Resolutions

Okay, I admit it.  I am a writer of resolutions.  I try very hard to stick to them every year.  I cannot say I accomplish my goals, but I am glad to say that even in the trying to do them, I accomplish more than if I did not set the goals in the first place.

I love new beginnings, so January is one of my favourite months.  Even though we are smack in the middle of a Canadian winter, behold, all things are new.  A brand new year stretches out before me.  I have another chance to do things right, to touch the lives of others in a meaningful way, to grow closer to my loved ones, and to draw nearer to my God.

If I were to write my goals for 2009, they would be something like these ones:

2009 Resolutions

Read over these resolutions every Sunday.

·         Continue Memorizing Scripture. Having the Word of God at hand is good – having it on your heart is better. Let these be my words: “Thy word have I hid in my heart…”

·         Read through ESV-Study Bible.

·         Develop a character of helping others. Grow in grace and compassion. Let me never consider myself better than others, but consider myself the chief of sinners – seek God’s help in developing humility. Let me consider all others better than myself.

·         Develop patience. No-one is so sinful or bad that they deserve sinful wrath from another sinner. God is infinitely patient with me. How can I be any different?

·         Develop Christ-likeness. Study the gospels of Christ in order to learn better how to imitate Him.

·         Prayer time - Designate prayer time and stick to it.

·         Seek God’s help in controlling temper.

·         Redeem the time – do not waste away idle hours doing nothing.

·         Let me never waste an opportunity to spread the gospel – I pray that I may have courage to step forward when the way is frightening, when all are against me. May fear of death or pain never keep me from proclaiming God’s name.

·         Let every word of my mouth, every thought from my mind, every emotion I feel, be held captive by God for His glory. In every circumstance, may I remember that I am God’s letter to this world, that I am His ambassador to this Earth. May I live like it every moment.

·         Read biographies and histories – Take the examples of faith from Christians past.

·         Read 50 theology books – and write reviews/comments to prove it.

·         Let this be the description of my life from this day forth :  Romans 12:9-21

 

"Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

 

·         If ever I come to terrible persecution, let me not curse those who torment me, but instead follow the example of Stephen, and die praying for them.

·         Be a godly example to family and friends. May I be ever ready for God to work through me.

·         May I never be afraid to stand up for others weaker than myself. 

These goals for 2009 were written by my lovely daughter, Linda.  I plan to read them every day.   I also plan to walk more, love more, relax more, and learn more.  Tomorrow I will share my walking goals for this year, along with my reading goals.  I am just thankful that I have been given more time to accomplish some of them.

Can’t beat that!

Time

The Psalmist writes, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!” (139:23)

We've just been through Christmas and New Year's Eve celebrations. We've enjoyed laughter and conversation. However, as is my wont, I am thinking about the year gone by and the year ahead as the first day of 2009 winds down.

Time sure marches on. I look at my nephew David cuddling his little girl, and remember that just a short time ago, he was splashing in the water at the Goderich beach with all of my children. How'd he grow up so fast?

I look at my eldest grandson, Justin, and remember the day of his birth, almost ten years ago now. What a marvel to hold my first grandchild! And now we're expecting our 16th, 17th, and 18th grandbabies. Where'd the time go?

Ecclesiastes speaks with wisdom about time:

A Time for Everything

3:1 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

2 a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
3 a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.

I sometimes feel that I am "running out of time", or "haven't enough time", or I "wish the time would go by faster" - in the dentist's chair, for instance. Yet God says I have just enough time between the time I am born and the time I will die. I'll learn much along the way about when to act, and when to restrain myself from acting.

In the past couple of months, we've had some family crises that have necessitated a bit of weeping, yet last night, it was time to laugh. We had time this past week for embracing the ones we love, and time for speaking the truth in love to a hurting niece.

I do not know what the future holds. I have no idea what 2009 will mean for myself or my family. But I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent, Self-Sufficient One has plans to prosper me, to give me a future and a hope.

I hope 2009 will be a very good year. I hope we'll look back at the end of the year, and marvel at the good times, and rejoice at seeing how the Hand of God preserved us through the bad times.

Time is a gift. Let's not waste it.

Happy New Year!

Seven Daily Rungs

While surfing the net this morning, I followed a link to "A Holy Experience", a blog by Ann Voscamp. This woman has a way with words, and I highly recommend stopping by. I am adding her blog to my links.

In the daily grind of life, when we're feeling a touch "Crazy", it's good to remind ourselves that our walk through this world IS truly a holy experience. Taking a step back from the craziness and fleeing into the arms of Jesus makes complete sense. It gives new life, and hope, and the strength to go on. Ann (without an e!) explains this brilliantly.

The month of August is fast approaching, and I am furiously working at yard work and barn chores, in order to complete these before the end of July. I have two days.

