Are you ready?

What do you do when you are preparing for a big event? If you are like most ladies you get your hair and nails done, shop for a new dress and put your best effort into your look. Most men take a shower and call it good. No seriously, depending on the man, they might get a haircut, get their nails done and shop for new clothes too. They also want to put their best foot forward.

Did you know that another BIG event is coming? It might not be today, tomorrow or even next week, but it IS coming. Christ will return someday. Are you ready? I am channeling my inner excited Elsa voice when I am asking if you are ready. If you don't know what I am talking about click on Elsa's name and watch the super short video clip. In it she asks if they are ready and then she does some beautiful things with ice. I am asking are you ready because the most beautiful thing is coming...can you imagine walking through those pearly gates and meeting our Maker??

Now, you may or may not be a Christian, but regardless, He is coming again and we need to be ready. If you are a Christian, are you ready? Are you living each and every day in a way that will bring glory to HIM? Are you being a good Christian witness?

I can hear some of you say, “I don’t believe in that.” Well, that is fine too, because it is a choice for each and every one of us to make. I choose to believe and I choose Christ. Now, if I am right, then I will spend eternity in heaven with my heavenly Father and my Christian family and friends. If I am wrong? Well, then I will still have spent my life trying to do my best, to be good and do the right thing, and to treat others like I would want to be treated. I will live my life in such a way that I don’t have regrets. Do I get it right all the time? Of course not, I may be a Christian, but that doesn’t make me perfect. I am human and I do and will continue to make mistakes and not always choose the right choice.

Now, what if you are right and there is not a God and heaven? Well you can continue to live your life exactly as you please while you are on earth and die knowing you lived your life exactly as you wanted to live. Again, it’s your choice. But, what if you are wrong? What is there is a God and a place called Heaven? Prepare to meet your maker and spend eternity burning in hell. Will you have regrets? Will you have really lived your life just the way that you wanted to live it?

This may sound harsh, but I want my friends and family in heaven with me, not burning in Hell. So, if you have never heard of Jesus Christ, He is real and He desires a relationship with you.  How do you learn more about Him? By reading the Bible and asking questions about what you are reading. Don’t take my word for it, read it for yourself and draw your own conclusions.

I know Christians have gotten a lot of bad press, mostly for being too legalistic. Our God is a God of details, but He is not legalistic, nor do I believe He wants us to be. (I am speaking to myself here too, I know I used to be way to legalistic and have mellowed a bit over the years) He is the judge, not us. When we make issues out of non-issues we are not representing Him well.

Some people think that they need to get their life cleaned up before they come to Him. However, Jesus says to come as you are. He is not looking for perfection, He is looking for a willing heart. You can repent of your past mistakes and failures, He is a God of forgiveness and will wash your sins away, making you clean as the freshly fallen snow. Your slate will be clean when you ask Him for forgiveness and you can truly start over and be free. Again, don't take my word for it, read your Bible to find the answers for yourself.

 If you died tomorrow, would you have regrets? (And I hear, "no because I will be dead!") Seriously, if today was your last day on earth, would you have regrets? Would you look back and wish you had done things differently? Today is the day to make those changes so that you will not have regrets. As long as you have breath it's not to late. If you are reflecting on your life and not happy with the choices you have made, make a change today! Now I am thinking of Michael Jackson and his song "Man in the Mirror." As you look in the mirror what changes can you/should you be making?? It has to start with YOU, no one can do it for you!!!!! "I'm gonna make a change...it's going to feel real good...gotta make that change today..."-Michael Jackson...If you don't know the song click on the link and lesson, it really is a good message.

Psalm 51:10 "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me."

John 8:32 "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Acts 2:38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

While you are waiting

I don’t know about you, but I hate waiting. Are you, like me in the middle of a waiting season? It seems like we are ALWAYS waiting on something, whether big or small. We had thought for sure that we would know whether or not Matt was getting the job he applied for back in December. However, here we are, pretty much at the end of January, with Matt flying in on Saturday and we still have not heard about the job! I am sure there are a lot of contributing factors that have delayed this decision, Christmas, New Year’s, Martin Luther King, Jr. day, and then the snow storm of the decade hits and DC is snowed under.

I have good days and bad days with waiting. On the good days I am keeping my eyes on the Lord, completely trusting Him.

On the bad days I am more focused on the situation and the not knowing. I let worry and doubt creep in.

