Mondo Beyondo: 2006 Year of the Discipline of Simplicity

Mondo Beyondo was my list last year of the wild, pull out all the stops things I would love to happen in my life, not necessarily all in one year. I'm brushing off the list as I ponder my new list and theme for the year as suggested by Superhero Designs.

Looking back over last year my theme was definitely freedom--spiritual and personal and part of that was accomplished by finding my voice by blogging regularly, even if I have a subversive secret identity. This year I am seeking to continue my life of freedom and to choose to live out the discipline of simplicity. I want to simplify my life by keeping simple disciplines consistently--faithful prayer, reading through the one year bible, and streamlining the rest of my life and responsibilities so that I can have orderly days, an orderly home, an orderly life. It sounds so much more boring than it feels to me! It feels to me like the next step on an adventure of freedom because with all the many balls I juggle, if I don't hit a rhythm the balls fall to the stage with a clunk and roll into the audience.

And also, looking back on my Mondo Beyondo list I find that I actually accomplished or am actively pursuing some of my wild dreams:

To write for a living: I am looking to launch a local homeschool blog that will actually provide me with some additional income and/or freebies like museum memberships, etc.

To beome an academic super genius: Doctoral work will need to wait for another season!

To raise extraordinary kids (already doing this!): Raising and homeschooling my children is a deep source of joy for me.

To grow in excitement and passion in my marriage every year (so far, so good, but how much more could we have if we worked on it?): Just got back from a lovely get-away with my husband where we had a chance to reconnect on many levels.

To dye my hair red: Did it!

To run in a marathon (yet I hate running??): What was I thinking?

To live in spiritual freedom: Am doing it, not perfectly, but then I am depending on grace, not my own perfection.

To live debt free: Hubby and I are making great strides in this area!

To work for myself: If God calls me out of this ministry season, then I will look down this path.

To grow in generosity to those close by and those far away: Working on it.

To live as a family in Europe, South America and Africa, finally to settle on an island with fruit trees and chickens in the yard: We'll see what happens.

To become trilingual: I'll work on French in a couple years when the kids are ready to take on a third language. Of course in order to be trilingual, I'll need to polish my Spanish, too.

To return to acting: Once an actor, always an actor. Sometime again in the future.

What are your Mondo Beyondo wildest dreams? What's your theme for 2006?

Micah Girl