New Habits

I was moved by what Ann said about habits being like clothes, the attire of our day.  Charlotte Mason states it beautifully,

Habit is inevitable. If we fail to ease life by laying down habits of right thinking and right acting, habits of wrong thinking and wrong acting fix themselves of their own accord.

— Charlotte Mason

I'm inspired to join Ann in the forming of new habits and have been prayerfully considering what and how that will look in my life, now the mother of 5 precious babes, one only 6 weeks old and pure skinned and sleepless at times.  I ask myself what habits I desire to instill into my life, and are there some I'd like to remove? How does one go about doing that?

Can I remove impatience as a habit?  Can I replace it with slow to speak and slow to anger?  What exactly makes up a habit?  I will join Ann on her Colossians in a Year journey, already having printed the pages of the journal and memory cards.  Then also inspired by her writings about the Bible Memory Association booklets of her mother in laws and the creating of booklets for myself.  Most definitely I must make memorizing scripture a habit I desire this year.  Even more so imparting that to my children as I speak scripture over their lives and into their hearts, to their spirits as they sleep and their spirits keep watch by night.  To be able to draw them and others nearer to Jesus with my own journey.  What is beauty?

I am often overwhelmed with the "process" of doing things.  Desiring perfection, consistency, leaving no room for failure and finding frustration when I can't stick with a plan I've made.  I pray the Lord will help me to be flexible with my habit forming goals, allow room for error and delay at times, and to embrace all that comes with mothering five littles 5 and under.  Life is busy and loud and sometimes doesn't stop.  Not to excuse but to not put too much pressure upon myself that would lead to my quitting but rather to be encouraged with starting something new and doing all I can.

Can anyone relate?  How do mothers, wives, friends, and daughters find time for so much?  How do we move through our lives and accomplish all we desire? How do we continue to fill the pages of the journals, create the picture albums of our precious children before the time is gone, read the books they love, make the meals they favor, spend intimate time with our partners and somehow do so without missing a beat?  I simply cannot even though I want to.  I must rest in Him in order to make a habit develop.  I must find this time to rest in order to be successful...where is it?

Colossians in a Year

I truly LOVE Ann Voskamp at A Holy Experience.  She writes in a way that touches my heart, draws my inner desire to Love Jesus out in words written on a blank canvas as if she has heard the cries of my heart.  As the New Year begins she is adding a great study tool, a habit to be built, to her inspirational blog.  A Year in Colossians.  She encourages us to consider what a habit really is.

I'm moved by her murmurs towards God' heart, her yearning to draw nearer to him as a Called Woman.

As written by Ann:

" We’re reading this book and when the little girl on page 54 puts on her “habit,” a little hand here pats my shoulder and asks, “What’s a habit?” and I tell her this: a habit is something that is worn.
She flickers recognition, nods, turns back to the page, waits for me to read the next line, and I’m still sitting there realizing: A habit is what we wear. The attire of our days."

I want to post here the resources and amazing information she has included in her writings so that I might not forget. I pray it encourages just one.

Seven Ways of Highly Effective Bible Memorization*

1. Old before New

Always take the old paths. Begin each day by reviewing the memorized verses first before learning the next verse. The goal is retention not

2. Rinse and Repeat

And again. The only way to retain learned verses is to review them again and again over an extended period of time. Everyday’s memorization rhythm: Rinse and repeat.

3. Location, Location, Location

Like the mantra in real estate is location, location, location, so it is for really remembering: memorize the location of each verse. Memorize each verse number and don’t skip it. This is paramount and makes it much easier to memorize long passages and not inadvertently skip verses when reciting whole chapters. Location!

4. Take a Mental Screen Shot

Use your mental point and shoot and take a brain “photograph” of the verse. Read each new verse several times, hiding one word at a time, burning each word into your mind like light onto film.

5. Preach it

To yourself. Speak your memory verses to yourself aloud. Preach it aloud to the soul that needs it the most — our own — and say each verse with emotion and feeling. Whispering it while driving, walking, working not only is an easy way of reviewing and memorizing, it’s fulfilling God’s call to meditate on His Word day and night. And saying each verse aloud is a way to work the words deep into our memory: His Words never return void.

6. Repeat it for 100

For 100 consecutive days repeat aloud your memory work — all the verses, or the chapter, or the whole book. This is painless and demands no extra time: do it first thing every morning while getting ready for the day — in the shower, getting dressed, making the bed etc. Repeat it for 100!

