I know that it's a bit clichè, but I love reflecting on my year during the week between Christmas New Year's. In January of this year, I wrote a post on my goals for the year (check it out here ). So, in this post, I'll share with my progress throughout the year. I'm very proud to say that I've acheived many of my goals and made significant progress on the ones I haven't quite achieved yet. Now, I'm in the process of fine-tuning my personal, spiritual, and professional goals for 2018 (that will be another post).

1. Read through the Bible

• ​I haven't achieved this goal yet, but I am still going strong. I have, like everyone, had weeks here and there where I've gotten behind, but I've stuck to my plan more often than not. Right now, it looks like I will finish this plan in late January or early February.

2. Get number of Bible verses memorized up to 100

• ​I'm proud to say I've exceeded this goal! I now have 144 verses memorized.

​3. Learn at least 30 new ASL signs each month

• ​There were many months that I exceeded this goal, but there were also a couple months where I didn't meet it. Most months I learned at least 40-50 signs; the record was 100! But, the last couple months, life got hectic and I only learned 20-25 signs. However, I am very pleased with how much my signing has improved this year. Not only with vocabulary, but also with grammar, conceptual accuracy, idioms, etc.

​4. Watch something in ASL at least 3 times a week.

• ​I definitely exceeded this one! I watch something in ASL pretry much every day. There are many Deaf YouTubers that I follow and I love to watch news stories on DPAN TV.

​5. Read at least 26 books

• I'm proud to say I exceeded this goal by reading 37 books! I enjoyed a variety of genres including Christian non-fiction, Christian fiction, young adult, and romance.

​6. Reevaluate possessions at least once a month and maintain a minimalist lifestyle.

• I'm not sure I evaluated my possessions precisely once a month, but I think I've done a good job maintaining a minimalist lifestyle. I'm due for an organization/clean up session right now, so I'll be doing that soon to start the New Year off right.

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​7. Spend time with friends at least once a week.

• There were weeks that I exceeded this goal and weeks that I didn't meet it. Sometimes it was due to being exceptionally busy and sometimes it was due to depression or other illness. But, I am blessed with great friends and I will continue to do my best to meet this goal.

​8. Publish at least one blog/vlog post per week.

• For awhile, I really struggled in this area. But, fairly recently, I've gotten more consistent with my posts. Now I'm up to two posts per week (with the exception of the last week or so due to a death in my family). Typically, I launch new content on Mondays and Fridays, so be sure to subscribe to my e-mail list so you don't miss out on new posts!

Keep an eye out for my next post about my goals for 2018.
Did you have any specific goals in 2017? Do you feel like you met them?

​     As a Christian, my quiet time is the most important time of the day. It's the time that I set aside to read God's Word, pray, and listen for God's still, small voice. Quiet time is essential if we want to become more like Christ and grow in our faith. God is always speaking to us, but we can't hear Him if we don't take the time to listen. God is always willing to work in us and through us, but He won't force himself into our lives; we must surrender ourselves to Him first.
     The question is, if quiet time is so important, why is it often the first thing that gets pushed out of our schedule when things get chaotic? In our minds, chaos and quiet time cannot fit together, but nothing is impossible with God; His ways are higher than our ways.
     The most ironic thing about our misguided priorities is the fact that when life is chaotic, we need our quiet time the most! In life's most difficult seasons, we need God to guide our decisions and our actions more than ever. We need His love, peace, strength, mercy and grace to sustain us. If we don't take time to read the Bible and listen to God, we cannot receive everything that He has for us.
     While adequate quiet time is very important, it's also important to remember that none of us are perfect. I have yet to meet someone who has a perfect quiet time every day, without fail. We are human and failure is a part of our life on this earth. But, God's grace is more than enough for all of us. If you truly love Him and trust Him, you can rest in that. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

Do you have a daily quiet time? Are you happy with the quality of your quiet time? Do you have any goals to improve your quiet time? Let me know in the comments! Let's share our goals and ideas and encourage each other! 

In November, I posted a video about my experience with a very unethical doctor. If you haven't seen that video yet, check it out here. This video is an update about what has happened since I filed a formal complaint. I am not at all satisfied and plan to pursue this issue further. This video is in English and has Closed Captions. I will also provide a transcript of the video below for anyone who may need it. 

