A Cheerful Heart

I began (and nearly finished) a rather lengthy post on my [many] goals for the coming year. But I’ve since scratched them and was inspired by a new idea. One of my goals was to simplify and this couldn’t get any simpler than this.

My goal for 2010 is to cultivate a cheerful heart.

Jennifer Rothschild said on Twitter yesterday something that solidified this post:

RT @jennrothschild: New year thought: I want to do one thing well rather than dabble in many things with mediocrity

A bit a wise advice if I do say so myself.

In addition, I read an article called Cheerful, Authoritative, Consistent put out by Michael Pearl in the latest No Greater Joy Magazine (Jan-Feb 2010).

Something he said that really struck a chord with me,

A young parent that is full of good cheer has 75 percent of what it takes to be a successful child trainer. Everyone is attracted to joy. Children will do anything for one who enjoys them. Once they get in the joy zone, they never want to do anything that might jeopardize that relationship. A parent of good cheer can deliver a more effective rebuke in less time and without damaging the relationship than a legalistic grump could do with a thousand Bible verses and a hundred spankings. If you are cheerful in the Lord Jesus Christ you will be a dynamic child trainer. You will be to children what a flower is to a bee.

I have found this to be true. When it comes time to train or discipline my children, they are MUCH more receptive and willing to please a mama who is cheerful. But when I am a grump, who wants to please a grump? A grump simply can’t be pleased.

Cheerfulness. Joy. The one, simple thing I need more of. It comes only from the Lord.

 

Reflection. Repentance. Renewal.

Reflection

As I sit here and reflect on the past year…2009…I see a lot of battling…lots of struggles, spiritually speaking (then again, isn’t everything spiritual?…think about it).

I see myself praying a lot for help–which is a good thing, right?

I don’t know how other women are, but for me, ever since having children, I feel like I have been on a hormonal roller coaster that I can’t control. Anyone else relate to that? It is most disruptive in my life! I don’t ever remember being so hard on myself or struggling so much with my moods, my mentality, my mind as a whole.

We also went through a major church transition, which I will not get into details about.

And I blogged more in 2009 then in any other year. In fact, my blog took off, triple the traffic I had this time last year. So thank you for hanging around and thank you for your encouragement. I don’t know where I would be without it (the encouragement, not the blog). I have made some treasured friends and mentors through blogging and I am so grateful for that.

I have tapped into my gift of writing this year after it laying dormant for 8+ years. I began journaling in a way I never knew, thanks to Ann Voskamp.

Repentance

Repentance is more than being sorry for something. I don’t want to look at my life as one big regret because of  sin. Unfortunately, sin is inevitable. Thank you God for Jesus. I am not trying to sin and I am trying not to.

Repentance is having remorse, but it is also turning away and going the other direction. It is the reversal of anothers’ direction.

I want to reverse some direction in my life and go the other way. Those specifics will be included in my goals for the year [which will be posted tomorrow].

Renewal

My soul and spirit need a major renewal and I think with that is going to come some major mindset changes. The Bible says,

Romans 12:2 (KJV)
² And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

One of my goals for the year 2010 is to study the book of Romans in depth and be proactive about memorizing scripture. I will be replacing the time I spend reading and surfing the net to read the Bible and memorize scripture instead. Please, don’t give me credit for my intentions…as of now that is all they are. The only way this is going to be possible is by the power of God Himself. I have already recognized I cannot do anything on my own. That has been part of my struggle all along. I keep wanting to do it all…but I can do nothing apart from Him (John 15:5).

Recently I began compiling a list of 1000 gifts and continue to read about how life changing it is.

The foundation of my life is wrapped up in my Abba Father – Yahweh and my Savior Jesus – Yeshua. This –Bible study/memorization, gratitude, prayer, relationship with Him– is the Cornerstone of everything else.

You will see more about this tomorrow when you see my goals and how they are ordered.

Might I encourage you to think about the coming year as an opportunity? Visit Ann @ Holy Experience to join in community with us. It would be an honor.

 

Build a Blog or Build a Home?

Build a Blog or Build a Home?

This is a question I’ve been faced with as of late. Because I tell you what, seems like building the blog has taken precedence over building my home.

Isn’t it funny how distractions can take us away from what really matters? Isn’t it funny how so many of us are faced with the same convictions? Visit those links, read the hearts of these women, then read the comments. See how many agree? Yes, I am one of them. And I need to do something about it.

