February Goals, 2-2-14

My GOALS for 2014




JANUARY 2014 GOALS

A LOVING FAMILY

Love notes to Chuck.

Have daily screen free periods of time.

Specifically pray for peace, gratitude and contentment in our home.

A PEACEFUL HOME

Organize the boy's room, our bedroom and the van.

Implement clean up before moving on rule.

A HEALTHIER PERSON

Memorize Isaiah 41:10

Drink 8 glasses of water daily.

Substitute a minimum of 4 lunches with a salad.

So, I didn't memorize Isaiah 41:10 but I did memorize 2 Timothy 3:16.
(It was my oldest son's verse at church.)

ON TRACK WITH FINANCES

Pay bills on time.

Get certified for Simply Fun's MOPS Presentation

Make new business contacts weekly.  Minimum of 2.

Plan a GAME NIGHT EVENT.

I'm not sure exactly what my issue is with putting myself out there with my new business, but I sure do have one.  I finally got up the nerve to call to see if I could rent a room for a Game Night Event and the person I needed to talk wasn't going to be in until next week.  :-(




FEBRUARY 2014 GOALS

My prayer for the month of February...
God, help me to walk close to You, hear Your direction and be confident in You.

A LOVING FAMILY
Get up with husband on the days he works.
Date night with husband.
Have tea time with the boys.

A PEACEFUL HOME
Organize Bedroom and Laundry Room
Plan for spring garden.

A HEALTHIER PERSON
No eating after 7:00 p.m. and no fried foods.
Read Psalms
Pray for clarity in my choices and confidence in God's direction.
Pray for peace that I am where God wants me to be,
Memorize 1 Corinthians 10:23

ON TRACK WITH FINANCES
Track personal spending and any income I bring in.
Develop a pros and cons list regarding returning to work.

GIVING OF OURSELVES
Make muffins with the boys and take it to an elderly neighbor.
Invite a family to join us for a meal.

Simply Thursday

My 7 year old son's snowman.  It's been decorating our yard since the beginning of January,

A Woman Who Fears the Lord #17

The Woman Who Fears the Lord

A Study of Proverbs 31

Verse 26

"She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue."

I can picture her in my mind.  The trusted friend that you seek out for
encouragement, support, ideas, hope.

The reason this image is so clear is because I have friends who are wise and who consistently speak truth and love into my life.





Friends who successfully manage their finances and businesses.

Friends who have just the right touch when it comes to decorating.

Friends who seem to work magic when cooking or baking.

Friends who research every available piece of information before deciding on an opinion.

Friends who refuse to settle for the mundane.

Friends who have experienced hard situations and have come through them stronger and with more joy than is humanly possible.

Friends who spend their days balancing being mothers, employees, and wives while trying not to loose themselves in the midst of all the roles they play.


Yes, I am blessed to be surrounded by all these beautiful people I call friends.


May my life experiences allow me to speak with wisdom and offer faithful instruction to those who ask, just like Mrs. Proverbs.

Chocolate Chip Muffins

This is my go to recipe when the kids want a tasty snack.  It's very easy to make and much healthier than any box muffin mix you'll find at your local grocery store.

CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray your mini-muffin tin or your muffin tin with cooking spray or use paper liners.

In a Small Bowl, Mix Together the Following Dry Ingredients and Set Aside:

1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups of whole-wheat flour

2 teaspoons of baking soda

2 teaspoons of baking powder

2 teaspoons of cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon of salt

In a Large Bowl, Mix Together the Following Ingredients:

4 large eggs, slightly beaten

2 cups of sugar

1 15 oz. can of pumpkin

1 cup of vegetable oil

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until moistened.  Add chocolate chips

.

Spoon batter into the muffin tins.  Each tin should be 2/3 full.  (I use the Pamered Chef Small Scoop for the mini-muffin pan and their Large Scoop for the regular sized muffin pan.)

For the mini-muffin pan, bake for 14 min.

For the regular sized muffin pan, bake for 20 min.

The tops will spring back when lightly touched.

Cool for 5 min. in the pan and then remove to wire racks to complete the cooling process.

This recipe makes 6 dozen mini muffins or 3 dozen regular sized muffins.

This recipe is easy to double and the muffins freeze well.

The original recipe was create by Tammy Clifford of Sabattus, Maine and can be found at

Very Best Baking.

A Season of Personal Reflection

A tangled mess of knots.  Twists, turns, loops all contributed to the chaos that was my skein of yarn.  It decreased my productivity and my enjoyment in the project.  What should have taken me three hours ended up taking me twenty.

I assured myself that I had just grabbed the wrong end.  Next time I would be more careful and avoid that mistake.

Yet, it kept happening.  With a majority of the skeins.

Frustrated with my lack of ability to choose the right end, I decided to undertake the tedious task of untangling the labyrinth of yarn that was beginning to cause me to loose interest in a hobby.

Rolling the yarn into a ball took a couple of hours but when I was done, I had a tidy little ball of yarn that unrolled without causing chaos and delay.

It's a lot like life.

I go through my day attempting to be productive and joyful but the knots, twists, turns and loops inevitably get in my way.  I stop and do a quick fix because frankly, that's all I have time for.  Those quick fixes don't last very long and again I get flustered, overwhelmed and stand on the edge of giving up.  I blame myself for not being smart enough to make the right choices.

I can't control everything that life throws at me but I can control my reaction to life by being at peace with myself.

I am taking the time to slow down, smooth things out, and focus on every knot that rears it's ugly head.

A season of personal reflection, nurturing relationships and organizing our home renews my spirit, allowing for more productivity and joy.  It's just what I needed.

Skein, noun: a long piece of yarn or thread that is loosely wound.
Merriam Webster Dictionary

January 2014 Goals- 1/26/14

I prayed about the goals I should set in honor of the new year. 

   

2014 Goals

In order to work toward the 2014 goals, here are my goals for month of January.

A LOVING FAMILY

Love notes to Chuck.

Have daily screen free periods of time.

Specifically pray for peace, gratitude and contentment in our home.

A PEACEFUL HOME

Organize the boy's room, our bedroom and the van.

Implement clean up before moving on rule.

A HEALTHIER PERSON

Memorize Isaiah 41:10

Drink 8 glasses of water daily.

Substitute a minimum of 4 lunches with a salad.

I was nervous about putting anything about my health goals on my blog.  Fear of failing myself and an even bigger fear of failing in front of others.  What I've been doing seems to be working so far and I even lost weight in the month of December.  I drink a nutrition drink every day, make sure to drink 8 glasses of water.  Eat a salad for most of my lunches and try to be intentional about what I eat and how much I eat.  I've also started a bible study through the Proverbs 31 ministry.  The book we are reading is called "Crave" by Lysa Terkeurst and it is teaching us to be able to tell when we are hungry and when  our cravings are really for God.

http://lysaterkeurst.com/made-to-crave/

ON TRACK WITH FINANCES

Pay bills on time.

Get certified for Simply Fun's MOPS Presentation

Make new business contacts weekly.  Minimum of 2.

Plan a GAME NIGHT EVENT.

Simply Thursday

I'm excited about all 3 Bible Studies I am participating in.  This time around I am making time to do my assignments!