7. Sabbath Sanctuary to see the weeds

After your Repeat it for 100, take the last Sunday of every month and make a sabbath sanctuary to read through your memory work. This will help you to “see the weeds” — any mistakes that have crept into your recitation of longer projects/chapters/books. Soak in His Word on a Sabbath — pluck out some weeds. Commit your heart — and mind —- to Him again.
(*Ideas adapted from Dr. Andrew Davis)
“I know of no other single practice in the Christian life more rewarding… than memorizing Scripture… No other single exercise pays greater spiritual dividends…” ~Charles Swindoll

Why Memorize?

In making to-do lists to run our lives, why not make time to let God’s Word revolutionize our lives? Because making time to memorize His Word is putting the first things first.

If we fail to keep His Word in mind, we may simply fail. In the age of Google, who still memorizes God? Are we losing a way of life… and losing our way?

“What a heart knows by heart is what a heart really knows,” urges Dennis Lennon. And what the heart knows by heart is all that can calm the heart. Direct the heart. Strengthen the heart. What do our hearts really know? Will we who claim to be believers of the Word commit to shaping our lives with His Letters?

Committing the Holy to heart is the way we commune with the Holy Himself.

Scripture repetition is the way we daily revive our faith, the slow pumping of the Word of Life into the lungs with the breath of His Words.

And for the disciples of Christ, this Scripture Memorization isn’t a a one-time hurtle — but a life-long habit.  A way of living to live the Way of Christ.

“We want this to be a discipline we practice for the rest of our lives. Think marathon, not sprint.” writes Beth Moore. “Never — NOT ONCE — have I ever known anyone to get to the end of a Scripture memory commitment and say that it didn’t make any real difference. Not a single time.”
So this Commitment Booklet: committing our hearts to Him and His Words to heart.

Learning the ART of Memorizing

Attend

Attend to the verse. Do whatever it takes to attend to the verse and work those brain muscles. If you have to act it out, draw it up, write it down, or tape it everywhere. Make up actions and sign-language to correspond with the verse. Listen it a recording of the book of Colossians on CD/MP3. Listen in the car, while doing dishes, going for a walk. For children: Draw the verse in pictures. Fill in the blank. Write it down several times. Close your eyes and see the words.Do whatever it takes to Attend.

Review to Renew

Repeat. Recite. Recap. Reiterate. And then…. Recite to an accountability partner weekly. Each day, take just five minutes to review verses learned last week. Learning is important…but reviewing is paramount to retention. Repeating God’s Word renews.

Tie

Tie Daily Memorizing to Daily Duties. Tie reciting to routines: when you brush teeth, comb hair, make the bed, use the time to savor His Sweet Word. Tie memorizing to meal times. Bind Scripture learning to laundry, labor and living. Tying daily memorizing to daily duties is the living of Deuteronomy 6:7: “You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.” Tie His Word to your life. Tie.
So goes the ART of Memorizing. And our motivation to keep memorizing? “Guard my words as your most precious possession… ” Pr. 7:2 (LB) “Your promises to me are my hope. They give me strength in all my troubles; how they refresh and revive me!” (Ps. 119:49 LB)

So in my efforts to draw nearer to God through A Year In Colossians I have added it to my 100 Day Calendar as 1 of my 3 New Habits to form this year.   As Dr. Davis said above doing something for 100 days is painless and requires no extra time, only commitment.  I pray I might spend time each day drinking from the only glass that is never empty and to quench my always tired and somewhat ragged body with the LIVING Christ.  Then in my repetition on words wash over in His Love.  I have two other habits I'd like to add to my Calendar and I've pondered long about what they should be.  Where is my hearts desire?  Not something for the children, those goals are jotted and scribbled into the deepest parts of my soul and my daily routine.  Carved on the walls and in my heart, spoken softly on my lips to my loving husband in the quiet darkness of our room as midnight draws near.  No the 100 Day Calendar will be for me, for me and Jesus.  Prayerfully I've considered what I will add to the list and decided I will not rush but rather begin my 100 days in February just to be sure I am dressing myself in the RIGHT New Habits this year. 

Yes Colossians starts now, as the year has already spun a new life but I will begin my Calendar in February already full steam on Colossians. 

Preparing for 2011

Thanks to SimpleMom.net I grabbed this great little Goal Setting, dream realizing, inspirational, reflective printable. I thought I would fill it out here as we prepare for another year.