Do you know how many times I have blogged about blogging getting in the way of motherhood? See here, here, here, here, and here.

It’s time to take serious and drastic action. Yes, the blog stays…but I am finally implementing a schedule and a limit.
The simple fact is that building a blog takes a lot of time. Time I have been pretending that I have, but that I really don’t.

Surfing other blogs takes even more time then writing on my own.

The new year is approaching and it is always a motivation for me to get a fresh start. This year is no exception. I am rather excited about making these changes, but know full well they won’t come without difficulty, temptation and all that fun stuff.

The Bible says, “The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish woman tears hers down.” (Proverbs 14:1)

It does not say, “The wise woman builds her blog…“

I don’t want to be foolish.

I’ve said it over and over again…but my children are only small once. They are growing…now. I can’t get yesterday back again. Children require lots of time – lots of time!

I’ll actually be writing more on my future goals and the like in the beginning of the new year.

I hope, despite all my imperfections and delays, you’ll continue to journey with me.

You may not notice a difference in my time because you can’t gauge how much I read or spend social networking…but I will be sure to share once in a while how it’s going–good or bad.

 

Perfect Fit

I’m recognizing more and more just how perfect a fit I am with the role God has given me.

I know this because when I am walking in the shoes of being a mother and a wife, doing acts of selfless love, there is complete fulfillment there.

But when I am doing other things, namely for extended periods of time, my spirit knows no peace. It does not rest because it knows it shouldn’t be there.

I have experienced this over and over again. It is confirmed for me time and time again.

Many women have written on how blogging has taken up much more time in their lives then it ought to….including me. Though I have cut down, I still don’t think I’ve scaled back enough.

There are days where I feel obligated to post and I don’t know why. I know it’s not a nudge of the Holy Spirit, but rather a pull of temptation to take me away from the work God has created for me to do.

At our Wednesday night Advent service, I learned  not to stay and fight temptation, but to FLEE from it! Because if Satan can’t drag us to hell, he does everything he can to steal our joy.

I also learned the beautiful value of work. We were created to create. Think about that for a minute. God gave us the work we have [in training our children, building our homes, etc] to create it. We are stewards of what He’s given us – what are we doing with it? What am I doing with it? Better yet, how can I use the unique gifts God has given me to create? Create a home that’s a haven. Create a marriage that is blissful. Create children who love the Lord. God has equipped me and will finish the work I’ve started…if I persevere.

I am still not satisfied in the place I’m in, because I know He wants more from me.

The new year is quickly approaching and I have been seeking Him about some new goals. I am serious about goals during the year. When I stumble, I get back up and work at it again. I continue to work toward the goal until it’s complete – even if it will take a lifetime.

I know my goals thus far will include the following:

• memorizing Psalm 119, among other passages
• digging into a new Bible study (or two)
• have a set schedule for computer time (rather than getting on whenever I please) and sticking to a maximum limit

Is anyone else thinking about goals for the upcoming year?

Though I am not where I want to be [and never will in this life], I want to be content in the seasons the Lord brings me to.  Yes, I want to strive forward…but I also need to reach for His grace and not mistakenly think I have to do this on my own. I need to learn to walk in forgiveness because Jesus didn’t die for nothing. He died for me…because He knew all my efforts still wouldn’t be enough – and yet God still wanted to be in fellowship with me simply because He loves me that much.

Thank you, Abba Father, for loving me with a depth I simply cannot fathom. Keep reaching my heart Lord and help me to embrace whole heartily where you have me now.

 

Fall Into Reading 2009

I seem to fall into this reading challenge every season, but fall off rather quickly as well. Well, this time I don’t want to do that! LOL I want to at least set a few book goals so I have something to aim for. I’m going to keep the list short and sweet, and if I add more later, all the better!

1. Gift From the Sea, Anne Morrow Lindbergh (finished)
2. 101 Devotionals for Home School Moms, Jackie Wellwood
3. Humility: True Greatness, C.J. Mahaney
4. Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis
5. Redefining Beautiful, Jenna Lucado (finished)
   *Updated* Added:
6. Leaving a Trace, Alexandra Johnson
7. She Did What She Could, Elisa Morgan (finished)
8. Ordering Your Private World, Gordon MacDonald
9. Big Truths for Young Hearts, Bruce A. Ware
10. Educating the Whole Hearted Child, Clay and Sally Clarkson
11. The Language of Love and Respect, Dr. Emerson Eggerichs

Aside from these, I will probably squeak in a few reviews as well (because who doesn’t love free books?!)

