2012 update

So we're almost done with eight months of 2012. SCARY! I was browsing my phone today and came across on my Notes app my list of what I wanted for our family in 2012. One word can describe what is on there.

FAIL

Let me give you a little glimpse....

 

Learn to coupon for groceries - FAIL

Learn to sew - Not fully there yet

Write music- FAIL - I haven't written one song since April of 2011

Start exercising- EPIC FAIL

Run a 5K- From the above answer I think you know how that one went

Weight down to 1** - Continuance of the above two answers

Date nights every other week - FAIL

Take a trip with friends - FAIL

Remember people's birthdays and send a card - FAIL

Okay Okay. Well it hasn't turned out exactly how I anticipated. So here is my plan. I'm going to make a new list, and a new plan. Why would this work itself out you say? Well this time- I'm going to realize that I cannot do all of this on my own. I'm going to rely on God to help me. And for those things He can't just do for me (like take my weight off) - I'm going to ask Him to lead me to those who can help me. I'm going to try not to focus so much on other things so that I have time for the things that I obviously found important. I get too wrapped up in having things clean and put away and "finished" that I don't get to the other things. So here is my new plan...

Start exercising and get fit - don't worry about the number on the scale

 

Schedule a date night every other week Remember it is okay to ask someone else to watch Hutton

 

Remember people's birthdays - Put them all on the calendar and send personalized card instead of a purchased birthday card

 

Have two hours by myself every week to

be creative and let the songs come

 

Find a way to encourage my husband daily

 

Get up every morning early and spend time with the Lord -

then pray that He will multiply my time so that I

can get to everything else on the list

 

Set aside one night a week to sew -

Remember- Chris has to practice for his hobby and so do I

 

So if I'm not going to coupon,

find a way to make groceries cheaper and last longer!

Spiritual Focus and Commitment

  I was just browsing around the internet today and ran across this article on Lifeway's website and had to share...

Consider your ways in the New Year

by Don Whitney

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (BP) - Once, when the people of God had become careless in their relationship with Him, the Lord rebuked them through the prophet Haggai. "Consider your ways!" (Haggai 1:5) he declared, urging them to reflect on some of the things happening to them and to evaluate their slipshod spirituality in light of what God had told them.

Even those most faithful to God occasionally need to pause and think about the direction of their lives. It's so easy to bump along from one busy week to another without ever stopping to ponder where we're going and where we should be going.

The beginning of a new year is an ideal time to stop, look up and get our bearings. For starters, here are 31 questions to ask prayerfully in the presence of God as you "Consider your ways." Think on the entire list at one sitting, or answer one question each day for a month.

1. What's one thing you could do this year to increase your enjoyment of God?
2. What's the most humanly impossible thing you will ask God to do this year?
3. What's the single most important thing you could do to improve the quality of your family life this year?
4. In which spiritual discipline do you most want to make progress this year, and what will you do about it?
5. What is the single biggest time-waster in your life, and what will you do about it this year?
6. What is the most helpful new way you could strengthen your church?
7. For whose salvation will you pray most fervently this year?
8. What's the most important way you will, by God's grace, try to make this year different from last year?
9. What one thing could you do to improve your prayer life this year?
10. What single thing that you plan to do this year will matter most in 10 years? In eternity?
11. What's the most important decision you need to make this year?
12. What area of your life most needs simplifying, and what's one way you could simplify in that area?
13. What's the most important need you feel burdened to meet this year?
14. What habit would you most like to establish this year?
15. Who do you most want to encourage this year?
16. What is your most important financial goal this year, and what is the most important step you can take toward achieving it?
17. What's the single most important thing you could do to improve the quality of your work life this year?
18. What's one new way you could be a blessing to your pastor (or to another who ministers to you) this year?
19. What's one thing you could do this year to enrich the spiritual legacy you will leave to your children and grandchildren?
20. What book, in addition to the Bible, do you most want to read this year?
21. What one thing do you most regret about last year, and what will you do about it this year?
22. What single blessing from God do you want to seek most earnestly this year?
23. In what area of your life do you most need growth, and what will you do about it this year?
24. What's the most important trip you want to take this year?
25. What skill do you most want to learn or improve this year?
26. To what need or ministry will you try to give an unprecedented amount this year?
27. What's the single most important thing you could do to improve the quality of your commute this year?
28. What one biblical doctrine do you most want to understand better this year, and what will you do about it?
29. If those who know you best gave you one piece of advice, what would they say? Would they be right? What will you do about it?
30. What's the most important new item you want to buy this year?
31. In what area of your life do you most need change, and what will you do about it this year?

The value of many of these questions is not in their profundity, but in the simple fact that they bring an issue or commitment into focus. For example, just by articulating which person you most want to encourage this year, you will be more likely to remember to encourage that person than if you hadn't considered the question.

If you've found these questions helpful, you might want to put them someplace - in a day planner, PDA, calendar, bulletin board, etc. - where you can review them more frequently than once a year.

So let's evaluate our lives, make plans and goals, and live this new year with biblical diligence, remembering that, "The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage" (Proverbs 21:5). But in all things let's also remember our dependence on our King who said, "Apart from Me you can do nothing" (John 15:5).

Donald S. Whitney is Associate Professor of Biblical Spirituality Senior Associate Dean of the School of Theology at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky.

Ten things on Thursdays

  Ten things on my agenda for 2012...

1~ Rely on God's wisdom and guidance to be the best Mommy I can be!

2~ Rely on God's wisdom and guidance to give me the energy to continue to be the wife I'm called to be, a great dog mom, and keep a comfortable home with food on the table

3~ Even with a busier schedule make sure to find that time for God each day so that I don't attempt to do it all myself

4~ Learn to use my sewing machine that I have had for 3 months :) Thanks sweet husband!

5~ Decorate for every holiday... yes Valentines Day, St. Patricks Day, Easter, Birthdays, 4th of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and of course Christmas!

6~ Brighten up our kitchen... paint cabinets? new countertops and backsplash? paint the pantry door?

7~ Paint our bedroom dresser with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint

This is my inspiration although they are using it as a buffet!

8~ Learn to use and take lots of pictures on our new camera... We have a perfect subject this year!

9- Organize our small laundry nook and add some excitement to it!

10~ Write more songs