I often avoid making New Year's Resolutions, for several reasons. I suppose the greatest would be my Obsessive Compulsive need to fulfill and perfect such commitments and always feeling like I've failed to do so. Even as I write I think of all the Mondays, Tuesday, Thursdays I've missed over the last year as I wrote this blog. I cringe at the thought of not being able to fulfill such commitments perfectly. I'm not sure why I feel this way but it keeps me from trying to formulate a plan. In that same breath I love being intentional and see great value in doing goal setting and making a plan for the future, with goals and ends in mind. I love to progress, achievement, success in such things and feel like life has greater meaning when I have such ends in mind. I tend to add new things to my sort of resolution list as I go and often feel challenged to constantly make life more intentional with more purpose. MORE...why does intention have to mean MORE?

What is intentional living didn't mean MORE but rather LESS, simplicity with commitment. What if it meant a plan with achievable goals. That is what I would like. Instead of pressuring myself to blog EVERY Monday to be satisfied with blogging most Mondays. Instead of having to do teaching and school with the children everyday, I was satisfied with most days. In the act of doing such things intention can also be brought in, planning, scheduling, being prepared and ready do such tasks does not have to mean pressure to do them ALL THE TIME. Right? I want MORE of Jesus, I want MORE of my children, and MORE of Him for them, I want MORE time with Justin and MORE time with friends. But this kind of MORE must not drive me to be fully engaged, planned, busy all the time. Rather the simplify the intentionality of life and be moving, making a new path, paving a new way.

So, as I read through the printable about goal planning for 2011 I keep in mind the quiet, the simple, the achievable with a dose of reality while raising 5 children 5 and under!

1. What healthy character traits would you like to see developed in your life this year? I would like to LOVE people more and have TRUE Compassion for others in a Christ like way. I would like to develop a deeper sense of JOY in my life, a more natural JOY related to my PEACE with who I am in Christ. I would like to be more naturally inclined towards the POSITIVE, be a person who SPEAKS more TRUTH, and pour out on my family and friends ENCOURAGEMENT and APPRECIATION.

2. What books would you like to read this year? To Train Up a Child, the New Testament, & Shepherding a Child's Heart (again).

3. Do you enjoy your job, what are your favorite things about it? I LOVE my job, my calling as a mother, a wife, and daughter of God. I sometimes find it challenging and some days I wish I could start over. In my own failure to lean on Christ is fall flat on my face, which is a reminder and a calling back to the Provider, the Healer and Friend I have in the Lord.
My favorite things include all joyous activities with my children, training, learning, and renewing life through a child's eyes. I love watching them play together, hearing them laugh, and teaching them about Jesus whenever possible. I love their innocence in life and the sparkle in their eyes. It is inspirational.

4. What is one area of progress you'd like to see this year for maintaining or improving physical health? I'd like to workout at least a little more than I do now, although I make no promises especially ones so low on my priority list!

5. What are some tangible, daily choices you can add to your life that will improve your health? Drink more WATER. Buy fresher foods and cook more.

6. What is your plan for this month for starting this progress towards a healthier life? Making meal plans and grocery lists on a more regular basis, cooking more at home and eating out less, gather more recipes to try, and filling out my 100 Days to a NEW Habit, which includes drinking more Water!

7. What are ways in which you can grow in intimacy with your spouse this year?  I'd like to be more intentional about setting aside time for JUST US!  It is too rare and too precious to be left off the list of daily, monthly and yearly priorities.  I'd like to see things in Purple more often and move toward Justin in moments of fear or anger or disappointment. 

8. What Plans will you make to meet and pray and have Family Worship together?  What books would you like to read as a family this year?  We have already begun the process of having Family Worship, doing research to prepare and have goals and plans well laid that we can act upon without hesitation.  I've ordered over 20 books to read with the children concerning the theme for each months family worship and I've been so encouraged by so many sites out there that have printables, guides, goal planning, etc. to bring the spirit into our home.  I'm so blessed to be a part of a community of amazing, strong, inspirational women.  I've also downloaded a great Mission Statement guide and a fun site (thanks to simplemom.com) to do so that allows Justin and I to contemplate many things about intentional living as a family.

9.  What will deliberate, regular family time look like this year?  Mondays are Family Worship, Sunday is Church day, Friday is Family night just hanging with Daddy after him being gone for three days.