What one book are YOU really looking forward to or wanting to read? Click the button at the top of the post to join in on the challenge.

 

Spring Reading Thing 2009!

I would like to take this opportunity to get some reading going. I’ve taken a break from reading, not on purpose, just because I’ve been busy. So, without further ado, here is my list:

 

 

Work through Charlotte Mason’s Original Homeschooling Series:

Drawing with Children by Mona Brookes

The Truth War by John MacArthur

And with my husband I would like to read through Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

This should be more than enough, however, I do have a book on preorder right now that will be released in May. The book is:

I don’t think I’ll be able to wait to read it once it comes in!

Would you like to join the fun? Visit Callapidder Days for more information on how to participate!

 

2009 Goals: Monthly Check-In

In the very beginning of the year I compiled a list of goals and really want to continue to work toward them. So far, here is where I stand with what I’ve been working on:

1. Read the Bible in 2009- I am currently up to date on my Bible reading, however, I have found myself slacking and putting it off until evening. I really want to do my reading in the morning and really help lay that foundation for the day. So February will be focused on doing this habit in the morning.
2. Homeschooling consistency has been going well. I’ve simplified the lessons and more has been accomplished, in fact. So I’d like to stay on this track for February and see how we do.
3. I have been better about making my husbands lunch, but am still not doing it daily. I think I did it about 3 times this week, which is still much improved!
4. The cleaning has been better kept, making it easier to maintain everyday. This is very motivating for me. I remember, if I do it right away, it’ll be done and not as much work!

The rest of the areas still need attention, but again, I cannot do all of them at once. I focus on a few at a time. These have been my focus thus far, but I would like to try even harder this month and have a good report for next month, and hopefully, be able to move on to a couple new goals!

How about you? Have you made any goals for 2009 and would like to evaluate them each month? Visit Biblical Womanhood and link up for accountability!

 

J.O.Y. is Mine in 2009

Friday morning was one of those frequent mornings where the children were whining, fighting, and overall just not happy with each other. It was this morning that this motto was birthed: J.O.Y. is Mine in 2009. It stems from the familiar J.O.Y. acronym which looks like this:

Jesus First
Others Next
Yourself Last

Though I try to teach my children to be selfless and serve others, it’s only on a case by case basis. I haven’t been proactive in doing this and I am beginning to realize the ill-effects that go with my negligence. My children have become unhappy with each other,

especially when they don’t get what they want [from each other]. This child wants that toy, or this chair, or mommy’s attention first. They want to be first to go out the door, first to get into the van, first to go up the stairs…well, you get the idea. I don’t see them going out of their way in order to help one another out or allow the other to go first. They are each out to please themselves – their own sinful flesh.

I am by no means exempt from this. Though I don’t fight with them the way they do with each other, there are still many areas I can improve on.

Our goal in 2009 is to thoroughly study the book of Philippians, while putting service in to practice. This year will sort of be a “training year”…to learn these things and know them inside and out, so that serving others will continuously be in the front of our minds…our heart’s desire. My goal is for serving others to be so natural that we do it by heart. We don’t have to think about it, it becomes automatic.

God completely made this all happen and is leading everything. Whatever we do will be written down in case someday it may turn into a curriculum for later use. We have our motto, made some posters to our liking, and will also make a banner which will be hung in our kitchen for constant remembrance.

I am very excited to embark on this journey! It will be a main focus for this year. There are many aspects to serving others, so it will never become dull. Yay!

 

As We Resume School…

….some ideas and goals that I want to get recorded keep running through my brain!

