Resolution Motivation?

                   

     As with each new year, resolutions abound as everyone anticipates a fresh start.  Around the holidays I always cherish that year's memories & bottle up the blessings.  Joy fills my heart.  I feel inspired to prioritize, declutter, & organize every area of my life.  My vision for our family seems more clear.  Hope for the future shines bright!

     As I shop for Christmas gifts, I always seem to bring home new books for the coming months of winter cold.  Books inspire me!  My favorite authors & encouraging words are like a balm for my soul.  This year a new Bible reading journal also adds to my collection.  It's neat to check off the scriptures I've read & journal about how they are speaking to my life.  It amazes me how words penned so many years ago are alive & relevant today.  Quiet time with God is absolutely vital!  I always want to keep Him my center & my focus.  If not, everything else will just be a big mess!
     Financially, I have chosen to try this weekly $ saving challenge.  It seems easy enough.  Even if you don't save the larger weeks of Thanksgiving on, you will still have over $1,000 extra headed into the holidays!  I definitely desire to be included in the 8% that actually stick with it!

     Healthy new year?  I think so!  We eat lots of veggies here in the south but are known for our casseroles & rich, delicious, fattening foods too.  This is where I may sink my success a bit.  Last year I joined Weight Watchers online.  I stuck with it 'til goal dropping 20 pounds in 5 months.  Sad to admit, but in the last 7 months I have slowly put nearly half of that back on.  Now I've refocused since the holidays have passed.  We are eating at home more often again as our routine settles back to normal.  Nathan grills a lot.  Salads are always a go to side.  I buy organic when offered-mainly our milk, veggies, kid drinks, & hormone free chicken.  We eat a variety of fruits & I bake with the kids instead of consuming so many unhealthy, processed junk/snacks.  I am thankful that our kiddos love to eat an array of vegetables.  They ask for broccoli, rootabeggas, squash, & even eat tomatoes regularly.  I have feed them these dishes since they began table food & believe that makes all the difference in not raising picky eaters.  I have never purchased frozen fish sticks, frozen chicken nuggets, corn dogs, boxed dinners, or even fed them the box mac & cheese very much.  Hot dogs are never a staple here.  All of those foods seem so grossly unhealthy.  Amen for sure!
     Cleaning out here happens many times a year with 7 living under 1 roof.  Something about getting rid of unnecessary stuff brings freedom.  Where chaos & clutter abound, I cannot function.  No, our home is not perfect.  As I type right now, one of Raegan's dolls, carriage, & accessories are right here in our den floor.  Our little boy's nerf bows & arrows are also scattered about as they peacefully nap.  There have been some clothes dry for a few hours now in the dryer, another load wet in the washing machine, & several more that are sorted in baskets awaiting their turn for me to wash them.  Their are always clothes to be ironed that are patiently hanging & waiting.  It's actually a miracle that there isn't a load or so thrown on my bed to fold & put away.  I did do that earlier.  Everything else is clean & tidy though.  It wouldn't bother me a bit for someone to stop by.  We do actually live here!  I want my children to enjoy our home.  I recall the wise poem...

     To sum up my main goals for 2015~drawing closer to the Lord, kick starting our healthy eating once again, & brushing up on our prioritizing & organization skills.  No, these aren't profound goals.  I try to always keep these up to date at all times, but it's at these new beginnings that I can refocus.  I am recharged & refueled.  I'm ready to roll with a few new ideas too: 

    

1.  I ordered Sunday School material from A Joyful Life to use for our family devotions.  KJV scriptures are used.  There are fun, simple crafts for each lesson.  I ordered the take home papers & activity book for each child.  As a plus, it was really cheap, costing around $5 per child for both books!  I also ordered a few of the extra teaching aid materials but next time I will know that the kid's books were all we really needed.  So far, all of our kiddos have LOVED it!  On nights that we don't have church or an activity to attend, we do one portion of the lesson.  It has been a blessing to watch them rush around picking up and getting ready for bed so we can enjoy our devotional time together!  There is little to no preparation time on our part & it has really held our kid's interests!

 

2.  FUN FRIDAY has made Friday a whole new day around here!  The kids finish the majority of their school work Monday-Thursday.  Fridays may leave a few papers or tests.  Once that is accomplished, I hide an envelope somewhere in the house.  Inside they find directions or a picture to explain our activity.  So far we have baked & decorated sugar cookies & put together puzzles.  This Friday I have planned for us to cover pine cones with peanut butter and roll them in bird seed to hang in trees as winter bird feeders.  Yes, these are all easy activities.  Planning an actual day & keeping it a surprise just gets everyone excited & together to enjoy them!  Some Fridays we may go somewhere like skating, bowling, or just to the park.  That all depends on our family's schedule.  The important part is being together making memories!

 

What are your goals?  New?  Old?  Profound?  Exciting?  What are your thoughts on New Year's resolutions?  I'd love to hear from you!