10. How would you like to see growth in your children in the following areas:
a. Emotionally-  I'm praying that all my children in their own developmentally age appropriate way can mature emotionally and there might be a little bit less whining and crying coming from them throughout the day.  Cole is tenderhearted and also strongwilled making him sensitive to things that often result in a complete breakdown.  My twins, each in their own way, are often frustrated with the days events if it deviates from our typical schedule.  They are sometimes so flexible and easy going but mostly they need to be prepared for daily change. My prayer is that doing that pays off and they find themselves enjoying each day more.  Brynnie girl...what can you say, she is almost 2.  She is the most laid back and the least demanding most of the time.  I'd love to see her bloom into a young toddler this year.
b. Spiritually- My prayer for them this year is they each come to know Jesus and more about Him and His character as we do Family Worship this year and discuss Him more.  They have been memorizing scripture and being poured over with His word. I pray it does not return void as God has promised.
c. Educationally- Cole has come leaps and bounds with learning to read and I'm so proud. This year will be full of continued tutoring, writing, reading, and math starting in February.  The twins will being tutoring in September and I desire to see them also bloom in their understanding, writing, and letter recognition.

11. How will the children be educated this year and resources you plan to use? They will be schooled at home, with assistance from Alana, the tutor we love to see.  We will be exploring Explode the Code more this year for reading and writing, and Math-U-See for Math for Cole.  I have gathered lots of online resources for printables, projects, theme based reading, etc. to utilize as well.  Then as mentioned before, we will use Family Worship to do Bible teaching starting January and February with Seeds Family Worship Themes and Printables.

12. What are your Children's Strengths? How will you help them use them?
Cole- A Leader, Smart, Strong willed, and a Quick Learner
Brody- Tender, Creative, Dedicated and a Joyful Heart
Trace- Funny, Energetic, Quick learner, and Willing to be challenged

I hope to tap into their strengths to help with schooling this year while encouraging their areas of weakness to be strengthened in the process.   For each of them their learning style is unique and homeschooling will allow for me to approach each of them differently.  I'd like to focus more on what they learn and what things we are intentionally teaching then work on implementing that in a way that suites them.

13. What are your Children's Weaknesses? How will you help them overcome?
Cole- Stubborn, Impatient, Lacks Interest
Brody- Obsessive and Distracted, and quick to Tears, a little bit Lazy
Trace- Quick to Anger, Dominating, and Lacks Follow Through

Prayer is my biggest asset this I know.  Along with daily prayer for both energy, intentionality, and patience as well as prayer for them that they will tap into their strengths I hope to encourage them verbally toward being better and stronger in how God made them.  I would like to do Training, as detailed in To Train Up a Child to set clear and concise boundaries for them as well as offer up opportunities for them to succeed in the RIGHT things.

14. What is an area of progress you would like to see in your financial health this year?  I'd like to make progress towards paying off my Father in Law for our 2010 misfortunes with unexpected expenses and then move towards saving and planning for retirement.

15. What are some of your long term financial goals? I'd like to finish the Investools Training and begin investing Justin's IRA along with making progress with our 6 month savings and retirement planning. 

16.  What are your plan this month towards better financial health? Continuing to Coupon, living on a budget, using Mvelopes to do so and saving.

New Years Goals:
1. Colossians in a Year (on the Blog)
2. Multitude Monday (on the Blog)
3. Family Worship (Mondays)
4. Meal Planning, List Making, Eating at Home
5. Drinking Water
6. Finishing Investools
7. Time in God's Word apart from 1 & 2
8. Time with Justin
9. Reading more Books (Starting with To Train A Child)
10. Saving Money God's way
11. Prayer

I'm excited about 2011.  Time is flickering by too quickly but each year brings new excitement, challenge, and a new path in this beautifully crazy journey.  I love new goals, making things clear and intentional, recollecting our thoughts about family and where God wants to take us.  In some ways I'd like to slow down and in others I feel full speed ahead, reaching out my arms as I go along to try and pull everything together!

God help me, steer the ship, plow the way, smooth the path, allow the pain only to grow us and draw us nearer to you, that our thirst will satisfied by you and not the things of this world.  Help us to find victory in the life you've called us to leave and the children you've called us to grow.  Carry us when we are weak, walk beside us when you make us strong, stand watch over our home each day, even when we fail to ask it of you.  Sink deep into our hearts, write your name on our walls and hear us when we call! Thank you God for another year to know you more.

One Thousand Gifts

Christmas ought to be a time in which we are reminded of all the blessings we have and recognize our richly cared for we truly are by our Savior Jesus.  That He would come as a babe, naked and innocent into a broken and confused world so desperately in need of Him.  That scripture, breathed by God, so long ago was fulfilled with every moment of his arrival. How can one deny the perfection of Jesus birth?  To deny his deity and His son ship is to deny His sacrifice and its eternal significance.  I pray we might not ever take this holiday season for granted but rather use every moment to reflect and remember how miraculous that day truly was and how necessary His entrance into the world had become, from the moment the apple was bitten.

