The last project for BBAW is to establish some goals for your blog. We’re supposed to do this one in 50 words or less, but I’m not constituted for less than 50 words, so it’s going to take me two posts. As I’ve said before, I like to think in terms of projects rather than goals or resolutions. I do have a few old projects that I’d like to do a better job of working at. I had twelve projects at the beginning of the year:

1. Bible reading project. My plan was to be reading Amos in September. I haven’t done the reading for any of the months that I had planned at all. I also was inspired by this project at another blog to start memorizing. I didn’t do that either. So, I’m going to try something different. Every Saturday evening, I’m going to write a post here, (insert catchy title: Sabbath Bible Review?), about my Bible reading for the week. I’ll tell you what I’ve read and what I’ve thought about as I read, how the Lord has spoken (or not spoken), and maybe I’ll be motivated to get the reading and meditation and even memorization DONE.

2. Prayer Project. This project, too, has been failure. I pray a lot, on the go, as I drive, or as I wait for children to finish classes., but a daily, dedicated time of prayer, even for ten minutes a day seems impossible. I get distracted; I think of all the things I should be doing; I read the titles on the bookshelf; I feel as if I’m wasting time telling God stuff He already knows anyway. I tried a prayer accountability thing with another blogger (sweet, patient Katherine), but I was coming up delinquent every week.

Lauren Winner: “It is easier to read about prayer than to do it. We fool ourselves into thinking that it somehow counts!”

I’m still working on, and praying about, a jumpstart for this particular project.

3. Pulitzer Project. I haven’t read any more Pulitzer prize-winning novels this year, but I am supposed to read Andersonville by MacKinlay Kantor for the Semicolon Book Club in September. I want to read one Pulitzer or National Book Award winner per month and post about it maybe on a specific day of the month. If anyone wants to join me in this project, I’ll work with you to come up with a list, and we’ll agree to meet (virtually) on a certain day of the month for a book discussion.

4. Newbery Project. I haven’t made much progress on this project either. I’d really like to find some of the older “honor” books and read them. I tried to read The Graveyard Book three times; does that count?

5. Madeleine L’Engle Project. I’m putting this project in abeyance for now. I’m just not so interested in re-reading anything these, even Ms. L’Engle’s books.

6. LOST Reading Project. I have done a bit of reading on this list, and I intend to do more, as inspired.

7. My U.S. Presidents Reading Project is linked to THE U.S. Presidents Reading Project.

8. Poetry Project. We need to memorize more poetry. And I plan to participate in Poetry Friday each Friday this fall.

9. The Top 100 Hymns Project is online again, thanks to my wonderfully helpful Computer Guru Son. I’m planning to finish that out sometime in October (31 more hymns to go), and after that my plan is to do a Hymn Sunday post each week (along with The Common Room and Rebecca Writes and others) to spotlight all the other wonderful hymns that weren’t on the Top 100 list.

10. Book Club Project. I somehow let the Book Club die on the vine this summer, but I’m planning to read Andersonville by MacKinlay Kantor, as I said, for September, and God willing, I’ll finish out the year with the following:

October: Scoop by Evelyn Wwaugh.
Novmber: A Walk WIth Jane Austen by Lori Smith.

In December, I’ll take suggestions, then votes, for next year’s selections, and my goal (there’s that word) is to do better about posting about the book for the month at the first of the month and about linking to others’ posts about the book we’re reading for the Semicolon Book Club toward the end of the month. No, I am not giving up.

11. Project Clean House. I need accountability in this area, too. What if I take a picture of an area of my house each week or month, before and after?

Ummm, I lost one somewhere, but that’s OK. I’m full up anyway and about to take on some more.

Now that I’ve cleared all that detritus away, I have a new blogging plan or project that has me excited. Stay tuned.