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Monday, December 31, 2012

2013 New Year Goals

Hmmm...thinking about my goals for the year....
 I thought I'd take a minute and share my 2013 goals with you all.  Many of them are similar to last year.  In some cases, that's because I didn't finish them last year.  In other cases, that's because they were so beneficial that I want to continue them this year!
Happy 2013!!!!
Hope your year is happy and blessed!  What kinds of goals have you made for yourself this year?

Relational Goals
*Walk With Jesus*


1.    Work Through Elizabeth Prentiss Study


2.    Establish morning Bible study & journaling

3.    Listen to praise/worship music on my stereo while doing kitchen chores
4.    Spend time in prayer using prayer journal
*Marriage*


1.    Remember that Jamie desires a sweet spirit above anything else
2.    Pray for his goals:  health, career search, intentional leadership of our family
 
*Children*


     1.   Homeschool consistently Jan-June; take short summer break; continue Aug-Nov


     2.   Be very choosy about outside activities; instead, focus more on building solid characters and obedience training at home
     3.  Pray for them specifically using prayer cards/journal


*Ministry*



     1.  Remember that my ministry is my family.  Anything else is extra and not mandatory
     2.  Focus even more on my online ministry:  blog, Facebook, websites I contribute to

Hobby/Creativity Goals



*Writing*



    1.   Post at least three times per week:  Sundays---Christian Home article, Thursdays---Vintage Thursday, Fridays---Homemaking LinkUp/Pink Saturday;  also post once weekly at my other blog, Obedient Joy


    2.   This year, I'll begin contributing to another site based on strengthening marriages.  I want to be in prayer about my articles on a regular basis.


    3.   Pursue other writing opps as I have time throughout the year.  Be choosy about what I take on to make sure the atmosphere of my blog is not compromised.


*Etsy*



    1.  Continue adding crafty items and vintage/antique items.  Spend time shopping for resale.



*Sewing*



    1.  Really focus on finishing up projects I’ve started and using up my stash.  
    2.  Lynzie received a sewing machine for Christmas.  I want to make time to teach her to use it well.
 


*Crafting*



    1.  Work on using up stash


    2.  Host a CTMH party in early spring


    3.  Try and do some crafting days with Mom


*Musical*



    1.  Decide which instrument of my 3 that I want to learn first:  Celtic Harp, Cello, A/E guitar?  I think I’m leaning toward Celtic Harp


    2.  Patiently accept Jamie’s help in learning it!

    3.  Establish routine of singing hymns with kids before bed...Jamie is interested in this too :)



*Reading*



    1.  Read 50 books
 
    2.  Be more involved in BookCrossing


    3.  Read regularly with the kids



Homemaking Goals



*Home *



1.    Plan meals and grocery lists several days before shopping trip
 
2.    Reassign chores to allow Cainan and Selah to take on more responsibility.


3.    Continue working on my kitchen to make it a more pleasant place to work


4.    Focus more on healthy homemade recipes.

5.    Declutter, sell or giveaway unneeded items...a place for everything and everything in it's place


Health Goals


*Physical*


1.    Drink plenty of water daily


2.    Set up small challenges for myself and reward myself when I accomplish them


3.    Ride my bike when weather is nice

4.       Go for walks…by myself and with family


Hope In Every Season is on Facebook now!  If you enjoy the articles you read here, please hit the "follow" button in the sidebar.  Thanks so much for visiting---every one of you is a blessing to me!

Linking with:
Wisdom Wednesdays @ Simply Helping Him 

Saturday, December 22, 2012

I Heard a Bird Sing...Welcome Baby Brenna!

"I heard a bird sing
In the dark of December.
A magical thing
And sweet to remember." ~~Oliver Herford

 I'm happy, blessed, relieved, thankful to announce our newest little blessing, Brenna Evangeline, has been born into the world!
 She arrived safely, quickly, and healthily yesterday morning, December 21, 2012, at 10:25 am.

Today all her brothers and sisters get to come meet her and she'll be home just in time for Christmas!
What a wonderful gift---thank you, Jesus, for our baby Brenna! 