I recently attended a class on the Jewish Roots of Christianity.  I learned so many things about the OT and the pictures God painted of the coming sacrifice.  That from the beginning God foreknew and predestined His son to be the bridge that would gap our separation from the Father.  All the planning and patience it took for God to construct this flawless image of Christ through OT scripture.  That He called the Jewish people, Israel, to salvation because of His great love for them.  Then to only have them deny Christ as the Savior opening the door for Gentiles, like me, like us, to be saved and enter in God's Kingdom.  This child, born by night, in a manger to a young mother full of faith and a father full of humility, would be the Hope of the World.

The blessings through this can hardly be counted.  I only pray that as my children grow and I grow with them in my knowledge and appreciation for Jesus in my life that we might not belittle Christmas for the sake of commercialism but rather cherish and savor the message of Christ starting with his lowly birth!

Blessings
176. Virgin Birth of a naked and flawless babe
177. Flickering candles by night
178. CHRISTmas hits on the radio reminding us in song of our saviors glow
179. CHRISTmas books to be read by night and a daddy that richly loves
180. Godly women striving to provide CHRISTmas printables, crafts and fun for the kids to enjoy over the holiday
181. Interwebbing late at night to find just the right gift to make my children smile
182. Random talks of CHRISTmas with the littles that they might further understand Jesus
183. Encouraging words from other on blogs, words written in the quiet, just for me that I might see Jesus myself in the holiday
184. Spoken verses of God's words reminding us how Alive He truly is
185. Prayers prayed at the dinner table
186. Counting down the days till GLEE is squealed in delight on Christmas Morn
187. Brothers and a sister blessing each other with a gift chosen for the other
188. Cold nights under warm covers next to the daddy that gives and gives
189. Slowing down because we are sick with sweats and chills
190. Little baby feet and hands on a Christmas morning just like those of Jesus, oh how Mary must have felt to hold that angel boy

Reflections of 2010

I meant to write long ago as the year drew near to an end and quietly drifted away, finding its place in our memories with highlights of those things that seemed to stand out the most to us that we might cling to them and create pictures to reflect upon.  My memory is so visual, trapped moments caught on camera, stilled in my mind of my children, their expressions, our experiences.  Isn't it beautiful that God created us to mostly remember and reflect upon the good, to remember the heartwarming moments that we would find reason to Praise His Name.  Even greater is He that He might use the "bad" or the "sad" to draw us near to Him, remind us to rely on Him, and whisper to us His Love runs deep and often overflows for us. 

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! 1 John 3:1

In my thoughts to write and close out the year, celebrate Christmas and reflect upon 2010 that I might not forget those things that made us smile and drews us Near to Him, I delayed.  Taking care of the baby, adjusting our schedule to be a family of 7, enjoying time with our daddy while he was home...the list could run on but I delayed and now here we are the dawn of a new year.

Yet, it is still Monday, as they seem to come and go like the tide and pass by so quickly.  If I counted the year in Mondays, which I often find myself counting the year in Fridays, it would pass in a blink and I might miss the moments I long to savor and tuck away.  My desire is to hold each day dear to me, hold each of my children but for a moment before they squirm away and breathe in each day as if it was my last, engulfing, sweet smelling breath.  Could I achieve such a life of Savoring?  My heart longs to but I fail to as I allow the days and hours to unfold before me without contemplating God's rich and LAVISH love for us.

I found, at SimpleMoms.net a great and handy little tool to reflect upon 2010 and would like to do so here that I might lift up each answer to my Lord, praise Him for His abundant Blessings, and remind myself yet again to take each day as a gift, for they add up to a year within minutes of them starting.

1. What was the single best thing that happened this past year?  No question it was the wonderful, blessed arrival of our precious Westin James, baby #5, as God has richly given to us an abundance of healthy, perfect little sheep.

2. What was the single most challenging thing that happened? No contest in that losing all our savings to fixing our "used" van was the most challenging.  There is nothing quite like working so hard to store funds away to have it all gone within months to start anew with no safety net. 

