Moments to Remember

     As Christmastime is now upon us, I feel joyful and bubbly. I love the typical Christmasy things: Nativity set, stockings, tree, candy canes, presents, etc. But more than that, it's the memories, and the opportunities to make memories, that I love. 

     Each year when we head to the tree farm to choose and cut down our Christmas tree, we have a silly little tradition for the kids. When we finally decide on which tree to get, we have to make sure there's no chipmunks living in it. We shake the tree, we look for "chipmunk food," and oftentimes, Daddy leads the kids on a chipmunk chase to ensure the little critters "don't find the tree again." This has it's roots in a Mickey Mouse and Pluto cartoon. 

     We also are diligent in putting out our cookies for Santa and carrots for the reindeer (Rudolph gets a cookie though, because he is picked on so much!).
We craft Christmas countdown paper chains and faithfully tear off on paper link a day.

     And last year we began a new tradition of attending our small town's tree lighting "ceremony." The kids get to visit with Santa and have a picture taken. There's cookies to decorate, a coloring contest with awesome potential prizes. And free hotdogs, chili and hot chocolate. All the while there is live music and dancing, and just has a real homey feel. 

     We attended this year's tree lighting tonight, and had a wonderful time. This was my moment to remember. My children looking so sweet and festive. Cold air, but warm spirit. Family. Friends. Involvement. Tradition.

The boys visiting with Santa.

My little princess was perfectly comfortable with the jolly man.

Mmmmm, chili! He declared it a new favorite and asked if I had the ingredients to make some when we got home.

Yummy hot chocolate.

This little one had been waiting for her candy cane all night. And she loved it!

Our Schedule (so far)

We were planning on starting our school year on September 5, to give more time for prep. and all that. But I figured I had all the curriculum, and we were probably as ready as we'd ever be. So this last week we started school!

Here is the basic schedule for our day. But we're pretty relaxed about things, so if we need to adjust times it's not a big deal.
Kids get up between 6:3- and 7:30. We have breakfast, get dressed, make beds and brush teeth.

8:30--Start of the school day with handwriting. For the most part it's pretty simple and hopefully as we get into the year a little more, the boys shouldn't need our help quite so much with it.  At this point, dd *A* is playing with dollies or something.

9:00--Each boy does a few math pages. So far they've been doing pretty good with this, and I am finding out more about each one's learning styles. *DS2* you just show him the page, he tries to figure it out by himself and once you explain what to do, he's off! *DS1* is so smart, he could probably read the directions himself and do it, but gets very easily distracted. He needs someone with him every step of the way, keeping him focused and praising his efforts. If I were to just put the sheet in front of him and explain the directions and expect him to complete it...we'd still be waiting for him to finish at lunch time.
**After they finish their math pages, we have a break. The kids can play with legos or toys upstairs. This is my time with *DD1* also. We have read books, put blocks in the shape sorter, played with little matching tiles, etc. She loves attention of any kind.

10:00--Bible. On Mondays we read our bible story and lesson. While I'm reading, the boys are coloring the coloring sheet that goes with the lesson. *DD1* also has a little wipe-off book she can color in. The following days have activities and games that reinforce the main point of the lesson. This is one of their favorite classes so far, which is exciting.
11:00--We have either science or geography. This is a very relaxed class. For science this week we did a few pages in a dinosaur sticker/learning book. The boys LOVED it. We also have one about animals that we'll be using. We'll be learning about our bodies (muscles, bones, organs, etc.), and also doing some very basic, introductory sex ed.
For geography we'll be using our Little Passports as a base and learning about the country for each month. This month's country is Brazil, so we'll be looking up books about Brazil at the library, maybe color the country's flag, and make a recipe familiar to that country.
**This is where *DS2*'s day ends, since he's just in kindergarten. He was given a set of BOB books for his birthday that we started on, and he is SO excited that he can read the book by himself. He has a great phonics base from preschool that is proving to be a huge asset this year.