Why the rush? Because August has been, for 25 years, my preparation time for the homeschooling year. I take four weeks to plan, to photocopy, to prepare all of my curriculum for all of the children I happen to be teaching for the following year. Interspersed in all this planning time is a getaway with the children, and a couple of days' camping with my dear friend Darlene. By the end of the month, I am ready (I think!) for another year of reading, writing and arithmetic.

All of this planning is meaningless without purpose. My purpose is to glorify God, and to raise my children to glorify Him. So, the books we read, the methods we employ, the practical skills we learn, must all be chosen with this purpose in mind: Whatever you do, in word or deed, do all to the glory of God!

Ann Voscamp addresses this succinctly, writing:

How do we know everyday what is a worthwhile investment of our time and what will burn up, straw at the end of time? How do we cultivate not simply well-trained minds, but nurture holisitic, well-lived lives? How do we work everyday towards raising up children, who are not merely academic automatons, but exuberant, soul-healthy, worshipers of God, committed to meaningful, eternal Kingdom work? How do we set our ladders against the right wall, and make the opportunity of today count for eternity?

Simply put, how do we make our way through a day?

Ann writes, "Everyday, we endeavor to scale Seven Daily Rungs.

I urge you to follow the link and read the post, but in a nutshell, here are the seven daily rungs:

First Rung ~ Listening: a way of the Spirit (Scripture reading, prayer and memorization)
Second Rung ~Love: a way of sacrificing (that which is at the the heart of everything we do)
Third Rung ~ Labor: a way of serving (farm work, household chores, creativity, ministries, volunteer work)
Fourth Rung ~ Loveliness: a way of seeing (Poetry, Nature, Music and Art)
Fifth Rung ~ Literature: a way of seeking (discovery through great books)
Sixth Rung ~ Language: a way of speaking (narrations, Latin/Greek, grammar, writing)
Seventh Rung ~ Logic: a way of scaffolding (ideas, reasoning, science, mathematics, discussing)

At the end of the day, Ann and her family sit together and evaluate:

As the sun sets in the west, we ring the farm table, and pause to reflect on the shadow of the seven daily rungs.

Hands to ears, we ask of the first rung: Did we listen to our Lord today?
Hands over hearts, we question the second rung: Did we love Jesus by loving others?

Then, holding fingers high, we mark off the five remaining rungs:
Labor: Whom did we serve today?
Loveliness: What did we see today?
Literature: What did we seek and discover in good books today?
Language: How did use we speak, written and orally, today?
Logic: How did we scaffold into new ideas and understanding today?

With God's help, I plan to incorporate climbing the seven daily rungs in our family's homeschool this year.

Clean Heart - 2 - My Confusion or God's Peace?

"For God is not the author of confusion but of peace..." 1 Corinthians 14:33

I dug up my tattered and torn ancient Webster's dictionary.

confuse - from "pour together". To bring to ruin or naught. To perplex, disconcert. Synonyms: discompose, fluster, upset, disarrange.

author - originator, creator, maker

peace - tranquility, quiet. No disturbance or war. Harmony. Freedom from fears, agitating passions, moral conflict.

I have been confused, often. I know what it is to feel agitated, disconcerted, flustered and upset. Not nice at all.

But God is not the originator of confusion. It comes from he who is NOT-God --> Satan, the enemy. It is that snake who likes to see our homes filled with discord and conflict, fear and perplexity. He wants to ruin us and bring us to naught.

But God. God is the One who thought up peace. And He is the One who wants to see our homes become places of harmony and tranquility.

There are a few reasons for the confusion I experience:

1. I live with a bunch of sinners.
2. I am not disciplined enough to stick to the routine.
3. I fail to require my children to stick to the routine.
4. We are still climbing through a mountain of paperwork from the renovations.

Lack of order always destroys peace and creates confusion. To be an image-bearer, I must have a plan, goals, and order.

We do have a routine that would guarantee that the house remains in tip-top shape. On paper, that is. It's the discipline to stick to the plan that is required to make our lives more harmonious.

The good news is that we are 80% there. We have made many changes in order to have a place for everything and everything in its place. The laundry room was renovated, as was the downstairs bathroom. The children's bedrooms are getting there. My bedroom is orderly...I can even walk into my walk-in closet! Rick has socks in his drawer.

Goals for this week:

1. Maintain the routines. Make sure that what is on paper is carried out.
2. Sort all of the papers on the two tables.
3. SEEK GOD

Oh, Father, You are not the Author of confusion, but of peace. You have blessed us so much. We have all the resources we need to live in harmony before the face of God. There is no reason for confusion when we are Your children, walking with You. But we forget, and try to run ahead of you. We take our hands out of Your hand, thinking we know the way. We forget that we are weak and helpless, and that we need Your guidance.

Walk with me this week, Lord. Give me grace and wisdom to accomplish those goals. Thank You that You have answered my heart's desire for peace and order in our home. You have blessed us beyond imagination and given us what we do not deserve. We are forever grateful.

