Surveying Your Year

Closing In On Your Dreams and Goals

At the end of every month, I like to step back and survey where I'm at with my goals and vision for the year. I want to begin editing my next book next month, so I'm printing a PDF copy out today! Other than that, I feel like my goals have stalled. Not because I'm not eager to finish, but because I have so many things going on with running kids to their activities, my college classes, and church activities. Yesterday we talked about the importance of prioritizing. So I considered these things:

• Am I making my writing and writing goals a priority? 
• Have I been intentional about making time to write above other interests I have? 
• Have I been making time for the Lord? 
• Are His plans for me a major focus or am I running like wild horses going in all sorts of directions?

If you're like me, some areas you feel like you've got it all together. But others are lacking. So I made a list of things to remind me to focus on those things the Lord gave me a vision for so I can stay on track for closing in on my goals! 

Here's my list:

Blessings!

But I'm Too Busy! One Word: Intentional

How to Intentionally Slow Down and Make More Time

It's just so mind-boggling at how busy I am now with my writing, college classes, church activities, Civil Air Patrol events and meetings, children's activities and events and the list goes on and on. But when did I get so busy? Every day is filled with something going on!
When I realized the next time I would be able to meet my sister for coffee might just be after Spring Break (she's a teacher!), it occured to me that it's not her busy schedule and demands of grading and lesson planning that were keeping us from having a weekly--or MONTHLY--coffee time; it was my fully cram-packed, something-going-on-daily, no-time-for-coffee busyness that hindered our sister time.
I know I need to slow down! So I had to take a step back, determine what things take priority in my life and my kids' lives, and make a plan. You know, we all are given the same 24 hours in which to work, meet, play, eat, and sleep. But what makes a tremendous difference is how we use our time. 
Many of us probably use a weekly or monthly schedule. Do you schedule time to meet with friends? For devotions? For yourself? I certainly didn't and now, I have to be intentional about making appointments, setting my schedule and getting the most out of my time with God, my family, my friends and of course myself.
What things are important to you? Do you schedule them on your calendar? How have you kept from becoming too busy? 

Blessings!

Homeschool Hump Day Encouragement

Leading Children to Jesus

Recently a friend told me that she was told by her child's public school teacher didn't think her child knew the difference between reality and imagination and pretending. The teacher had apparently asked the child what he wanted to be when he grew up. The child's response was that he wanted to be a Transformer! At this point, I think it is necessary to mention that the child...is 5 years old! The public school teacher dismissed his idea of a potential idea because it clearly did not fit her idea of a career when the child chose a career.
Now I remember when I was a young girl, I wanted to be Wonder Woman (I'm a 70s child!), my sister and I pretended to be Ponch and Jon (from the TV show CHiPs), I wanted to be a truck driver like BJ (BJ and the Bear), and I really had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up. My point is, we all had unrealistic, non-reality based ideas of what we wanted to do as we grew older. Those child-like concepts are influenced by television shows often, but rarely has a child who wanted to be a super hero actually become one!
As we lead our children to the true "transformer," we can arrange for a real and meaningful knowledge of the Lord in their lives and introduce them to Jesus, our real super hero!
I wouldn't say feed the child's fascination necessarily, but definitely be more intentional with the transformer and saving grace of everyone and the Savior and super hero of us all--Jesus!

Blessings!

Tip Tuesday: Simplify

Our friends over at Organized Chaos Online have been sharing lots of ways of organizing and decluttering this year! One thing we need to remember is that simplifing is the KEY!

I like this tip especially because it says to "live intentionally." Intentional is my One Word for the year, so it is a good challenge for me to be intentional in what I am keeping, throwing out, and giving away to charities like Salvation Army, Disabled Veterans and Goodwill.

As you go through each room in your house throughout the month of March, be intentional about getting rid of the clutter in your home and your life. Decide what is important and live intentionally!

Blessings!

Ecclesiastes: 8 Weeks of Discovering Time

To Everything...

I am reading through Ecclesiastes chapter 3 for the next 8 weeks. You've probably heard the Scripture or no doubt the famous song. But I wanted to research and explore more about this important and timely (pun intended!) Word from the Lord.
This week I'm looking at Ecclesiastes 3:1:
To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.

I've been thinking about the seasons we go through in life. For me, I went through a season of living life as a victim before I chose to be a victor, briefly of teenage and single parenthood, then I became a wife and went through a season of littles that I was homeschooling. I went through a season of depression that with the Lord's help I was able to snap out of, and now I enter a new season of being friends with my adult children and being a grandmother to their children!
Some of the things I went through were based on decisions I made myself that strayed from the paln God had for me. They took me off course, but the Lord is faithful and worked even my failures for good and to get me back on the original path He had for my life.
One thing I realize now is that because I went through certain things in my life, I am able to offer compassion and understanding, true understanding, of the situations other women are faced with. I can offer them hope through the redeeming power of the Lord and show them that living their lives wholly for the Lord can and will turn their negative experiences into good, too.
When I look back, I can see that there was a purpose for me going through the many things I have because God has always had a purpose for me and my life!

Blessings!

Reaching Your Goals

How Long Must I Wait?

I remember shortly after I graduated from high school, I wanted nothing more than to write. So much so that I did as much research as I could out in Cupertino, California on muscular distrophy so I could write down all that I had learned and pass it on to others. That paper was typed up and sat in a folder never to see the light of day again. But I knew then that I had a desire to write. I don't think I had a passion for it as I do now, but it was and has always been a part of me and who I am. I am a writer. I've set goals of publishing books, writing blog posts, reading and reviewing books, and doing all I can to write and write and write. But for all the writing I've done, I'm still left with the quesion of when all this writing (that I LOVE, mind you!) will pay off. When will my books bring in a suitable supplemental income for my family? When will I reach 500 readers? When will my books be picked up by an agent or publisher? When my goals finally be reached?

The fact is, I know these things will come to pass because I know that the Lord gave me a talent for writing for a specific purpose at a specific time and to reach and impact the Kingdom for His glory. I can't be in such a hurry to see results from all my efforts that I surpass and sidetrack myself from His plans. Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans for good and not evil, to prosper you and not harm you. Plans for a hope, a future and an expected end" (paraphrased). We can also see in Ecclesiastes that there is a time for everything that happens and a purpose under Heaven. God knows we long to accomplish those big goals and dreams and visions we've set! And what's more important and of greater focus to us is that we know He wants us to finish those things we've started.
Don't lose hope or faith. God who began a good work in you will see it to fruition!

Blessings!

Book Review: Burning Sky

I recently finished reading a very informative and interesting book by Lori Benton. "Burning Sky" is about a girl, Willa Obenchain, who was abducted by the Mohawk Indians and given the name Burning Sky. As she grows older, she is driven to return to the white family she was taken from. Twelve years have passed and her childhood home appears abandoned. A former suitor has gone somewhat mad from the effects of war and claims her parents' land as his own, and Willa meets a wounded soldier named Neil MacGregor. Willa is caught between two worlds: the white man's world in which she was born and the her Mohawk family in which she is Burning Sky. She must rely on her faith in the Almighty and His plan for her life, but is she brave enough?

This story takes place after the Revolutionary War when colonists still feared the native people. The author creates easily the settings with great detail and characters so believable this reader found herself hearing the dialogue between Tames-His-Horse and Burning Sky as the indians would have sounded.
I think as a homeschooling parent that this book would be a wonderful addition and required reading for high school students studying Early American history. The acompanying study guide leads the reader and teacher into a great discussion of the situations, themes, and literary analysis.