I am currently reading “teacher” The Henrietta Mears Story by Marcus Brotherton and it is really good. I read this quote yesterday:

“Will you stop looking at your problems and wringing your hands in despair? Faith and despair cannot remain in the same heart. Take your choice; trust God or worry. You cannot really do both.” –Henrietta Mears

Are you in a season of waiting? Are you waiting on a new job to come open? Waiting on your house to sell? Waiting on that new baby? Waiting on that pathology report? Waiting on your deployed spouse to come home? Waiting on orders for your next move? Waiting on your child to grow up? Waiting on a job promotion? Waiting on someone to recognize all your good work? Are you waiting on healing? Waiting on the snow to melt? What are you waiting on? How are you handling the wait? I have 10 tips for you while you are waiting, they are from Lysa Terkeurst’s book (and Bible Study) Walk inFaith and come from the following verses:

Psalm 27:13-14 “I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait on the Lord.”

Psalm 33:20 “We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield.”

Psalm 40:1 “I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry.”

Psalm 130:5 “I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.”

1)      Do not lose confidence in God’s goodness

2)      Be strong

3)      Do not lose hope

4)      Let God be your shield and help

5)      BE PATIENT (emphasis mine!)

6)      Continue to cry out to God

7)      Cling to His word

8)      Watch for His answers

9)      Trust in His unfailing love

10)  Rejoice in His redemption

He hears our prayers and He knows the desires of our heart. One of my devotionals this morning said that God sometimes answers in ways that surprise us.

“This reminds us that He is not bound by our expectations, and we can’t predict what He will choose to do. While we wait, focusing on who He is rather than what we think He should do will helps us find joy and satisfaction in our relationship with Him.”-Jennifer Benson Schuldt

“If you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, look for it like silver and search as hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.”

Proverbs 2:3-6

Waiting is not easy. I don’t know anyone who LIKES to wait. However, it is a part of life. We can’t control how long we have to wait and we can’t hurry that decision up, but we can choose HOW we are going to wait. Are we going to continue to be impatient? Or are we going to wait in our own strength? Or, are we going to let go and let God, in His amazing strength? Keep looking up, it makes it easier to wait if we wait on the Lord and look to Him, rather than focusing on our circumstances.

Hair!

So for those of you following my hair debate on Facebook yesterday, here are the results. I decided to go to Wal-mart and buy color in a bottle! I have never colored my whole head, I have only had highlights and lowlights, so this was a huge step for me. I was standing in the aisle trying to make a decision. I asked the kids their opinion and E said "Clear!" He did not want me to change it at all, no surprise there. K was like, "Most of these are permanent." Hmm, let's avoid those!! I finally decided to do Clairol Natural Instincts, a light brown color. The top pictures are before pictures and then after pictures. When the kids saw it E said it didn't look much different (it doesn't) and K said it looks good, there is less blond in it, which is true. I have never colored my own hair, so that was another HUGE step for me. For $7 I think it looks fine. It's funny because first reaction is I think I liked it better before I started. I will know better after I really wash it the first time. I probably could have left the color on a little bit longer too and I am thankful for one of my friends advice as she told me it would come out a bit darker than you think, which it did, I was going for light and it looks darker. I think it would have looked better if I had had help, but hey, whatever I DID IT MYSELF :)!!!!!!!

 What do you all think??? Honest opinions here :)

Below this comment starts the AFTER pictures. I tried to get the same angle's as the previous pictures.

Be Quiet

Do you ever find yourself saying things that you know you shouldn’t say? No matter how hard you try the words just spill forth? I have that problem when I am overtired…I tend to have run of the mouth syndrome. I find myself spilling out all these things that don’t matter and this is when I am most likely to say something negative about someone. Or just grumble about everything! I can hear myself saying these things, but feeling powerless to stop them. Usually it is Matt who hears all my run of the mouth tendencies, but sometimes I am on the phone when I do it and then I wind up feeling stupid for what I say. I sit there thinking that was completely pointless and what must this person be thinking of me?! I was lying in bed the other night thinking about the verse that says “Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips.” Psalm 141:3

When I get up in the morning and start my prayers I usually remember to pray about my tone. I don’t want it to be biting and negative, tearing the kids or anyone else down. But, I don’t actually remember to pray about my words!! I need to make this verse part of my morning prayers. I don’t want my words to negatively impact anyone and I know this directly affects my Christian witness.  Proverbs 25:11 states: “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.” (NKJV)

Last night after I put the kids to bed they were laughing and talking. A while later I went in to tell them I was going to bed and K said E wouldn't stop talking. He said "I can't help it. I am so tired and I can't stop talking!" The apple doesn't fall far from this tree. So, if me and my son have run of the mouth tendencies, I imagine we are not alone.

