Goals for 2013

I don't always do "New Year's Resolutions", in fact I more often don't.  The only one I've ever posted on this blog was in 2011. One of the reasons I don't is that I do have the philosophy that if I notice something that needs changing in my life, I should probably change it right now instead of waiting till January 1st.   That being said, it's also very easy to just go through daily living without purposefully be introspective and noticing things that you would like to change.  With that type of mindset, New Year's is a great time to look over the past year and be purposeful about what you want to change in the coming year.

As a look back - these were my goals for 2011 and whether or not I think I accomplished them.
1) Read my Bible in a year (for the 3rd straight year) and participate in my Bible in a Year Blog. Since it's my blog, there's not a single doubt in my mind that I'll accomplish this goal. In fact, this year we have several more participants which means I'm only posting once or twice a week instead of 4 or 5 times! Easy peasy :)

Check!  Did it.

2) Develop a consistent and organized prayer time. Normally when I tell people I'll pray for them - I do it right then and there because I know there's about a 99% chance I'm not going to remember later. Ok, maybe not that bad, but seriously, it's bad. I want to to take the time to make the prayers more personalized for the individuals I'm praying for, and to simply take time to be with God.

Fail.  

3) Being a more deliberate wife, mother and friend.
I want to spend more time discovering how to put my husband first among my earthly relationships and what that's supposed to look like in my daily living. I want to spend more time doing things WITH my girls instead of merely being together in the house every evening, each of us pursuing our own agendas. I want to conscientiously work at developing an attitude of service and hospitality, to serve my friends and church family members better. All the above categories of people deserve more from me than they've gotten in the past. I don't want people to hear that I care about them; I want them to FEEL it.

If that sounds like I just copied that paragraph from my cousin Tammi's post - it's cause I just totally did. Hey - she got it totally bang on the first time, why mess with perfection?!

This one is, of course, much harder to quantify.  And it's not something you can ever "arrive" at.  So, I think I got better, but there is still so much more room for improvement.


4) Begin each day praying that God would guide me to do what He has planned for my day - pursuing His agenda instead of my own. OK, that one's gonna be real tough! (I probably should've just copied my cousin Tammi's paragraph about this one too!;)

Fail. 

5) Continue to exercise regularly and eat healthier. The exercise thing? No sweat. (ok, lots of sweat!) I've exercised regularly (3-5 times per week) for the past 13 years or so including all 4 pregnancies, except when nausea was at it's peak, so this barely counts as a goal, but it is something I'm committed to continuing. Eating healthier is tougher. But with Nathan having some high blood pressure concerns we need to cut back on the sodium intake around here which means a few changes such as limiting deli meats and making more from scratch. (Ragu, I will miss you!!). I've already started baking chicken breasts for lunch sandwiches, so things are looking up!
Overall, I would say this was a success.  But there is still room for improvement on the eating part.

There were no goals for 2012, but here are my goals for 2013.
1) Read my Bible in a year (for the 4th time in 5 years) and participate in my Bible in a Year Blog.
This is "an easy one" because of the continued accountability factor of my blog.  Last year I did not read through the Bible in a year because I was doing the majority of the postings - generally 9 days every 2 weeks.  But this year we have more participants again, so I'm down to only one post per week, so I'm reading through the Bible in a year again as well as our in depth book study.

2) Develop a consistent and organized prayer time.
Yup, another repeat.  This was an absolute fail and I need to set aside prayer time as priority time.

3) Being a more deliberate wife, mother and friend.
As I mentioned above, this is never something you have arrived at and is always a worthy goal, so it stays on the list too!

4) Begin each day praying that God would guide me to do what He has planned for my day - pursuing His agenda instead of my own.
Again, another one that could be on the list every year.

5) Continue to exercise regularly and eat healthier.
Broken record here, I know.


Now, for some new ones....

6) Write weekly on my prayer blogs for my kids.
Similar to #2 but specific to my children.  This was one of those great ideas that I just haven't managed to keep up.  I created prayer blogs for all our kids that would contain both letters to them, and prayers for them as individuals.  My plan is to make it into a book to give to them at some point during their teenagerhood, either at a certain age or whenever I think they might need it.  Like may of my plans, good intentions have not given way to reality - so far I've only written 3 posts on Emma's blog.  At this point I need to write more often in the older kids blogs in order to "catch up" to at least an approximately even number of entries.  I've decided I need to dedicate one day per week to writing in these blogs so that it actually happens.  (They are private so you won't be able to read them, sorry!).


