This Year is Going to Be YOUR Year!

As we begin the New Year, I know many of us will have made resolutions. I don't make them myself, but I think I create mental lists of things I want to accomplish in the new year in general. Things like writing and publishing more books, missions trips and speaking at more conferences top my list. 
But if you're like me, there are a lot of things you want to do! So how do you narrow your list to a more practical, workable one? 
Try this challenge:

Write down your Top Ten Goals for 2015 right now.
Tomorrow, don't look back at your list, and write the list again. Do this every day for 30 days and you will see your top goals. They are the ones you easily remember.

This weekend my husband and I went on a sort of retreat to listen to the Lord and what He has for us to accomplish and do for the Kingdom. We were listening to Terri Savelle Foy's "Five Years From Now" series. In it, Terri says, "Take five minutes and just stop and think." How simple a task that seemed. Stop and think about what you want to do. Those thoughts you're having of doing things in ministry, in writing, in adventure...God gave you those thoughts for a reason!

Even if what you're writing seems silly, if you're thinking it, there's probably a reason and a purpose! I want to be clear that I'm not talking about things like buying a pair of new shoes every month or things that are sinful. I'm talking about things like writing three books this year, especially if you're feeling like it's something you want to do and you've never written anything before now!

You can go back later and fine tune some of these things. Here's a list of things to keep in mind once you've created a list to help keep you on track and ensure success:

1. Your goals must be in writing. Habakkuk 2:2-Write the vision. Proverbs 29:18-Without vision, the people perish.
2. Your goals must be measurable. Writing 3 books is measurable. Simply saying you want to write books is not.
3. Your goals must be specific. If you want to pay off debt, find out exactly how much your debt is. If your goal is a family vacation, find out the specific amount of money needed.
4. Your goals must be realistic. If you want to If your goal is to write and publish a book a month, I can tell you from experience, it just won't happen. The process of writing and publishing a book is more than just a 30 day process.
5. However, your goals should stretch you. That is not to meant to confuse you. You must stretch out in faith to see this goal accomplished; it's not something you can do in your own power.
6. Your goals must have a deadline. You want to write books, lose weight, travel to a specific place? Set a date that you want to accomplish that by.
7. Finally, your goals must be in sight! You must keep them in front of you, on you (print out a copy and keep it in your purse, wallet or as your phone's wallpaper!), so you see if everyday!

I can't wait to hear your goals and see what God is going to do in each of your lives. This is going to be YOUR year!!

Blessings!


Lyn~

New Year, New Look

I'm sure you noticed the new design theme for Super Mom the Illusion. It was exciting to work with my middle son to create a new look for the blog and to get alone with the Lord to see the direction I should take with my readers.

I am going to be keeping some things the same and some things will change. You will still be able to read Homeschool Hump Day Encouragement  and the Friday 'Fess Up. Mondays will be dedicated to working toward our dreams, visions and goals and ways we can realistically move toward accomplishing them. I'm so excited about that because, as you know, vision boards and achieving our goals is my passion!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

As we begin the New Year, you may remember that I post a word that will guide and direct my attitude, activities, and thoughts. I have been doing this now for three years through the One Word movement, and this year's word is one that I am super eager to share!
My One Word for 2015 is:

I chose this word because I realized that while the Lord is always there for me and will pick me up when I'm down, struggling through a storm or in need of His loving arms, His desire is for me to want to be with Him, to pursue Him in all that I do. I am pursuing other things that I believe the Lord has led me to and my husband and I are pursuing things as a couple. It is exciting to see this One Word already beginning to change the course of my life for the good!
Oh! And if you would like to choose your own One Word for 2015, please go visit my friend's Website: www.tracimichele.com. She will create your One Word to direct your year, too.

Post your One Word in the comments if you'd like! We can support each other in our journeys throughout the coming year!!

Lyn~

Knowing It's Okay to Take Time Off

Have you ever forgotten to move the laundry from the washer to the dryer? That smell is not a particularly pleasant one! What about forgetting about something cooking on the stove or in the crockpot? Eww! Too many things going on are sure to bring mishaps with one or more of them!

Most moms I know try to do a lot in their normal, everyday lives. They homeschool, are involved in church activities, possibly involved in their children's outside activities, participate in Bible studies, prepare weekly menus, clean the house, and some work outside the home on top of all the things they do for their family!

I fall into many of these things, too. But sometimes we need to take a step back and say, "I need to take care of me instead of  continuing to (insert that thing you can or probably SHOULD step back from for a bit!)" and we need to know it's okay to take some time off. That can be difficult to do, but it is oftentimes necessary.

That's where I am at with Super Mom the Illusion. I know it has ministered to many of you over the past three years. But I have neglected some areas of my life that I know God has called me to do. I love to write these blog posts because they not only speak to the situations of many women, moms and homeschoolers but they also allow me to work through some of those things in my own life in which God needs me to listen to Him more.

What does all this mean for Super Mom the Illusion?
Well, I have decided that I need to take a break. So while there may be a weekly post here and there or some SHARING of things via Facebook, I will not be posting regular posts. I will start up again in January 2015 with a new logo and more and more things to encourage, empower, engage and entertain you as women, moms and homeschoolers!
What can you do in the next few months? 
Pray for me, send me emails if you need me to pray for you, and listen to the Lord for anything else He would have you do during this hiatus. If you find yourself in need of some encouragement, read back on the past blog posts. I've gathered three years of my own experiences as a mom and homeschooler and those things are just waiting to be shared with you and others!

