To be Disciplined

As I have been reading everyones hopes and resolutions for 2016, I have been asking the Lord to show me what He wants me to focus on this year.

I don't really do resolutions. For me, resolutions have always been something that I started January 1st and by the middle of January, I failed.

I don't want a resolution. I want a focus.

So, as I prayed, and thought, and thought, and prayed a little more, it came to me.

Discipline.

It is something I have truly lacked in my life, despite my deisre to be a disciplined person. Hence, my resolutions always failing, ha ha.

I have always admired when others were able to really stick to their goals, sometimes, seemingly wtihout it even being hard for them. (Though, I know that is likely not true.)

I have great ideas. Purposes for doing things. I am a fantastic list maker. I can look around my house and tell you exactly what needs to be done and how to do it. This quote really says how I feel.

I have the dream....just not the discipline.

First and foremost, I want to be disciplined in not only my household "duties" but in my spiritual walk with God. With my kids. With homeschooling. With exercising. With loving people around me. With following through on what I know needs to get done.

Funny story: Last week, I was praying for my two oldest girls at their bedtime. I prayed something about helping us to be more disciplined. The next night, as I was driving Keira, my  seven (and-a-half) year old home from dance class, she says, "Mom, why did you pray last night that we would be punished?" It took me a minute to figure out what she meant and then I just laughed out loud.  It was a bit hard to explain.

But, isnt' it so true that discipline is really what keeps us from needing "punishment"? Even as adults. I truly don't believe that God punishes us. I definitely feel that anything bad in our life comes from Satan himself, but we do get "punished" by our own consequences when we are not disciplined in certain areas of our life.

Discpline....so important.

I can't fail at this by mid January because this is a focus. It's not a diet. It's not a program. I hope for it to be the focus of my life this year and the rest of my life!

What's your "thing" this year?

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Simplify

Happy New Year! I guess I've taken a bit of a hiatus...for several reasons...but mostly just because life was busy. Well...here we are...in a new year and with that always brings thoughts of what kinds of things we want to change or do differently.

As I look back at 2014, It was a great year. A busy year. A complicated year. We moved.....twice. Tom Graduated and started a new job. There were so many unknowns. I feel very much like it was a year that ended 5 years of chaos! Good chaos...but chaos none the less.

So, I decided to join the bandwagon and coin a term that I hope will define my 2015. Simplify. It looks like we will stay in our current home for a while....or at least until sometime in 2016 (though....I guess you never know). With Tom done with homework and classes, we have a little more time to spend as a family and work on projects that we have been putting off.

I hope that this year allows us to rid ourselves of clutter, organize the basement, get rid of things we don't use or need, keep our schedules manageable, spend good quality time with our children and most importantly, put the Lord first in everything we are doing.

So, to put some numbers on my hopes, my goal for this year is to get rid of at least  10 items a week from my house. So...by this time next year, we will be down at least 520 things!

It is a simple goal....one that Tom can help with. One that is realistic and that I believe I can be successful at. One that my children will take part in and benefit from. One that will make my house simpler to keep up with.

If there are times that I feel anxious or stressed, it is my goal to really try to simplify the situation that is making it that way.

All in all, I feel like as a society we are encouraged to basically stress out our families, whether it be too many commitments, financial stressors or expectations. And really...what is the point of this life that God gave us, if we are not enjoying the many blessings that God has given us.

I am not going to commit to posting about this on a certain schedule (because that would not be simplifying) but I do hope to keep you updated on my progress.

So, I encourage you to jump on board and simplify with me....or find something that can define your year! Share in the comments what your "word" is this year...I would love to hear it!

Many blessings to you and your family in this New Year!

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