Let’s watch our careless words. Words we say in anger or frustration will always be out there. I can remember hateful words said to me as a child…and obviously I haven’t been a child for a long time. It’s not like I want to remember those words, but they tore me down and it has stuck with me. You never know what someone else is going through. It may look like they have it all together, but if we all remember the golden rule to treat others how we want to be treated, and to build each other and stop tearing each other down, we would have a lot less regrets. Words are powerful, how will you use yours today?

Blank Slate

The fresh fallen snow reminds me of a blank slate. It is beautiful and unmarred by anything. I love how pretty it looks before anyone walks or drives on it. Each day is a blank slate too, a chance to start over. No matter what you did yesterday, today is a chance to start over, a chance to do the right thing. Yesterday’s choices don’t have to define who you are today. Maybe you yelled at your kids, your husband, your parents, the grocery store checker, the car in front of you, the car behind you…it doesn’t matter, today you get a fresh start to do it right. I keep thinking of something I said to my kids last night. It wasn’t bad but it is still something I wish I hadn’t said. Today is a new day to watch my words closer, to choose nice and good words, words that build up and not to tear down. We are only given one life to live and I want to live a life of no regrets. Today, I can start over, treat others like I want to be treated, chose to make the right choices with what I eat and whether or not I exercise, yesterday’s choices don’t matter today. Just because I made a mistake yesterday doesn’t mean I have to repeat the same mistake today or tomorrow.  Today is a day to spend my time doing the things that need to be done, not just flitting my time away. What areas of your life do you need a blank slate in? What things do you do over and over again, even though you don’t want to? “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” Romans 7:15

Today is a new day, you get a new start. Stop repeating yesterday’s mistakes and start living a new life today.

“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10

I don't know if you can see the heart in this bottom picture or not, but it reminds me that their is beauty in everything, including snow melting. Let's look for the good, the beauty in all things.

Waiting on the storm

I sat around all day today waiting on a storm that didn’t come. It was a complete and total waste of my time. And, before you start judging me, it’s not like I didn’t do things, I did, and I was super productive with my time. But I was distracted and not as focused as I could have been. Or rather I was focused on the wrong things. I have been worried about being stranded in the mountains, with the kids, BY MYSELF! I was so focused on being stuck in for the next few days I didn’t realize I could have gone out today. So, instead, I waited on the storm that never came.

Have you ever done that? We sit and stew and ponder and wonder…what if? Then we follow the rabbit trail…

And it never happens.

Yet we stewed over it for a day…

Or two…

Or a week…

Got ourselves into a real tizzy…

Yet, it never happened!

Why do we do this? Why do we waste our energy on things that they don’t need to be wasted on? Why do we worry ourselves to death on what ifs?

I have to tell you, I am completely exhausted.

 Emotionally and physically. I look at all the energy I wasted yesterday and today on the storm and what I was going to do…and yet nothing.

It’s not that it’s not coming, it just hasn’t come yet.

And truly, what am I so worried about? We have food, clothes, power, heat, a gas fireplace so even if the power goes out we will be totally fine.

I had lost my perspective. I tend to do that when I am overstressed or overtired and right now I simply am both. I was choosing to focus on what I couldn’t do, instead of what I could do. I was choosing to worry when I should have been praising God that the storm hasn’t hit! And, it’s not like I didn’t have choices this weekend, I did. We could have gone to my sister’s for the weekend, but I was worried about not being able to get back here at the end of the weekend and I want us to stay on a somewhat normal school routine. (worried, worried, worried!)

And didn’t I say we were going to retreat in the mountains for two weeks? What better way to retreat than to be stranded, LOL!

What about you? What are you focusing on? Are you focused on what you can’t do? Or what you can? Don’t lose your perspective. If you are focusing on the negatives, found the positives, they are there, in the middle of the greatest storms there is still something positive you can be focused on.

“Can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” Matthew 6:27

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of it’s own.” Matthew 6:34

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6

Gifted?!