So while it is not what I would like to do, I know taking some time off from writing is necessary. Don't be discouraged! I'll finish posting this month and start my break in October!
What things are you continuing to do in your life that maybe need to be temporarily put on the back burner?

Blessings!!

It's Okay to Step Away from Some Things...

Knowing Your Priorities and Making Them First

I love to play around on Facebook. I enjoy checking in with friends and family, getting those wonderfully encouraging Scripture pictures, and laughing at cute animal videos. But sometimes I just have to make myself step back and ignore those posts I look forward to seeing.
You may have heard that it is important for moms to take care of themselves in order to best take care of their families. I definitely agree with that! All too often we put the kids ahead of ourselves, our husbands come first, and the friend groups we are a part of take precedence over what we need.

• We need time to go to the bathroom alone.
• We need time to pamper ourselves.
• We need time to get alone with God, uninterrupted.
• We need time to refresh and renew our minds.
• We need time to build our faith.
• We need time to feel pretty.
• We need time to feel that we are of high value to our families and to God.
• We need time for us!

As the weekend approaches, don't feel like you have to say "Yes!" to everything, to LIKE and comment on every friend or family member's Facebook/Instagram/Twitter update, or to always be available for others. Remember to take time for yourself  to feel pampered, loved, and valued as a daughter of the Most High God. Make YOU a priority in your life!

Homeschool Hump Day Encouragement

Do you ever feel like you are living in a state of chaos? School books are still on the table, dinner is late being made, the baby needs a diaper change, your devotional time with God was cut short when your middle child woke up with an upset stomach just in time to throw up down the hallway on his way to the bathroom, and didn't you just clean and vacuum a few hours ago?
Well, I found a wonderful planner to help get busy moms. It won't help with the diapers and sick little ones, but it will help you schedule your time with the Lord as well as the rest of your day.
It's the Abigail Weekly Planner and Journal by Diadem Planners.

There's 5 pages of Scriptures in the front  that include declaring who the Lord is, what He says about you as His child, prayer requests, menu planner, appointment calendar, a journal for challenges you've had throughout the week and even a place for a weekly budget!
It's a 6-month planner and the only thing I would like to see the publishers change is to make the book spiral bound so that it can be laid out when journaling or writing out menu plans, etc.
If you're a busy mom or a busy woman, this planner is great for organizing the chaos in your life!

You can order this planner through Diadem Planners' Etsy store: https://www.etsy.com/shop/DiademPlanners.

Tip Tuesday: Pumpkin Face Mask

It's that time of year when Pumpkin Spice lattes come back, pumpkin bread is in high demand and we want more of all things PUMPKIN!
Our friends Patti and Tawsha at Organized Chaos Online are sharing their recipe for a Pumpkin Face Mask today.

Ingredients

-1/2 cup fresh pumpkin pulp

-2 eggs

-2 teaspoon almond milk (for dry or combo skin)

-1 teaspoon honey (for dry skin)

-2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or cranberry juice (for oily skin)

Instructions

Purée the fresh pumpkin pulp.then add the egg.

If your skin is dry, stir in a splash of omega-rich almond milk and the honey.

For oily skin, instead stir in apple cider vinegar or cranberry juice.

Mix well.

Apply the mask on your face, leaving it on for 15-20 minutes.

Rinse with cool water and moisturize.

Enjoy!!

Expecting the Favor of the Lord

Over the weekend, my youngest son was playing football with his friends. Long story short, he landed wrong on his wrist and felt that something might be wrong. I was out picking my older daughter up from dance rehearsal and when I got home, my 17-year-old son told me what happened. I knew the only way to tell for sure if it was broken was to go to the Emergency Department and have it x-rayed.

Now let me just say, we don't often get sick, hurt or injured to the extreme of needing to be seen by a doctor, let alone needing to go to the ER. Although I used to be an EMT, I am not a big fan of this department in the hospital, and unfortunately, that weekend night was no different. The triage nurse informed us they were "backed up with tons of people," obviously an exaggeration, but I began to pray that we would be called back to a room sooner than anticipated. Thankfully, we were called back ahead of a few people who had come in before us! That was the favor of the Lord, and I knew it!

How often do we find a parking place toward the front of the grocery store when we want one? And when we find that great spot, how often do we stop and acknowledge it as God's favor? What about when we're waiting in line and our line goes a little faster than we expected? Or a job is offered when we were in need that fit perfectly with what we've been wanting? Or what about when someone says, "Well, I don't normally do this, but for you, I will"? That's the favor of the Lord working in your life! The favor that we should be expecting because we hare His children.

This week, I want to focus on this aspect of the Favor of the Lord:

The favor of the Lord brings me prominence and preferential treatment. (Esther 2:7-10).


When that great parking place is open, that's preferential treatment!
When a job is offered to you that aligns perfectly with what you've wanted, that's prominence!
When you're waiting in the Emergency Department to be seen among several sick and injured, but your name (or the name of the person you brought in!) is called sooner than expected, that's preferential treatment!

In this series, we'll explore some of the aspects of the Favor of the Lord so that we can begin walking in that expectation of God's unexpected favor in our lives!

And my young son, the new 13-year-old young man, broke his wrist...This week I will call the orthopedic doctor to set up an appointment to get his hard cast put on. And I'm expecting God's favor on us as we call to get in sooner than we expected!

Blessings!