3. What was the unexpected Joy this year?  The lesson that came from losing our savings was far greater than the savings itself.  To learn and be reminded that God is our PROVIDER, our SHELTER, our STRENGTH has been more valuable that the money we mistakenly and unintentionally placed our trust in.  Although we know saving and being prepared along with wise stewardship of our funds honors God we must not forget that He holds our lives in His hands, that His plans trump any we might find fitting for ourselves, and we mustn't forget it is Him we desire to honor not ourselves.

4. What was the unexpected obstacle? Getting back to a budget, adjusting our lifestyle to fit the current status of our finances, and having to borrow funds from family in order to keep going.  We pray we are able to once again be debt free within months as we know it honors God to do so.

5. Pick three words to describe 2010? Breathtaking, Inspiring, & Renewing

6. Pick three words your spouse would use to describe 2010? Challenging, Growing, & Reminding

7. What were the best books you read this year? Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp and Don't Make Me Count to Three.  Both were wonderfully challenging in our parenting approach and reminded us that we are raising an Army for Christ not just creating children. The road of parenting is paved with rough and smooth patches, the hard work pays off, and we must be intentionally diligent in paving the way for them to Jesus above all things.

8. With whom were your most valuable relationships? My husband.  As we travel down the road of parenting a large family we cling to each other in times of need and encouragement and also work through the tough stuff together as we find where God wants us to go.  Our Small Group has been a great asset to this journey as well.  A place to reflect, encourage and grow in our relationship with God, our children and each other.

9. What ws your biggest personal change from January to December this past year?  I would hope I changed the most in my approach the parenting as well as my relationship with Justin.  That I was slower to anger (overall), drawing them near to Christ, and lavishing them with Love.  That I was more patient with Justin, forgave quicker, and resolved more smoothly that he might know how much I love him.

10. In what ways did you grow emotionally/spiritually? Emotionally I hope I was able to control my feelings a little better (although being prego didn't help that at times), as well as being able to express myself in a more positive manner when feeling discouraged or annoyed.  I believe I made progress in being able to see the good in things rather than the "bad" and quicker to find joy.  I hope I was able to encourage more, stay neutral in challenging situations, and be a positive influence on someone. 
My understanding and the depth of my knowledge of Christ grew this year.  I spent more time meditating upon His word, attempting to impart His character into my life as well as the life of my children, and sought to love Him more in the peace of knowing He loved me enough to die.  Each year as a Christian I come to know Him and understand His Love better.  We've had some great training this year and for that I'm so thankful.

11.  In what ways did you grow Physically? Well, I gained about 30 pounds before I had our precious little guy.

12. In what ways did you grow in your relationships with others?  As a couple our friendships with several friends were strengthened as we allowed ourselves to be vulnerable with them and to work out growing in Christ in a raw and natural way.  Finding close relationships with women is still somewhat challenging and I will continue to seek improvement with this in 2011.

13. What was the most enjoyable part of your work (at home)? Of course watching my children grow and starting to run a little more organized and tighter ship than the year before.  To hopefully have made progress towards being a Titus 2 and Proverbs 31 women for my family.

14. What was the most challenging part of your (at home)? Patience.  Disciplining the children and bringing them into an obedient relationship with us and God has been challenging. It seems the enemy is out to thwart all attempts to draw our children closer to Christ.  2011 we will continue this quest to bring our children into an obedient and joyful relationship with us and Christ with a few less tears along the way (from Justin and I that is!).

15. What was the single biggest time waster this year?  Most likely Facebook!

16. What was the best way you used your time this year? Being in God's word or in blogs of women who love and serve the Lord through words. Journaling and reading that I might become a greater woman of Christ.

17. What was the biggest thing you learned this past year? Two things. 1. the absolute importance of being a mother and us being parents that are intentionally disciplining and training our children that they would love Jesus and serve Him as they grow.  2. How broken and messed up I am and that I often get in the way of what my heart would like to do with my time with Jesus, my family and my friends.  It is hard to be intentional and often exhausting but I don't want to give up!

18. Create a phrase for 2010 that describes you?  Obedience is: doing what I'm told to do, when I'm told to do it, with a right heart attitude. That goes for me and my children! :)

I'm so thankful God has kept us close to Him this year. That He has been faithful to teach us, provide for us, encourage us and in turn allow us to bless others and grow as children of God.  I know next year, as the years before, will continue to pave the way to loving, serving, knowing, and growing in Him more.  I pray our goals and plans for 2011 will be intentional, that our parenting will be patient, loving, and firm, that the training up of God warriors will fall into place, and our marriage strengthened in the midst of it all.  We are abundantly blessed.