7) Work on scripture memory.
Last January I began a scripture memory blog to help keep me accountable to memorize scripture as it was something I had felt convicted about for some time and really wanted to do.  It worked, up until September when I fell off the bandwagon.  So, this is a good time to get back on!  Last year I memorized Psalms 1, 23, 46, 121, 134, 1 Corinthians 13 and the Book of Titus (which is 3 chapters).  I will be starting off by reviewing each chapter for one day, and then I will start working on memorizing new chapters.  If you're interested in joining me, I'm following Janet Pope's method and it was much, much easier than I had anticipated and literally took no extra time out of my day.  Check it out!

8) Write regularly to our sponsored children.
More details on this will come in a post shortly, but for now, suffice it to say that I need to make it a priority to write to our sponsored children.  Or rather, to get our children to write to them.  We have one sponsored child for each of our children - all their ages.  They love writing the letters but it's up to me to make sure it happens!

9) Get caught up on bookwork and then continue to stay caught up.
I do the bookwork for my husband's home building company and I am always behind.  Don't get me wrong - I do always pay all the bills, but I don't always enter everything in.  I have to get caught up at least every 3 months to submit GST (good thing for that checkpoint!), but then inevitably I get behind once again.  So, this year, I want to get caught up and then purposefully set aside one day per week to work on bookwork so that I stay caught up.

Now for some "fun" ones.
10) I want to do a "Twelve Days of Christmas gift extravaganza" for Nathan this coming Christmas.  My sister Andrea did this for her husband Les this past Christmas and I thought it was a fantastic idea and want to do it myself next year.  You can check out what she did here.  Needless to say, Les loved it, and I'm sure Nathan will too.  After all, who wouldn't?!   My friend Pamela is doing this one too.  Anyone else in for this challenge?

11) Take and post 365 iPhone photos - one for each day of the year for 2013.  I got this idea from my friend Pamela once again.  She has created a new blog specifically for this project and I decided to follow suit.  You can check out my iPhone Photo Project 365 blog here - I've even already done today's post.  Pamela mentioned that blogger has an app for posting.  I know it doesn't do everything you can do on the regular blogging platform, but it does what I need it to do for this project, so I think this will be relatively easy to do.  And a great memory tool for years to come!  Here's 10 great reasons why you should do it too. Anyone else game for this challenge?

12) Sew big bags for the kids sleeping bags and bedding for camp.  Another idea stolen from Pamela (hey, she had some good ones!).  They should be relatively easy to make, I'll let the kids choose their fabric, they will be sturdier than garbage bags and easier to identify - and just fun!

I think I better stop there - 12 goals is a lot.  But, I just realized, it's one for every month of the year.  Even though some of these are obviously year long goals, and some are regularly occurring goals - it still helps to realize that one goal a month should be attainable!

Happy New Year!!

Today Only!

One year ago today Todd & Angie Smith welcomed their 4th daughter, Audrey Caroline, into the world for two and a half short hours. In honour of her sweet baby girl, Angie has teamed up with Baby Be Blessed in order to make this offer - anyone who sponsors a child with Compassion through Angie's blog TODAY only will have a handmade lamb (with scripture) sent to their sponsored child as a gift.

So, if you have been considering sponsoring a child, today is the today to do so!

See Angie's blog for complete details.

We have been sponsoring a boy named Jonathan (from Burkina Faso) through Compassion for years already. He is the same age as Emma. We have been wanting to sponsor more children that are the same ages as our other children for quite some time now, and so today we added Lesly from Guatemala (Olivia's age) and Christena from India (Sophia's age) to our family. This is the first time my tendency to procrastinate has paid off. :) I'm so excited that they're going to get one of those amazing dolls!

Won't you do the same for a child today?

Also - please keep the Smith family in your prayers as they must be filled with every emotion possible today as they remember their daughter.

Christmas Hoopla

My sister Andrea tagged me to do a Christmas Hoopla - here are the rules.

1. List 12 random things about yourself that has to do with Christmas
2. Please refer to it as a 'hoopla' and not the dreaded 'm'-word
3. You have to specifically tag people when you're done. None of this "if you're reading this, consider yourself tagged" stuff is allowed...then nobody ends up actually doing it. The number of people who you tag is really up to you -- but the more, the merrier to get this 'hoopla' circulating through the blogosphere.
4. Please try and do it as quickly as possible. The Christmas season will be over before we know it and I'd like to get as many people involved as possible.