Transcript:
Hey everyone! So, some of you may remember that, in November, I posted a video about
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my experience with a very unethical GI doctor.
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If you haven't seen that video yet, it's pretty crucial to understanding this
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video, so I will link it in the description box down below.
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You should probably go watch that first before you watch this because this is a follow up.
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I did file a formal complaint and I got this fabulously frustrating letter back from them.
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Now, I'm not gonna show you the actual front of the letter because
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I don't want to get in trouble for, like, sharing confidential information or
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using the facility's name. I don't know. But I am going to tell you
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what they said and talk about how I plan to continue to pursue this issue
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because this is this is definitely not satisfying at all, because almost
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everything they said is wrong. So, as for the doctor, we'll just call him doctor unethical.
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We'll just call him doctor unethical so that he may remain anonymous.
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So, this is the letter that I got from the manager of
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digestive diseases and network endoscopy.
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This is what she said: "I am writing in follow-up to
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you and your mother's complaint regarding your visit with Dr. Unethical on 11/8/17.
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I completed a review of your concern on 12/ 6/2017."
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Ok, good you reviewed it. Let's see what happens now.
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So, "your input gives us the opportunity to review our services and make changes when necessary"
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Except that you're not going to make any changes.
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"Your complete satisfaction is very important to us."
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Obviously not, as you will see later in the letter.
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"Upon reviewing your appointment time and the associated registration times on two occasions
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with Dr. Unethical, it appears you arrived a few minutes late each time."
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Okay, let's stop there for a moment. I was not late on either of these occasions.
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The reason that this manager thinks I was late is because their system doesn't show you as checking in
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until they finish checking you in and getting you all registered for the appointment.
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And every single time that I've gone to this office, they take at least 15 to 20 minutes to check me in.
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I think it may have even been around a half hour one time,
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because they cannot seem to manage to get my insurance information and my
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name correct. So I'm not sure how that's my fault.
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My name changed a little over a year ago so you think they'd have that under control right now.
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My insurance changed, I think, almost a year ago so they should have that under control by now too.
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Let's continue: "It's important for patients to be on time. . . "
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blah blah blah blah I was on time so I already know that.
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So, the first occasion that I was supposedly late,
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which I'm pretty sure is the time that they took about a half an hour to check me in,
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"Dr. unethical did fit you back into his schedule." Wow, what a hero.
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"Unfortunately it was after a patient who had a 60 minute appointment this is what caused the delay."
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No, no, that is not what caused the delay. Because I remember that particular day,
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and I had my mom there with me. So, even though my memory is not-so-hot
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I have someone to back me up on this one.
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for at least a half an hour, maybe even 45 minutes, I was sitting in "the little room" as I like to call it.
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You know, after they call you out of the waiting room and you're in the exam room.
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I sat in the exam room and Dr. unethical was sitting at his little desk on his computer for 30 to 45 minutes;
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Probably about 45 minutes. And, I had waited in the waiting room for almost an hour before that so that just doesn't add up.
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He wasn't with a patient. He was sitting at a desk
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and he didn't even look like he was really on the computer. He didn't look like he was doing anything.
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So, he was not in with a patient and I wasn't late, so those are both wrong.
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"In regards to the second occasion on 11/ 8/2017"--this is the day I had the major issue and walked out
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as you can see in the video down below. if you haven't seen it yet.
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"It was reported to me you were yelling at the provider upon overhearing doctor Dr. unethical
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talking to a nurse about your late arrival."
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Ok, two things about this. First of all, I did not "overhear" him.
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He whipped opened the door and started screaming at the nurse that was in the room with us.
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There was no "overhearing". He was not, like, in the hallway saying I was late--
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even if he was that still wouldn't really be okay, but no. I was changing into a gown
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and he burst in the room and started yelling about how we were late.
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And, in regards to me yelling at him, uh yeah I did yell at him.
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Yeah, that's the only thing in here that they're right about. I did yell at him because he was yelling at me
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where here they say I was yelling, and it was "also reported that
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Dr. unethical did not raise his voice at all." Oh, he's so wonderful isn't he? No!
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He came in the room screaming at the nurse right in front of me; burst in the room
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opened the door, slammed the door, started screaming right in front of me.
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I did not "overhear" and he most certainly raised his voice. And then yes I did raise mine,
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which is the only thing they're right about in this letter.
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And then they always like to wrap these things up with, like, a nice little sentence at the end,
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Like it's supposed to make you, you know, satisfied again.
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"It is our commitment to do everything possible to ensure your experience at this Center--
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I won't name it I don't want to get in trouble--is positive in every way."
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Yeah, obviously that's not your commitment since you told, I think, like three or four lies
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in this thing here and you're not doing anything about this doctor. So, I actually
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plan to appeal this further to the medical director of the facility, and I
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will let you all know how that goes. And, I realize that they may not do anything,
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but I intend to take this as far as I possibly can, simply because I don't want
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other people to have to have this experience.
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And other ways that I plan to try to help other people to avoid this kind of experience
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is writing online reviews for this particular doctor. I know that when I need a new provider,
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I typically go online and look at the reviews, and if they have some bad
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reviews, sometimes it can cause you to kind of look twice. And I definitely want
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to make people look twice before they go to this guy and possibly get treated the
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way I did. So, that's what's happening with that.
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Thanks for watching my video. I'm gonna try to start posting here more often.
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It'll be a mix of English videos and ASL videos but everything is always captioned in English,
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regardless of if I'm speaking or if I'm signing.
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And you can click that subscribe button down there. And ,next to the subscribe button, there's a little bell.
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And if you click that bell you'll get notified every time I post the new video.
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And, sooner or later-- probably later because it's a doctor's office-- you can find out how
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this whole thing is going. But, in the mean-time, I'll have some other content for you guys as well.
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Thank you for watching, bye!