Well on my way! (an ordinary day)

I had a great day today! I got up and read the entire paper, waiting for the rest of the family to stir from their beds. We've had a lot of late nights, lately, so early risings aren't happening at the present - except for ME. I am definitely a morning person. Sleeping in just isn't an option. If the sun doesn't peek in, I just know in my bones that it is morning, and if I roll over to try to go back to sleep for a few more minutes, it is just frustrating. Sleep doesn' t come, and I am wasting time.

Reading the paper all alone with a good cup of tea is not a waste of time, however. I read articles about Saddam Hussein, about Gerald Ford, about the new Archbishop in the Catholic church in Canada. I read lots of articles that I flagged to discuss with the children later. I skipped the sports section with nary a twinge, and enjoyed the puzzles and the comics, and even read "Dear Abby".

After that, I read the Bible. I am working through the Bible Chronologically (see this site: http://bibleplan.org/ ) this year. My 7 year old son, Critter, came in and sat on my lap while we read about the Flood and the animals and Noah and the long lives of the Antediluvian patriarchs. I was interested in the fact that there is a parallel genealogy - the line of Cain contrasted with the line of Seth. Critter and I talked about what we read and about how God has always preserved His people, since the beginning. We talked about God's power over the animals - He sent them to Noah - and over Nature - He opened the floodgates! We talked about the sheer size of the ark, and about God's protection of Noah and his family. Tiana (10) was up by then, and discussed the Sabbath Day with me. She had read about God resting on the Sabbath day, and thought that Sunday was the Sabbath. It's nice to know that she is thinking while she is reading her Bible.

The sun was shining and beckoning to us to come outside, so out we went for a brisk walk to the corner and back. It was a good start to my exercise program. I added weight work on the machine tonight, and I feel like I am on my way to better health and a slimmer me.

Rick and I had banking to do, then I did housework while the children mucked out the stalls and did some yard work and laundry. I then ran errands, made supper (Prime Rib roast, mashed potatotes, mixed vegetables, with a small glass of red wine) and enjoyed Bible time with the family.

All in all, a fine day. I think the fact that the sun was shining has encouraged me to no end. The fact that I set some goals for a more spiritually focussed life, as well as a healthier body, has also encouraged me.

This truly is the day the Lord has made, and I will rejoice and be glad in it.

Link to Amy's Humble Musings - on Getting in Shape!

http://humblemusings.com/archives/2006/12/20/getting-in-shape/

I have to say that of all the blogs in Cyberspace, Amy's Humble Musings is my favourite. Her post on using the Body For Life method to get herself in shape (after 3 babies!) is inspiring. I am putting it here for my own benefit, so I can read it again and again. Perhaps someone else will be encouraged by it, too.

Turning over a (nother) new leaf!

Here it is, January 1st, 2007 - New Year's Day. And here I am, turning over a new leaf (again!).

I love a new year. The beginning of each new year is brimming with potential; hopes and dreams, longing for change; self-improvement --- all of these things fill the mind and make one ponder.

Some people are against setting New Year's Resolutions, but I am all for it. So what if I don't accomplish all of my goals? So what if we as a family fail to keep every family resolution we make? At least we SET the goals. At least we tried. And because I am an eternal optimist, I refuse to beat myself up over the failures. I prefer to revel in the achievements and celebrate the accomplishments.

So, here goes, for all to see:

FAMILY RESOLUTIONS (in no particular order)

1. Smoke-free home. (Rick changed this to a nag-free home (grin) but we really want all of our relatives to respect that we choose not to smoke, and not to breathe in smoke from other people's cigarette habits.)

2. Clean up after ourselves. (Don't allow ourselves to 'gerbil' - to drop an item here, or fail to put away something that goes there...)

3. Daily Bible Time

4. Daily Memory Work (catechism and verses)

5. More outdoor activities TOGETHER

6. Fridays - Family Games Night

7. Keep Bedrooms clean

8. Pilgrim's Progress (followed by other read-alouds)

9. Mom doesn't do supper dishes

We have determined that we will strive to accomplish all of the above goals, as a family. We will hold each other accountable to do these things.

Janet's Personal Resolutions

1. Nothing By Mouth that is not Nutritious or "Fuel" for the Body. Everything is to be evaluated according to whether or not it will benefit me nutritionally, allowing me to achieve my goal of fitness and vitality, so I have the energy to serve my family and my Lord.

2. Daily Exercise. Minimum of half an hour of walking, plus weight lifting or exercise equipment.

3. Daily Devotions.

4. Daily Journal/Blog

5. Work on Website at least once per week. (Granny Pages)

6. Weekly planning and scheduling to be done on week-ends: school planning; finances; family scheduling, etc.

That's enough.

And I start tomorrow, for sure.