There are a few crucial items I would like to implement or keep going in the coming months. They include:

• Weekly Nature Study ~ this is my daughter’s favorite thing to do. She truly enjoys getting into the depths of nature and then journaling about it in her nature journal. One of her favorite things is when I join her in journaling. So I would like to keep this a priority. Somehow I would like to involve my younger children. They may not be able to journal, but they certainly have five sense they can use! We will be using the Handbook of Nature Study by Ann Comstock and the Burgess Animal Book for Children by Thornton Burgess, while following challenges put out by Barb at www.handbookofnaturestudy.blogspot.com
• Weekly Sketch ~ Again, Barb at her other blog http://harmonyartmom.blogspot.com/ posts ideas every week for a sketch for homeschooling children to do. The idea is so open-ended, it allows a lot of freedom for children to use their imagination, and put their drawing skills to use. My daughter has a passion for drawing and creating. It’s probably the thing she does the most. I would like to nurture that. 
• Daily Journaling ~ Over at www.letteroftheweek.com they have a whole year of ideas for children 6-8 years old for journaling. We are going to use this as a guide. Journaling will help with spelling, sentence formation, handwriting, comprehension, as well as keep memories. I loved to journal as a child. I believe I began serious journaling in the 5th grade. I would like to offer this art to my children earlier.
• I also need to be more consistent with our read alouds – seriously, sometimes I forget (even though I have it written down!). Also, I need to not be afraid to have Gabriella read on her own if she must.
• Lastly, I would like to set up the schedule to where she is doing a couple of subjects just 2-3 days a week, instead of everyday and I need to pick those particular days and stick with them. So, here are the subjects and days:
  Monday: Geography and History
  Tuesday: Nature Study
  Wednesday: Fine Arts Study (picture or composer)
  Thursday: Nature Study (wrap up for week)
  Friday: Geography

And of course everyday will consist of:
Dictation/copywork, math, grammar, Bible, read-alouds (literature, history, and geography living books), and most likely composition (since there is a process to writing which cannot be completed in one day a week).
In addition, there will be crafts which are chosen by my daughter, only if she wants, and done independantly, except for when I’m needed.

I think writing this all down, and possibly even coming back to it regularly, will help me implement it and remember what it is we’d like to do. My prayer is to be consistent and stick with this, not rigidly, but to benefit my daughter. Of course, if something doesn’t work for whatever reason, we will change it. I would like to put something like this together for my sons, too. That, however, is for another post, and perhaps another day altogether!

Here’s what Charlotte Mason had to say about methods and systems:

Method implies two things–a way to an end, and step-by-step progress in that way. Further, the following of a method implies an idea, a mental image , of the end or object to be arrived at.

System–the observing of rules until the habit of doing certain things, of behaving in certain ways, is confirmed , and, therefore , the art is acquired–is so successful in achieving precise results, that it is no wonder there should be endless attempts to straiten the whole field of education to the limits of a system.

What are your plans for the second half of the school year? Are you revamping anything? Changing curriclums? Doing minor tweeking here and there? Please share about it here or on your blog and let me know so I can come visit you!

Click the button at the top beginning Jan. 6 to visit Our Journey Westward to read more wonderful posts featuring Charlotte Mason methods.

 

Journey to a Healthy Woman #1 – Setting Goals

The year 2009 is going to be an exciting one! I am a runner at heart, but that’s as far as I’ve gotten! Besides running a rare mile or two, I haven’t run since summer of ‘07! I stopped just as soon as I got started! However, I did ignite a passion for it in my husband…he is a runner and he constantly bugs encourages me to get out there and run. So this year, no longer being pregnant, I have no excuses! I am going to put some running/fitness goals under my Goals ‘09 page as a progession for the year.

Now, you may not be a runner and that’s OK! There are plenty of things you can do to stay fit. Exercise is the key to living healthy. Weightloss is only one benefit of staying fit. There is SO much more involved. I encourage you, when you set your goals this year, don’t set them for weightloss, set them for habit training to be consistent with exercising. I’ll tell you the simplest and one of the best ways to stay fit: walking. That’s right…make room in your schedule for a nice walk either each morning or each evening (or whatever suits your schedule). If you have children, you can take them along, and they, too, will benefit from the exercise. Start off small…just 5 minutes. Build up to walking fifteen minutes from home, then turn and walk back. You will be walking 30 minutes a day, and I am telling you, this is an excellent way to get fit. Pick it up a pace for a more challenging work out, once you get used to doing the walking.

The bottom line is, those who are living energy-filled, longer lives are those who exercise daily…not those who deprive themselves of every food on the planet. You can still eat what you like (just cut down on those sweets and fats a tad) and the walking (or whatever exercise method you choose) will be a large source of staying healthy.

I hope to do a weekly column dedicated to focusing on how we are doing and what steps we are taking to reach our goals. It will also be a time of encouragement, so check back each week, possibly on Thursdays, for the “Journey to a Healthy Woman” post.