Hapy New Year!

As you can see the Christmas season was a busy time for us, time spent with family and friends.

Now as we enter into the New Year we are preparing for the arrival of our much anticipated baby. Everyday that passes I get more and more excited to hold and smell this tiny little one in my arms. But as every New Year that comes change is also in process..
I often like to make plans and goal each January, and they are kind like how you feel at 11:59pm New Years Eve to how you feel at 12:01am New Years Day..... The same. Nothing really happens.
So my goals and passions also tend to stay the same, but one thing that does change a little is my vision it becomes deeper with more passion.

This year in 2011 I want to become a better wife,
I want my relationship with Chris to radiate joy to our children and beyond the boundaries of our home. I want to take a good look at what I am bringing to the table of my marriage. I want to be that bride he vowed to love and cherish for the rest of his life. But am I still that bride he fell in love with?. I want to give him everything that I have this year.

The scripture I am using as a reminder to be a Godly help meet is "He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD."
~ Proverbs 18:22.

My commitment to mothering and raising arrows for the Lord, my * World Changers*
My goal in this area is to watch my tongue, Not in the scene of yelling or being critical to them. But to be sweet and pour out encouragement on them everyday. Being aware of every word that is coming out of my mouth about my children. Not only to them but about them. I don't need to feel pressure to share negative things about them or to "have a mommy time vent". I want to speak blessing this year not curses. I know I can not be the perfect mother but that doesn't change what God has called me to do as a mother. Every word I speak to or about my children will affect greatly the future.

~This is from J. R. Miller's classic book, Home-Making, originally published in 1882:
What we want to do with our children, is not merely to control them and keep them in order-but to implant true principles deep in their hearts which shall rule their whole lives; to shape their character from within into Christ-like beauty, and to make of them noble men and women, strong for battle of life. They are to be trained rather than governed. Growth of character, not merely good behavior-is the object of all home governing and teaching. Therefore the home influence is far more important than the home laws; and the parents' lives are of more significance than their teachings. Whatever may be done in the way of governing, teaching or training-theories are not half as important as the parents' lives. T...hey may teach the most beautiful things-but if the child does not see these things modeled in the life of the parent, he will not consider them important enough to be adopted in his own life.~

My home.

My goal for my home this year is hospitality, but not so much in the sense of more dinners and company. But more breaking free from lies and intimidation the enemy places on me. Reminding myself of what hospitality is and is not and not worrying about the things *I* think people care about. One of the biggest things I feel the Lord speaking to me about in hospitality is that it does not ask me to be impressive - with my home, with my food, and with myself. But that it is about loving people and showing them a sacred, intimate part of our life. The verse I have posted in my kitchen is
"Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace. 1 Peter 4:8-10"