New Year...New Goals...New Resolutions...

Well I want to start blogging again. Why? Well I hate how much time I spend on FB. I hate that I'm not taking time to document our life. We have a wonderful life and I often take it for granted. Looking back on my blog I loved how I use to share little stories and pictures. Now I just post silly little comments on FB.

Don't get me wrong FB has it's positives. I really enjoy using it to keep in touch with my California family, cousins, college friends and friends I don't get to see very often. I enjoy keeping up with some famous people. And the not so famous people who inspire me to be better. I also love funny e-cards and those meme thingies :)

So why blog again? I want to use this as a journal. A way to write down thoughts and stay accountable. I don't care if no one reads it. Though I do think it would be cool if I helped inspire someone. I know I follow a few blogs of my friends and they are always inspiring me!

I really want to stick to my goal of losing this unhealthy weight I carry around to be healthier for my family. I really want to spend time reading God's word. I DO NOT do enough of that. I don't want to live in fear of all my little fears. I have many. They really weigh me down at times. They suffocate me at times and leave me in a dark place.

I'm very blessed to have Jason. Some people may think I overuse or misuse that word...BLESSED. I don't think I do. When I use it I truly know it's a blessing from God. A God who loves me and never leaves my side.

Yesterday, January 3rd we had a snow day. I wasn't feel well at all from a nasty cold so decided to take the down time to get myself prepared for my new year. I found this blog awhile back, thank you Kathy, that I have really enjoyed reading. She wrote the book, 1000 Gifts. I really like what she says, but her writing voice was hard for me to follow at times. I like her blog and here is the link.

www.aholyexperience.com

I decided to use a few of her ideas. I really like her daily chart so I'm going to try it. I am changing it to a weekly chart. I think it will work better for our family.
Here's a sample... work in progress.

Ann also talks about having a manifesto for the year! It's basically a wordcloud! I love this idea. I've made one for myself and one for our family. I have printed a few and will hang them around the house and one for my desk at work! Our family wordcloud we came up with together. We also made a list of Our Family Goals for the year.

I'll be honest. When we had our family meeting to go over these things and develop our family wordcloud and goals Ben said, "Another one!" I told Katie & Ben I know I'm always trying new things but I need them to be patient with me and to also take INITIATIVE to be a part of this and be accountable! They are almost 13 & almost 10. I need them to be on board, try harder to help around the house and to be accountable. I tell them all the time I don't like going into crazy momma mode to get them to do things. 

Please don't get me wrong, they are awesome helpers...when I make them help. 90% of the time it's me nagging them. They don't initiate chores on their own. That's probably my fault. I'm lazy too. But this year we are CHANGING!! We are MOVING FORWARD. Not looking BACK. We are taking initiative and going to be INTENTIONAL as a family to work on our home. 

Some verses that came to mind last night as I was working on my new "charts":

Proverbs 31:17 "She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks."

& 

Titus 2:3-5

New King James Version (NKJV)

³ the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things— ⁴ that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, ⁵ to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.

Here is my wordcloud for 2014.

Here is the one we came up with for our family for 2014.

Well, we will see how this goes. I will have faith. I know it will take time. I know I need to be patient. I know I need to make good choices on what I eat. I know I need to control my impulses for food, buying and yelling to quickly at my family.

It's going to be a long road, but I am ready.

2 Corinthians 12:9 ESV 

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

~Lynn