We all have gifts, whether we recognize it or not. In the Christian circle they are called spiritual gifts and the Bible tells us that everyone gets them and you are to use them to bring glory to God. I can hear you now, you don't think you have any special gifts and I understand and have been there. As I have gotten older and am learning to listen to the Lord more, I am recognizing what my true gifts are. I am still trying to figure out how to utilize them to the best of my ability, to His glory. If you had asked me when I was younger what my gifts are I would have said, "Well, I love little kids so I must be gifted with kids." A few years later I would have told you that I was gifted to teach little kids. As I look back and reflect on my life so far I would still say I am gifted with kids and I love to be around them. Some days I would not say I am a gifted teacher, but I am teaching my children so I need to work harder at this task that has been set before me! I would also say that I love to encourage people and have been told that I am gifted with encouragement. I have always loved sending people encouraging notes in the mail, and if this is my gift, I am currently failing at it as I don't do that anymore. Obviously there are other ways to encourage people and I like to think that I am doing that, but I would still say I am not utilizing it as well as I could be.  One other thing that I really enjoy doing and makes me happy is serving and helping other people. I always offer to help when I know someone needs help and sometimes I am taken up on that and other times I am not. But, I truly enjoy helping and it makes me so happy to be able to do so.

One thing has recently pushed me out of my comfort zone and I am currently exploring and praying about, is if I am a gifted writer. I have NEVER thought that I was and I still don't, but I have been told in the last 3 weeks at least 5 times by 5 different people that I am. I am not counting Matt in this as he's told me that since I have started this blog, but of course I didn't believe him as I thought he was only trying to be encouraging. I don't handle compliments well and don't particularly know how to respond. One of my current professors was one of the people who have told me that I was gifted with writing. So, since I have been told this so frequently recently I am wondering why and what I should do about it. I really love writing this blog, even when I feel that I don't have anything to say. I am not really interested in writing the great American novel...I still don't feel like I have much to say. I would love to be able to make a difference in people's lives. I look at the ladies in Proverbs 31 Ministries and last semester I thought it would be great to be on staff with them and be able to encourage people like they do...but I let that thought slip away. I also look at people like Beth Moore and Karen Kingsbury and what a difference they are making in people's lives and again I would love to be able to do that, I just don't know how and through what medium. I am not a speaker and I don't want to be famous, that's not what I am saying. I truly would love to make an impact on people's lives, serving as Christ would have me serve, for HIS glory, not mine.

So, going back to what I started with, all of us are gifted in some way, Christian or not. I have some friends who I look at and they are great with hospitality and gifts of service and if they ever got turned on to the Lord I can see the great things they could do for Him. What are your gifts?? And don't tell me that you don't have any because YOU DO! Are you using them for His glory or your own glory?? Are you using them at all? I don't know if they are like other things where if you don't use them they go away, but what if they are?? What a waste it would be if you were essentially throwing them away. If you are not sure of your gifts start analyzing what you are good at and what you love doing. Then look for ways that you can use those gifts!! Go out and do big things for God!

Back to America

Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy! We are back in the states and have no plans to leave again anytime soon or possibly ever (not going to say never!).

Yesterday was rough but we made it back to the states safely, which I am very thankful for. We had a lot of turbulence on our flights and even with Dramamine I felt sick, but thankfully didn't get sick. Jetlag is no joke and I didn't sleep well last night. I have been awake since three am, but I am so thankful to be back in the states. When we flew into D.C. the passport control guy said "Welcome Home." Let me tell you, in the middle of traveling and after being so homesick and miserable there are no greater words "Welcome Home." If you see me in the next few weeks feel free to say it often and with enthusiasm!

Some things I am excited or at least happy about in the last 19 hours:

All our luggage arrived and in one piece!

The bathroom doesn't smell like a sewer!

We can flush toilet paper!!

We can flush the toilet while someone is in the shower and it is not going to scald them and then immediately freeze them!

I didn't hear my neighbors' kids running up and down the stairs half the night.

Kayla and I went to Target this morning!

Everyone followed the traffic laws, we drove my mini-van and we had no trouble with parking and there was very little traffic!

We bought clothes, boots and groceries all in one place!
We flushed toilet paper at Target too!

The bathrooms in Target were super clean!

Everyone treated us nicely and welcomed us with smiles!

We went to the bank and everything was super efficient and again, we were greeted with smiles and how are you's...and thank you and have a great day!

