word that will motivate and encourage me to focus on my dreams and goals for the year that lays ahead. last year, our life in okinawa was abruptly interrupted. life unexpected became a reality. an emergency family situation diverted our okinawa overseas dream into moving back to the states. a few months later, we are here in the US together (my little family) and we're focusing on our future. we're focusing on what lays ahead. we're focusing on... being with family. helping family. and making new goals for our life back in the states. we're off to a great start. my husband was recently selected for promotion. that was good news well received! and i'm preparing to work with a mututal friend who has a beautiful personality and creative existence in the scrapbook & design industry. my photography business is growing and i'm looking forward to more personal growth and creativity.

twenty12 has a lot to offer and with that i want to focus on embracing life and everything it offers. so my word for twenty12 is embrace. i want to embrace my life including my blessings. embrace my husband. embrace my children. embrace my family. embrace my love for art. embrace my love for photography. embrace my love for design. and embrace my carefree and creative existence.

i pray for health, love, peace and prosperity for all. god bless you and may twenty12 be good to us all!

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my list. my progress. starting with OLW.

one little word. choose a word for 2011.

my goal. OLW for 2011. hmm? newly transplanted in a foreign country, i started asking myself what do i want to do, see and accomplish? that's easy... i want to explore all of okinawa. i want to explore the backstreets finding the best and most unique shopping markets, art districts, textile markets, yummiest eateries. my goal - seek out the hidden treasures. to see and experience through exploration.

okinawa. some ideas. visit the world heritage sites (castles, ruins, shrines and temples). attend a few of the many festivals (cherry blossom, tug of war in naha). experience okinawan culture (origami, traditional tea ceremony, ryukyuan folk dancers).

japan. explore mainland japan. kyoto again! visited in sept 2010 and fell in love with the area. must see nara. there's a temple in nara i wanted to visit and did not. going there this year.

other countries. explore surrounding countries. ideas for 2011 - thailand. cambodia. singapore. korea.

myself. as an artist, i'm always exploring new ideas, opportunities and techniques. with 2011, i want to learn more (take a few classes), be more adventurous, be more bold and explore who i am as an artist.

definition. definition for the word explore. (definition from yourdictionary.com)

ex·plore (ek splôr′, ik-)

transitive verb explored -·plored′, exploring -·plor′·ing

• to look into closely; examine carefully; investigate
• to travel in (a region previously unknown or little known) in order to learn about its natural features, inhabitants, etc.
• Med. to examine (an organ, wound, etc.) by operation, probing, etc., as in order to make a diagnosis

intransitive verb

• to search carefully, systematically, or scientifically for oil, minerals, treasure, etc. 

until next time, go explore.

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