...to grow, to be called to change, to experience new things and to recognize our blessings--I have been led to reevaluate how I steward our blessings.
Happy New Years to everyone!
We do have a few goals to attain this year.
- We want to slow down and live more simply enjoying what we have.
- No T.V., in our home, unless we have planned movie nights very sparingly. We got rid of cable back in July, but our girls have become DVD addicts...I hated it, so we're doing something about it. (Mike did watch the Fiesta Bowl). Oddly enough, our T.V. is in our room--but our kids have to have permission to go in there so it is out of sight and out of mind.
- Instead of collapsing in front of the idiot box each evening, I have now pledged that I will read...I love to read, but just couldn't find the time to do it...so now, I have from 8 PM-10PM to do as I wish...that's 350 pages every two evenings or so...I am a fast reader. Anyone have any good reading suggestions?
- I want to finish eliminating half of the stuff in every room in our home. Sounds challenging but you'd be surprised. I have done our bedroom and the living and dining room.
- Emma is 7, Julianna is 6 and Molly is 4 I have discovered that my girls are capable of way more than I have previously allowed...I have tried to follow FlyLady's advice for about 5 years now and it works!--But not as effectively if you can't get the whole crew on board. So I have established simple routines for my girls and each afternoon after changing out of school uniforms, snacks and homework, all of us do 15 minutes of choring. They can dust base boards way better than I can- they are closer and don't have a cantaloupe size baby in their bellys'. We buy Method cleaners, so I have no fear letting little Molly spray the bathroom sink and wash it out with a cloth...Things are much more neat and way more manageable around here :).
- We have household projects that we have to accomplish! First, our kitchen floor is sub flooring:(, the original tile job wasn't laid properly so the day we moved in nearly all of our tiles cracked and popped up...I went to the liquor store, bought the airplane size bottles and made myself a martini sat in the floor and cried. With a new baby on the way and this time next year have him/her crawling...it has to be fixed! I think we are going to lay hardwood. We have to finish painting trim everywhere and I am changing my living room, dining room, kitchen and sun room colors. I want to tone down my colors a little--I love them, I just like change...this is an inexpensive way to get it.
- I gave all but a few special baby things away (even my crib and changing table), so I need to start acquiring baby gear. (We weren't done, someone needed them and we knew that when we had the need that God would supply everything...two days after we found out, a friend from church had a neighbor who wanted desperately to get rid of a crib...we got it, for free... it is far nicer than our Jenny Lind crib that we gave away...it is convertible all the way to a full size bed.)
- The hardest one...I would like to work on NOT responding to my kids and their childish behavior with haste. I want to strive to loosen up a bit and let them be...I am a perfectionist and have very little patience...I like the Grinch, can find myself in situations where my heart is two-sizes too small. I pray to be like-minded with my Maker when dealing, teaching, loving, disciplining, wasting time with, feeding, cleaning up after, cooking for and living with my precious souls. After all, I am called to lead them to Jesus, it is in large part my responsibility to see them get there. I KNOW I can't make such decisions for them, but I was called to be a mother to steward my children back to the Father's arms--many times I fall short of offering them the throne room, instead, encapsulating them in bondage of fierce dungeons...With God's help I can be changed and renewed. I carry alot of it from my childhood, how I was dealt with and being forced to act as an adult when I was in 3rd grade. God is healing me of my past and has accepted me lovingly and I want to break the chain and allow the Holy Spirit to dictate and have control over me, not harsh words or ugly memories...Pray for me if you feel led.
It should be an exciting year for us!
4 comments:
That is alot of resolutions! I'll be praying for you!
you rock, I am so excited for your pregnacy! Your girls are so sweet and thank you for your prayers as we are making this transition, it is HARD!
Have you read "Families where grace is in place" by Jeff VanVondervan? It is very much about the things that you you were talking about and relating to your kids as Christ relates to us. It was life changing for me, and it doesn't harp on the spank or don't spank thing......so that is nice as I am struggling that whole thing lately, I think a spirited 2/3 yo will do that to you! :)
(((hugs)))
Amie :)
Wow - I'd like to get some more organized cleaning around here and I would love to see the kids pitch in. I bought all safe cleaners for that as well, but haven't gotten that organized.
You have some great resolutions here and just examples of how God is working!
BTW...I think you used to have a background color behind your words and in front of the sunflowers...do you know it is gone? (was it ever there?) Anyway...just a thought - I am having a hard time reading the blog with the flowers all over the words...might help to have a background behind them. (OK, hope I am not out of line. I don't know any Html and wouldn't know how to do it myself, but maybe you do since you made such a pretty blog set up)
Thanks Mary, I will work on that...I agree that it is hard to read...I am a sucker for sunflowers and pretty colors...I will work on that, I have friends who know these things, I am just a pioneer in dangerous territory:) No offense taken!
Post a Comment