OK, here we go - hopefully I can come up with 12 things!

1. I played piano for one of Nathan's cousins at Christmastime so I got to play all Christmas songs at the wedding.
2. My favorite Christmas "carol" is O Holy Night.
3. I recently downloaded (it's legal in Canada!) Josh Groban's Christmas CD Noel. It's great!!
4. We went to Mexico to visit relatives for Christmas one year - no snow - it was tragic. (No, not the resort areas of Mexico - 5hrs drive south of Texas - no beach in sight!)
5. We have an artificial tree and will always have an artificial tree, now and forevermore.
6. I'm teaching our oldest 2 girls piano and they are loving playing Christmas songs right now - Emma (6) is learning Jingle Bells and Sophia (4) is learning Away in a Manger.
7. Just like ValleyGirl our entire family got violently ill last Christmas. It started at a family gathering - what great timing! And lasted the whole way home - let's just say we had to stop at the side of the road a few times, and all night long. Oh, let there not be a repeat of that this Christmas!!
8. Favorite Christmas baking, to eat (not necessarily to bake!) - soft white cookies with lots of icing, cinnamon buns and raisin tarts.
9. To help teach our children the real meaning of Christmas we have given more gifts to those who truly need them this year including a larger Family gift for our sponsored child, Jonathan, from Compassion - I can't wait to find out what they used it for!
10. On my side of the family us "kids" take turns deciding what the Christmas meal will be, and what charity we will all sponsor instead of buying each other gifts. This year my brother choose Siloam Mission - an excellent choice!
11. I love to decorate early for Christmas - this year our Christmas tree was up by November 24th! Everything comes down as soon after New Year's as possible though. Once it's over, it's over.
12. I was totally scared the first time I saw The Christmas Story - when Santa pushed the poor kid down the slide with his boot!?! Scarred for life I am.

As far as who else is tagged, hmmmm, how bout my friends at Crosswalk, especially those addicted to the Pregnancy thread. I think Andrea already tagged everyone I know IRL.

Child sponsorship

Child sponsorship and missionary sponsorship is something that I feel is so vitally important. Two organizations that I have the utmost respect for are Compassion and Gospel for Asia. Compassion is unashamedly a Christian organization and they promote a real relationship with your sponsored child. I think it's so important for our kids to realize how fortunate they/we are, and that with that blessing comes the responsibility to help others.

Our children love writing our sponsored child. They pray for him every single day and talk about him a lot. We have had the honor and privilege of receiving letters from him where he ends the letters signing "your son Jonathan" at the bottom. We have pictures he's drawn and he has artwork from our kids and pictures of us. We have had the joy of seeing the gifts he's received as a result of our investment in his life.

Some thoughts to ponder.....

If you woke up this morning with more health than illness you are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week.

If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.

If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death you are more blessed than three billion people in the world.

If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead, and a place to sleep you are richer than 75 percent of this world.

If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace you are among the top 8 percent of the world's wealthy.

If your parents are still alive and still married you are very rare, even in the United States.

If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful you are blessed, because the majority can, but most do not.

If you can hold someone's hand, hug them, or even touch them on the shoulder you are blessed because you can offer healing touch.

If you can read this message you are more blessed than more than two billion people in the world who cannot read at all.


I highly suspect that everyone reading this meets the qualifications to be in the top 8% of the world's wealthy. We truly have soooo much. And with abundance comes responsibility to help those less fortunate, to share with those in need, to do something for the least of these.

And, quite frankly, I think we benefit from sponsorship even more if we have to sacrifice a bit ourselves in order to do so.

Gospel for Asia is another great organization. We sponsor 2 missionaries in India. With GFA, 100% of your donation goes directly to the missionary to support him/her first while they complete their training, and then while they are out on the mission field - a dangerous one at that. You can also purchase other items for any of their missionaries such as a bike, Bibles or even a church! I'd encourage you to request their free book - Revolution in World Missions - I've read it and it's an amazing read - I challenge you to read it too!

If you haven't yet, check out these organizations - it could change your life just as much (if not more) as those you are helping.

For interests sake - I added a poll to my blog today. Do you sponsor a child? (It doesn't have to be through Compassion).