     With the holidays quickly approaching, many of us will be attending get togethers with family and friends. Many of us look forward to sitting around the table or standing around socializing with our loved ones. However, these types of gatherings can be difficult for people who are D/deaf or hard-of-hearing (HOH). 
     At these types of gatherings, background noise, such as music or many people talking at the same time, is inevitable. For D/deaf and HOH people who have some residual hearing, background noise makes it more difficult (if not impossible) for them to utilize their residual hearing to help them understand speech. Also, if you're standing around with a group of people or sitting around a table together, the speaker tends to change frequently. People jump in and comment on what someone else just said and they will probably talk over each other at times. In this scenario, by the time the D/deaf or HOH person has time to figure out who is speaking and to focus on them enough to try and understand what they're saying, someone else has already started talking. This can leave the D/deaf or HOH person exhausted and frustrated--they are putting in so much effort, yet they may be unable to get meaning from or contribute to the conversation. 
     The good news is, you have the power to make your loved ones who are D/deaf or HOH feel more included during group gatherings. Here are four tips to remember for holiday get togethers--and for group settings in general. 

1. Repeat yourself if asked
I have heard it said that the biggest swear word in the Deaf community is "never mind". If a D/deaf or HOH person asks you to repeat yourself, DO NOT say anything along the lines of "never mind"," I'll tell you later", "it's not important", etc. The person is showing that they want to know what you are saying and they felt safe enough to ask you to repeat yourself rather than just pretending they understood you the first time (which I know some D/deaf and HOH people do a lot). Shutting them down by refusing to repeat yourself is a huge slap in the face. 
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2. When repeating doesn't work, rephrase. 
If you've repeated yourself more than once and the person still hasn't understood what you've said, odds are that you're going to have to try something different. This is a good time to rephrase what you said. When you rephrase, the person may be able to pick up more words and understand you. 

3. When rephrasing doesn't work, write or type it. 
If rephrasing doesn't work, a good next step is to either write down what you've said on a piece of paper or type it on your phone and show it to the other person. 

4. Look up the sign--Google is your friend! (If this person uses sign language)
If you google "[word] in ASL", you will probably get a decent sign to help the other person understand you. Even if you can't sign a whole sentence, just a few key words might be enough to give the D/deaf or HOH person some context to figure out what you're saying. Also, utilize any sign language you already know. For example, if you know the alphabet, try spelling a word or two out. 

5. Let the D/deaf or HOH person call the shots
This is super important! If you don't already know how the D/deaf or HOH person prefers to communicate, ASK them! It is much more polite to ask than to assume you know what works best for them. For example, maybe they don't read lips and/or don't use their voice and would prefer that you just write or type back and forth rather than having you repeat yourself or rephrase what you're saying. Or, maybe they don't use sign language, so relying on some combination of the first three tips is the best option. But, again, don't assume. Ask the D/deaf or HOH  person how they prefer to communicate and let them lead the way. 

