Starting a New Year...

I don't do resolutions, mine is to be better this year in the eyes of God than last year.  It continues to be that day in and day out, month in and month out, year in and year out.  

I do like to start new things with a new year.  I like the clean slate idea of it.  Usually I start a new Bible reading program.  There are many different ways to read the Bible in a year.   :)  I have done several.  The one that probably grew me the most was the year I read a Chronological Bible.   I finished that year with a much better understanding of how the books in the Old Testament mesh together instead of how they are presented. 

This year I am excited and feeling a bit overwhelmed at what I plan on tackling this year.   Back in the fall I found this book at Sam's:

I have glanced at it a couple of times and each time thought it looks really good.   Yesterday I sat down and LOOKED at it.  Wow, it is going to be a study!  It has a read the Bible in a year program in the front, so that is taken care of.  Then more reading for each day's devotional.   I am looking fwd to it.  

I also made copies of the read the Bible in a year in front of the devotional for all 5 kids.  I am going to challenge them to do it also.  

I have revamped some of my prayer journals and made each of my kids at home a prayer journal with their name and a special blessing on the front.  I am very pleased at how they turned out.   These are some of the extra prayer notebooks I made for retreat last year.  

We are also going to do some accountability for those of us with habits that we wish we no longer had.  I have each of the kids come up with 1-5 things they want to be held accountable for.   Not just bad habits, but lack of habits in things they want to have habits of.    Again we will see how this goes since I am making it up as I go along.   I planning on having a couple on this list also.  

A friend shared this link on de-cluttering and building better habits.  The decluttering calender looks really interesting and easy.   I think that is one thing I may put on my accountability list. 
MySimplerLife/Calendar

I like this one, but wish I could tweak it to make it mine.  I may borrow some from it and make me one.
Daily Planner from Holy Experience

Hope this year is wonderful for everyone.  I pray that the Lord blesses each and everyone that reads this blog over the next year in ways that can only be from Him and that each of you grow and come to have a deeper love and understanding of who God is in your life.   

New "exercise"

Jump Rope!!!

 Yes, those are boots, and believe it or not she holds the championship in jumping!

We plan on taking the jump rope to church on Sunday and the park on park days.   It should be fun to get this fad started back.   Kids were looking on you tube with amazement Double Dutch Jumping.

Even mom got out there and jumped a few jumps.  My knees aren't use to this.  They were trying to run in and jump.  I finally took off my fanny pack and showed them.  Only problem was I got in and jumped ok, but my knees weren't prepared so I went to the ground.  It didn't hurt, just they folded.  I need to do more jumping before I try showing off. I did and do rub it in I can do it and they can't.  I think my record jumping was about 3 or 4 jumps.   This to can improve with practice.  

Puppy update...

Meet Freckles.   That was her name when we got her.  We really can't come up with anything better. Our old Freckles was a great dog.  We tried several names but first thing I knew she was Freckles again.  

 We bought 2 puppies, but the other belongs to my oldest.  He is needing a working dog with different blood lines and we pray will WORK.   His best working dog is a Florida Cur.   That dog would rather work than take care of puppies.   The puppy in this picture with D10 is Ranger.  See he has a white collar and wider blaze in the middle of his face.

They do seem to be catching on fast.   I told one of them no a little while go and it stopped what it was doing.   The seem to play pretty gentle with grandson.  They love on him but don't knock him down.  He figured out how to "lead" them yesterday.  He would as to bring the puppy to you.  We would agree and he would grab the collar and "lead" him to you. Puppy would apply all brakes and with my tile floor slide where ever he was to go.  Yes, they are leading pretty good now. 

I didn't get the one I thought I liked.  The lady had said she was a little more standoffish.  She was WAY more shy and wouldn't come up to you and would slink away. I liked her, she was beautiful, but I want an out going not shy puppy/dog.  These two don't seem to have a shy bone.  

H.O.M.E. Heart of Motherhood Enrichment

                                                                      H.O.M.E.

                                         Heart of Motherhood Enrichment

                                      Retreat News

Hello Ladies,

Blessings to each of you.  Heart of Motherhood Enrichment retreat is just 5weeks away.  Registrations have started to come in.  The team is enjoying planning and preparing a wonderful, fun, and relaxing retreat.  We are praying for each of you.  We pray all the details will work out for you to attend.

Each of the speakers are getting excited about what God has put on their hearts to share.  Listen to these wonderful topics:

The Importance of Blessings:  Nola Jones

Need a blessing?  Need to learn to receive a blessing?  Need to learn to speak blessings to those you love?

We will explore what the 5 keys to giving and receiving blessings are and why it is important for us to learn to speak them to those we care about. 

Vanessa Simon – Do you sometimes feel like you are living in a dry season?  Learn to walk through the dry times into Gods green pastures.

Julie Zesch – Nutrition and Declarations:

Nutrition – Learn how to feed your body with God given healthful foods so you can live life to the fullest in your motherhood journey.

Declarations and Faithfullness - Speaking, declaring what God has for us, our marraiges, and our children and knowing that our Faith is the Substance of the fruit we will see in our lives, our marriage, and our children.

Molly Criner:  Every day in our roles as mothers, wives, and women of God, we are bombarded with thoughts, ideas, and emotions.  Some we recognize immediately as representing truth or lies, while others “fly under the radar” and subtly, by our own agreement with them, move us away from God’s plan for our lives.  I would like to share, through scripture and stories from my personal life, how I’m learning about the amazing, scriptural power of agreement and the subtle but profound ways it affects my success as a mother, wife, and woman of God.

The View from Here:  Kristi McClellan
Life is a journey, often exhilarating, occasionally daunting. As we each travel along the path God has laid out for us as His daughters, as wives and mothers and friends, we have much to share with one another, especially as we look back over the ground we've traveled and consider the lessons we've learned. I would like to share with you "my view from here," my thoughts on Christian life, marriage and mothering from my current vantage point, a few of the most valuable nuggets I've learned along the way. I pray that God's pearls of wisdom for me will enhance or help some part of your own journey!

Sleeping options:  If you are interested in a hotel style room,  rooms with one double bed are available for an additional $20.00/night;  if you have a roommate it would be an additional $10.00/night.  

I f you are unable to attend all weekend, consider coming for the day on Saturday.  The cost for one day will be $50.00

Don't delay, Don't procrastinate, Register now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Register by December 31^st and take advantage of the early bird special;  $100.00!!

Also; we've had several inquiries of mothers wanting to bring their daughters.  If you have a daughter who would like to attend the cost will be $90.00. This will not include the retreat packet. 

If you have any questions contact us at Heartofmotherhood@gmail.com or you can contact us on face book @ Heart of Motherhood or call Julie Zesch at 325-234-6182

Blessings to you all,

May today's rising of the sun mirror the rising hope in your heart of God's emphatic desire to be a part of your life in a very personal way.