Linking with:

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Have You Had Your Sabbath Today?


Some days I feel really overwhelmed! It's not really a bad kind of overwhelmed, and I usually don't let it affect my good mood too extremely, but I often feel that there's a lot more to process than I'm willing to give attention to at the time!
 

I was reminded today that I need to rest! I'm not talking about sleep--that thought is just a funny joke right now with our newest blessing due to arrive any day and me finding it impossible to find a comfortable position to be in! I'm talking about that stillness we're supposed to experience with God. That "Sabbathing".

God, himself, gave us the example of the Sabbath or "rest" day in Genesis 2:3: "Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made." We know our God didn't need a day of rest, but he knew we would need one---in fact, we would need many!

There are some who practice a strict Sabbath day once a week (usually on Saturday or Sunday), where they do no work, no cooking, no entertainment---actually, I'm not really sure what they DO, but I know the Sabbath is, for them, a specific day with specific "rules" that is and are unchangeable.

While I don't think God intends for us to be that legalistic about the specific day or numbers of hours spent doing nothing, I can see how planning for and taking this day can be a peaceful and restful thing to look forward to!

The way I see it is that God wants us to have many "Sabbath days"...even "Sabbath hours"! One of the many similar definitions for "Sabbath" is "to rest". Feeling sick? Take a Sabbath. Want to contemplate God's many blessings on your life? Take a Sabbath. Feeling overwhelmed by absolutely nothing? (Why, yes I am!) Take a Sabbath!

I'm physically tired but I don't necessarily need a physical nap. Let's face it, I've got nine children---one of them squirming around inside me at all hours of the day and night---and all of them 12 years old and younger. I'm not going to get that nap! What I need is time to rest in God. I need to meditate on verses like Proverbs 18:10: "The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and are safe." I need to memorize promises like 2 Timothy 1:7, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power and of love and of a sound mind."

There's a quote that says, "Don't be so much a 'human doing' as a 'human being'." There's no reason to overload myself with neither thoughts nor activities. When I feel this overwhelmed feeling coming on (especially when I don't know why!!), the best thing I can do is cast all my cares upon Him because He cares for me (1 Peter 5:7)...and rest!

Friday, December 7, 2012

Putz House Banner and Pretty Christmas Pinks

Happy Friday everyone!  Hope you're feeling peaceful and blessed as you prepare to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year!

A couple weeks ago, I bought an adorable pdf off of Etsy of these cute Putz House Christmas scenes.  This morning, I fixed up a cute banner for my pink Christmas shelf.   

You can find the pdf on Etsy at Pink Pearl Studio.  I plan on adding a little lace or something to the top of each banner piece but need to find just the right trim before I finish them off.

Most of our home is decked out in traditional Christmas colors but I wanted a little shelf of my own to make all pink and pretty!  Here are some of the other things I've got up there:
I love this pretty vintage angel tray.  I'd love to find some more like it but all the ones I've found so far have been black and gold.
I found this cute little winter girl at a yard sale last summer.  I'm also collecting these vintage tree toppers.  This blue one looks pretty with my tray.
Today at Pink Saturday, we're showing off our Christmas treats.  I've been making these yummy pink-wrapped carmels and selling them in my Etsy shop.  Yum!  What a great gift idea, wouldn't you agree? 
 Tonight we're headed out to get our Christmas tree!  Each year, the Boy Scouts sell them just a couple blocks down the road and we always get ours from there.  Daddy will put up the lights tonight and tomorrow night we'll get it all decorated.  Each year, we give the kids a new ornament and my husband and I buy them for each other.  Someday when they're married, I plan on giving each of the kids their ornaments on their first Christmas.  After we decorate the tree, we always have hot chocolate and candy canes and watch the lights on the tree.  That's a fun tradition my mom did with us and my kids enjoy it every year.

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I hope you'll link up your favorite posts with today's Homemaking LinkUp Weekend.  Please also share the button on your blog so your friends can join in too.  Have a great week!

Linking With:
Beverly's Pink Saturday


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