     I have never done a book review on this site before. But, I thought it might be fun to try something new. As I was brainstorming ideas for content, I started thinking about some different topics I could throw into the mix. Since I am very much a bookworm and I'm always reading something, I thought it would be fun to review the most recent book I read. I'm thinking of making this a series--picking one book each month that I've read during that month and reviewing it here. Please provide feedback in the comments and let me know if you think this is something I should continue doing. When I introduce something new, I want to make sure it's something that my readers enjoy! 
     I finished reading "My Story" this afternoon. Most of you are probably somewhat familiar with Elizabeth Smart's story. But, in case you're not, I'll provide a little bit of background. In June of 2002, 14 year old Elizabeth Smart was kidnapped from her own home, at knife-point, in the middle of the night. The next 9 months of her life were so horrific that most of us can't fully understand her dire circumstances. She was chained up to a cable for months, allowing her only about 20 feet of mobility. She was raped every single day, sometimes multiple times a day. She was deprived of food and water on a regular basis. She was forced to drink alcohol until she passed out and, later, woke up in her own vomit. 
     In the book, Smart provides a detailed account of her 9 months in captivity. She discusses the horrors she experienced at the hands of her captors as well as her own thought processes throughout her own personal nightmare. For me, the way a writer delves into their own thought process makes or breaks a book. I think the ability to get inside the author's head (or the character's head if it's a fictional book) is what often gives books an advantage over movies. In my opinion, Smart did an excellent job explaining the gamut of emotions she experienced while being held captive. 
     I was also drawn to this book because, from what I had heard about her story, I was inspired by the fact that Smart seemed to never lose her faith during her captivity. Due to denominational differences (Smart is Mormon, I am non-denominational), there were times when I didn't agree with statements she made about God. However, I couldn't discount the fact that Smart's devotion to her faith, which enabled her to never lose hope, was what ultimately led to her rescue.  One part of the book that I found truly inspiring was when, on Thanksgiving, Smart was able to mentally come up with a list of things that she was thankful for, even though she was living a nightmare! Despite theological differences between Smart and I, there is one thing we undoubtedly agree on: God never left her during her 9 months of captivity. 
     If you like biography or memoir style books, a story of someone beating the odds, or even a reminder to be a little more grateful for what you have, then I recommend this book. If you're interested in purchasing the book, I've provided a link to the book on Amazon at the bottom of this post. This is an affiliate link which means that, at no additional cost to you, I get a small amount of compensation for recommending the book on my website, which helps me continue to grow this site and create more quality content. 

Question: Do you think I should do a book review once a month on this site, as I mentioned above? Please leave your feedback in the comments. 

     I am very excited to announce that this page now has a new accessibility feature--alt text! Through networking with other bloggers, I have been learning new techniques to expand this site and, also, to make it accessible for everyone. This is the main blog post that helped me learn the ins and outs of alt text. As an advocate for accessibility, when I learn of a new way to make my content accessible and it's within my power to do it, I'm going to do it! 
     All images on this site now have alt text descriptions. Alt text is a description of a photograph; the purpose of alt text is to make images accessible to blind and low-vision individuals. Blind people typically use a screen reader or voiceover program to access online content. Without the alt text manually added in, it will simply read "image" or "picture". When I started adding alt text to the images on this site, I realized that they all say "picture" by default. Obviously, that doesn't help them understand what is in the image at all. But, when you add alt text to an image, the screen reader picks up on that and reads the description so that the blind person has equal access to the content. 
     Alt text is not visible unless you are using the appropriate software. It's kind of like an invisible caption. Here's an example of what I would write for alt text:
     

     This is what I wrote for the alt text for this picture: "White and grey background. Text reads 'inaccessible', showing an eraser erasing the 'in'". That's a lot more helpful that "picture", don't you think? 
     Alt text is also used to improve SEO (search engine optimization). When alt text is provided, search engines can "see" the images on your site, making it more likely that your site will show up in search results. However, many people believe that this is the primary, or the only, purpose of alt text. So, it's important to educate people on how to use alt text correctly. It's definitely a benefit that alt text boosts SEO, but the problem is that many people will focus on putting words in the description that will trigger a search engine rather than making sure the description is clear for blind and low vision individuals. 
     I am always looking for ways to put my words into action by making my content accessible to everyone. If you have any suggestions on how I can improve accessibility, please feel free to let me know and I will do my best to make it happen.