Kayla picked Chick-fil-a for lunch and it was super yummy!

We were out all morning and I didn't feel like I needed to shower when I got home because we didn't smell like exhaust, cigarette smoke or Greek food.

I am doing a load of laundry and all our dark clothes fit in one load!
I didn't have to drain the washing machine!
I didn't have to drain the dryer!

My kids have been SO HAPPY TODAY!!!! LOTS of laughter!!!

Kayla and I had a girls morning and she kept saying how happy she was to be back in the states! She is literally giddy with excitement.

Everything we have attempted to do today has been easy and fun, even with 4 hours of sleep!

I know these next few weeks are not going to be all rosy and happy but we are off to a great start. The only dimmer on our excitement is that Matt is not with us and we don't yet know our final destination, but this is a short time to be away from Matt and I trust God with our future!

Look for the tiny blessings in your day and chose to focus on them, instead of the things that frustrate and overwhelm you!

 

Organization

It's that time again...the time when all the suitcases are out and we are packing. I was recently talking to some friends and I was saying how much I had to do to prepare for this move and one lady said "Well, don't they (the movers) just come in and pack all your stuff??" Kind of like, "why are you stressing?" Well, yeah, they do. However, I have to know what items are going in my suitcases and what is going in the air shipment and what we can wait months for that we can send in the sea shipment. My child was seriously upset yesterday and told me it was "all overwhelming." Some tasks are overwhelming but if you break them down they become more manageable. I started planning weeks ago for our move. The lists were made and things started getting moved closer to the place they needed to be for the move. However, it's still hard. It's Saturday morning, we fly out in the wee hours of Monday morning and I am looking at 6 suitcases pretty much at weight limit, yet still has space. I have rearranged them again...and I am still looking at 6 heavy suitcases. 

We are all very stressed and handling it differently. There are several things that have made this move harder...we still don't know our final destination...I have to pack pretty much all of the kids school books because we will still be doing school through all of the transitions. We are looking at at least 6 weeks of living out of suitcases and 3-4 months of being in transition waiting for all of our things to arrive.

"Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up." A. A. Milne

I am thankful for the time I have had to organize up to this point. I wouldn't say it's made it easy, but it has made it easier. I couldn't imagine trying to figure out what we need at this point. We are so frazzled that a lot of our thought processes don't make sense! But, it is what it is and we will survive this too. I am looking forward to the time we have in the states before we start the craziness of house hunting. Also, as we continue to organize, rearrange and make sure our suitcases aren't overweight...will you pray for us? We are pretty maxed out and tired, and haven't even started to travel yet.

Tomorrow

This week has been a little wacky as it is mine and the kids last week in Greece. This has caused a tremendous amount of worry and stress for the kiddos. If I am being completely honest I have good days and bad days depending on if I am walking with God, or worrying on my own! The other night I was putting Kayla to bed (yes we still tuck them in and will as long as they let us!), and she looked like she had something on her mind. So I asked her if anything was bothering her. She's like not really. So I pushed her a little bit (she is a stuffer, she stuffs her emotions and is not always willing to share what's on her mind). She then proceeded to ask a million questions about this move and when would we know where we are going (good question, I don't know), what happens if daddy doesn't get this job (another good question)...and on and on she went. I tried to answer her questions as best I could and then reminded her that no matter what tomorrow holds, I know who holds our future and I am positive that we will end up exactly where God wants us. The next morning the song "Tomorrow" came on by Unspoken. 

In the lyrics it says:

 "Don’t know what tomorrow holds

I’m learning how to let it go

Jesus, You are in control

Of my tomorrow, tomorrow

Come and take the fear away

‘Til there’s nothing left but faith

I know You will help me face

My tomorrow, tomorrow"

As this song was playing I said to Kayla "Do you hear the words??" She's like "yeah." So I reminded her and Elijah to remember this lesson! We all have good days and bad days. We all have days where it's hard to face our tomorrows...but we need to remember Who is already there and has everything worked out for us! We need to have faith and trust that no matter what tomorrow holds we can let the fear go. What fear are you holding onto that you need to let go of? What can you change so that you are not dreading your tomorrows?

The lyrics also go on to say:

"I don't wanna  miss this day because it's a gift

I can't miss a chance to leave it in your hands."

