"Home is the nicest word there is." ~ Laura Ingalls Wilder
In love with Jesus. Wife to my best friend & man I love more than life. Mama to 4 amazing God given blessings. Proud Homemaker & Homeschooler. Living life with it's ups and downs and blogging about it!

Sunday, January 17, 2010

New Year..New Goals!!

 I have put a lot of thought into these and already I am struggling in most of these areas...nothing like growing pains! So, without further ado..my personal goals for the coming year and beyond...

*First of all, I want to get back to writing! Not just posting pictures and recipes but actual writing! Since the blessings of our children, my mind is oftentimes to cluttered with to-do's and lists and the constant merry-go-round of life to sit in silence and listen to what my Lord is telling me.I am a writer. God uses writing to cleanse me.  I am one who loves to sit in the quiet late at night after everyone is in bed with just a lamp and my bible. I love to pray to God and I truly feel complete when I hear him speak to my heart!! I want more of that!! I want to carve out the time for more of my Savior. I oftentimes put him in the entirely wrong place. I want to make HIM my true first priority!!!

*I want more patience with my precious children. I am oftentimes short tempered and extremely irritable with those who are most dear to my heart. I so want to be a mother who is kind and soft spoken and warm and loving and patient.. I am those things, at times, but I truly desire for this to be me, at all times!!!! I hate when I lose my temper and yell at my children or say terrible things to them. Actually, I want to improve in this area with my husband, as well...

* I desire to be a more dedicated, loving wife. I truly want to be 100% focused on my family first and foremost and my husband before all other things in life. I want to pray for him every single day and I wish for more focused time together as a couple. I want to talk more and learn more every day about my wonderful husband.

*I want to stop eating when I am upset. Chewing my nails really needs to go, as well!! Yuck!! I am going to have to learn to put things in their proper place and truly leave everything up to our Heavenly Father.

* To exercise at least 3 days a week. With homeschooling, this is VERY difficult to achieve but I am determined to give it a try...also, cutting out unhealty carbs and cokes. Trying to make healthier choices and stick with them. I am going to keep a journal of what I eat and see if I can keep up with it better, that way.

* To be a better friend. I want to make sure that others know just how important they are to me! How much I truly love them and are grateful and sooooo blessed to have them in my life!! Please, more time to focus on my friends and family!!

*MUCH LESS time on facebook!!! I hate being sucked in by the internet and I find it happening to me, more and more. I need much more time to focus on so many other things in my life...the important things!! Facebook is such a struggle for me. I think it becomes something that we, as woman, especially, become to rely on for validation.(another post on this coming up, I think!) And, that is dangerous. Don't get me wrong, facebook can be great when it is used in moderation and as an occasional thing. I don't want to be so stuck on the computer that I forget to live life and give my family what they NEED.......which is, well, more of ME!! How can I give them that when I am stuck on the computer??  Not talking to anyone but myself, these are MY goals and MY personal struggles! If you have it all balanced, I am going to give you kuddos!!! That's great!!

*We are starting some debt reducing solutions this year. I plan to do a post about those, soon! I am going to be doing some RADICAL things in this area to pay off our mortgage a few years quicker!! (More to come, soon!)

*Reading, more reading!! (for me and my family) This is always on my list. =D

*More playtime with my children. More deliberate planned time with them. If I can take time out to do these other things, I can plan a few blocks of time a week to do wonderful fun little things with my babies!

*Trying to be more real.I am soooo tired of all the "fake" we, as Christians, show everyone we meet! You may not read my blog ever again but sometimes I feel like I have to be real and get some things out! I may work them out by writing (I do that a lot) and I may publish them or not..but, I feel like I need to share more. Not necessarily private things but just struggles I have as a normal wife and mother and most of all, as a follower of Jesus! If we don't show others that we struggle, they will never see God at work!! They will never see how he carries us, how HE delivers us!!! It's vital to show others our normal selves! VITAL!!

Well, I think I have many more but there's a start for you!! Happy New Year!!!!

~Julie~

2 comments:

Denise said...

Awesome goals.

Debra Kenney said...

These are great and I'll be praying God grows you in each of these areas. And by the way, I am SO very glad you are real. We do need to be real and let others see God working in us. Thanks for sharing.

If we don't find Him in the small things, how will we ever find Him in the big ones? ~Elisabeth Elliot