Setting Goals, not Resolutions

I have a long standing disdain for New Years resolutions. I believe strongly in the power of setting stretch goals and doing your all to achieve them with the caveat that you are seeking the LORD'S will in all you do. He certainly challenges us to be better each day, to deny ourselves each day, to live for Him each day. That's my plan for 2011 - live more for God than I did in 2010. More tomorrow than I did today, more for my family than for me, more for His kingdom than for my ego and glory.

I'll share some specific things I have felt conviction about over the next few days. What is the Lord laying on your heart as we approach another year? Are you more willing now than last December to submit and be used by Him, for Him?

Days 5-8 - 31 Days to Build a Better Home

Have you joined in the 31 Days to Build A Better Home Challenge? It's not to late to jump in!

Day 5: Get Rid of Some Paper Clutter
~ While cleaning off the back stairs on Day 4, I generated quite a lot of paper that needed to be shredded. Tonight is the night our trash goes out, so all those itty bitty pieces of info are heading out!

Day 6: Plan Some Family Game Time for the Weekend
~ DH and little man are big gamers in our home - they love the Wii and all games associated with the Lego product line. Occasionally, I will convince them to put away their games in favor of a sports game that I enjoy. We had a blazing HOT weekend here, so some indoor time was a must. We enjoyed bowling, Frisbee golf, and regular golf.

Day 7: Flirt with Your Husband All Day Long
~ Done! And oodles of fun, by the way :)

Day 8: Bless Your Parents and Your In Laws
~ We are very blessed to live close to our parents. My parents live less than 10 minutes away and DH's parents are about an hour. It's a Monday night tradition that little man and I eat dinner with my parents while DH has band practice at church. Today, I cut up some fresh peaches and added a bit of brown sugar. I plan to take those and some angel food cake tomorrow night as a healthy(ish) dessert for all of us.

GO visit the ladies at Today's Housewife and join in!

Days 3 & 4 - 31 Days to Build a Better Home

I am absolutely loving this challenge over at Today's Housewife! A few moments a day really is all it takes to get something done. The challenge for day 3 was to teach your child(ren) to help in a new way. This is not exactly a totally new thing for us, but it's always a struggle - donating toys! We spent some time yesterday sorting and he did pretty well:The carton above will go to his new preschool in a few weeks. I am hoping to add much more to it before school starts.

The challenge for day 4 - today - is to clean a spot that no one sees. For us, it's our stairs leading up to the bonus room. Very few people see this spot - including me since there's a door I usually keep closed. It's far too easy to let things pile up on the stairs thinking "I'll take that up next time I go."

Well, I haven't been up there in several days. And on my last few trips, I have simply walked right past the piles. So, today was the day! And it only took 20 minutes - sheesh!! Why did I wait so long?It's not too late to join in!!

Day 2 - 31 Days to Build a Better Home

I spent the most wonderful day today down at the coast visiting with a dear friend from high school. Her son is just a few months older than our little man and the boys have such fun digging in the sand, chasing waves, playing in the ocean, and attempting to boogie board. This trip has been planned for several weeks - we try to get together once a month or so.

Imagine my delight when I came home and checked in over at Today's Housewife to see that today's task in the 31 Days to Build a Better Home challenge is to "catch up with an old friend." Not a problem for me - today was full of laughter and fellowship.

Two days down, 29 to go - we're off to a great start here!

A Fresh Perspective

I was watching Ratatouille a few days ago with little man for, oh the 400th time and was struck by a scene at the end of the movie. A waiter asks a famous food critic what he'd like for dinner and the food critic responds with "I'd like some perspective." I know I need some! What's important, what's first, what can I let go, who am I afraid to upset by saying "no," why do I think I should be perfect, what is perfect - anyway?!?!? You see the struggle, right? Please tell me you see it - and maybe feel some of it - too!

My perspective should come from remembering God's call on my life. Plain and simple. I stray from this very often and by NO means am I advocating a "follow me" philosophy. Girls, we'd all be going over the same high, dangerous cliff if you followed me. Follow Christ!!

I started a new Bible study last week with an amazing group of women. The scripture inspiration is from 1 John:4. "This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." (1 John 4:10-11) As one of Christ's followers, the most important thing I can do is to LOVE. First God, then loving those around me. It sounds so simple, yet loving requires being vulnerable, being accessible, being sacrificial. Those things are much harder. I am working every day to become more loving. I pray you are too!

Changing Things Up ...

Summer is in full swing at our house and that means 2 major changes ... home full time with little man and using the grill almost every night for dinner. I am going to try something new over the next few months. I want to share not only what we eat, but how we spend our time. I don't have any delusions that my ideas will be earth-shattering or really even all that creative. But, what I share will be real - the successes and failures. I am praying to have many of each. I hope you'll join me to celebrate the fun days of summer! First post coming tomorrow!!

Self Control - or lack thereof ...

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." Galatians 5:22-23

Several weeks ago I attended a womens conference and listened to Priscilla Shirer speak. She briefly mentioned her battles with food and referenced the verse above from Galatians as one that helped her break the bondage to food. For her, it was all about self control. Food itself is not bad, liking food is not bad; the problem comes when we have no self control and we overindulge.

God has been working on my heart over the past few weeks. I have read those verses over and over and over again and I am also being "smacked in the face" with my sheer lack of self control. Every decision I make throughout the day speaks of what I value and how much I trust God to fulfill His promises. When I make impulsive, over-indulgent, unwise, foolish, or plain old bad decisions, it reflects on me and the God I serve. I am also realizing that God has big plans for my life, my husband, our family and our little man. He could use all of us much more fully if I would display more self control. Practical examples? How I speak to people and the words I choose, how I choose to spend time, how many things I commit to doing, how I choose to spend resources, and many more things each day give me the opportunity to exhibit Biblical self control in my life.

I often try to convince myself that I have an area of sin under control - that I have overcome it. Self control was one of those area for a while. Until I realized that I had begun to control only the worst - or most obvious - things that caused me to exhibit a lack of self control. God continues to peel back layers and expose more opportunities for me to think differently and act differently. I am so thankful He's not done with me yet!

"...he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."
Philippians 1:6b