Every single day that we are given is a gift and I don't want to take that for granted or miss a chance to leave it in His hands! No matter what you are going through, don't miss the gift of living life to the fullest, each and every day! Fear has no place here, it strangles you and it casts out joy. In the Bible it says over 40 times "Do not fear." So, I am telling you DO NOT FEAR! God has this, whatever "this" is for you. Trust Him, lean on Him, leave your struggles and fears at His feet! It's not easy, especially if you are like me and like to feel in control. I am definitely not in control of our tomorrows and I am perfectly okay with that, since I know Who is in control.

New Year Prayers

I could not be more thankful that 2015 is over and we have started 2016. Normally a New Year is seen as a new beginning and that could not be more true for my family this year. The suitcases are out and we are packing, getting ready for our new adventure. The kids and I will get on the plane in 9 days and will have a few weeks to decompress before we begin our new adventure, wherever that is! I could have fear of the unknown, but I know that my God is bigger than any fear that I can come up with. I am thankful that I can rest in His care and know that He has got this.
I do not make New Year Resolutions anymore, simply because I don't want to get to the end of the year and feel like I have failed. This year I am focusing more on prayer and these are a few of my prayers for the new year:

1) World Peace-I know this sounds cliche' but I truly do want the world to be at peace. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said "Someone must have sense enough to cut off the chain of hate and evil, and this can only be done through love." Let's all do what we can to cut off that chain of hate and show love to others. You never know what people have walked through or is currently going through, watch your tone and do your best to show love and not hate.

2) The leaders of our country-this is an election year and I want the best leader for our country. Unfortunately I do not know who that is at this point. I do know I don't want a president who is going to try and follow people according to their religion (where has our religious freedom gone?) or a president who is against Homeschooling (which is 2 of the candidates). Join me in praying for our country and that the right leader will be obvious...and I know some of you already know who you are voting and pulling for, but I haven't been able to follow things that closely yet.

3) I am praying hard for a friend who is running for senate. I believe in her 100% and know she wants to make a difference and will if elected. I also know that it is going to be an incredibly hard year for her family. Join me in praying for Dinah and her family? And, if you feel led to contribute to her campaign please do so!

4) I am praying for Matt's job that the one he gets will  be a good fit for him and our family.

5) I am praying to be sent to a good community where we can serve.

6) Praying to be led to the right church ^.

7) Praying for a good homeschooling community where the kids can make great friends and I can have some friends too...where we can support each other in our endeavors.

8) I am praying that the move will be good for my kids and they will bounce back to their bubbly happy personalities.

9) I am praying that my school will go well this year, especially through these first few months of transition.

10) I am praying for friends and loved ones who are going through difficult times in their marriages, with their health, their finances.

11) I am praying for a stronger prayer life. This is an area where I am not as strong as I would like to be.

12) I am praying to be the wife, mother, friend, sister, daughter etc that God wants me to be. I want HIS leading on my life, to be completely in His will, doing what He wants with my life.

13) I am praying to be more of a servant. If you know me at all you know I love to help and serve others. Sometimes I forget to take care of myself in the process, but I truly love to give and help others. I am praying that God will open my eyes to areas where I need to work on this. On the other hand, I am praying that I will make my kids more responsible this year. We are to train our kids in the way they should go, to make them capable responsible adults who can take care of themselves. Matt and I were doing a pretty good job of that before we got here and since the kids were so miserable some of that dropped by the wayside. That changes this year as well and I pray that the kids will be receptive to that.

And, if I am being completely honest I am praying for the will power to eat healthier and exercise more...it would be nice to lost about 15 pounds!

My friend Andrea says over on her blog that she wants to pay for someone's "something once a week." This is a wonderful goal and one I would LOVE to adopt, but not sure if that is realistic at this point, but I will certainly keep it in mind as I go through out this year. I hope you will take a minute to hop over to her blog and read this post, she is definitely a mentor to me and it's a great blog post that gets you thinking.

What about you? What are your hopes and prayers for the new year? It's a new year...a new beginning, what do you need to let go of so that you can move on? Fear? Anxiety? A grudge? Leave it in the past, start over. This beginning of the new year is a crossroads. You can choose to hold onto things, or you can let go and start new. Suzanne Eller of The Mended Heart said in her book, "God and His plan for you do not change in the crossroads." This was a profound thought to me and a great reminder that no matter what I am going through God's plan does not change.

"The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." Deuteronomy 31:8

"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18