1:45--The 2 younger kids go down for a nap after lunch, and *DS1* has 3 "English" classes left.
First we work on spelling, which he is loving right now. He loves segmenting words and has breezed through the first 4 lessons in one week.
Next is language/grammer, which is focusing on nouns right now. This is a pretty simple class, and he likes that there is no writing to do in this class. :)
Finally is writing class. He has been learning what makes up a complete sentence...capital letter at beginning, period at the end. This is a bit tough for *DS1* since he loves to write everything in capital letters, but it's been good practice for him.

Then we're on to dinner at 5, baths, pjs, stories and winding down for the night. I shoot to have the kids in bed around 7pm.

So, this is our day so far. The formal learning part of our homeschooling. We also figure that every moment of every day is a chance for learning, so we'll be throwing in tidbits of knowledge where ever we can.
The kids have been having fun so far, loving that they can play in the backyard on recess, and be in the comfort of their own home. I love this part of homeschooling for them, although it is harder to complete my to-do list each day.

I love to see *T* loving to read.

(Not) Back to School Photo Share

Week 3 of the Not Back to School Blog Hop is happening now, and we are sharing about our students. Well, technically it's a "(not) back to school" photo share, so I'll try not to write too much. :) We haven't officially started our school year yet, so these pictures will have to suffice.


My oldest DS is *M*. He turned 6 last month. He is full of energy, and enthusiasm, and loves to learn and understand new things. He has a great knowledge base already from 2 years at Little Clipper, a private Christian pre-school/kindergarten. He is already reading and I'm sure he'll breeze right through a lot of his 1st grade school work. And probably have difficulty with other parts I'm sure!








  My younger DS is *T*. My newly turned 5 year old is a ready to learn kiddo who isn't as self-conscious as his older brother. He's not afraid to make mistakes, which in turn helps him learn easier. He did one year of preschool at Little Clipper before we decided to home-school, so he doesn't have quite the head start older brother did, but he is very ready to start kindergarten! He is reading simple words already and can count well past 20, and do simple addition/subtraction.

I also have a DD *A* who will be 2 in September. She is a bundle of energy who loves reading books and being a "little mama." She takes care of her many baby dolls with much love, and when a doll is not handy, any stuffed animal or even action figure will do!










 It's going to be a great year!!!

Our School Room

This month I am linking up with Heart of the Matter Online for their "Not Back To School Blog Hop." Each week focuses on a different aspect of homeschooling (curriculum, school room, students, and scheduling), and bloggers are encouraged to link up their personal blogs, and then read what everyone else has blogged about also. Mariposa Mom saw more traffic last week than ever before, and it has been wonderful to read all the comments left by fellow homeschooling moms.


This week the focus is our school rooms. Right now, our little family will be using our dining room table as our desks. Each boy gets half the table. I'm sure we'll do a lot of reading on the couches, but it's so much easier to write sitting at a table or desk, I imagine most of our time will be spent there.
We have a mid-height long 6 drawer "dresser" by the table which houses our supplies. I need to still clear out some of my books and things from a few drawers so I'll have somewhere to keep our curriculum when the rest of it gets here.

When we move to our new house, we will have a separate family room, 1/2 of which will be made into our school area. We have desks already, and bookshelves, so we are pretty much set to go when we move. I will be able to decorate it like a classroom, have more space for projects and things, and just have a more permanent location for things. I can't wait! We even have a mini desk for our almost 2 year old daughter.

Getting the Hang of It?

My last blog detailed what curriculum we will be using for this, our first, year of homeschooling. I am SO excited about everything, and in true mom fashion, I believe that we may even breeze through some of it so quickly that I'll be ordering next year's things before this "school" year is out. We'll see.

I was unsure which math curriculum to use. I thought I had found the one, but as I looked at the sample pages more, I realized it just was too "text-bookish" for us. My boys like workbook pages, activities, movement and fun. Not sitting and listening to explanations that even Mom doesn't understand.
So, through other homeschooling mom's blogs linked up at the Not Back to School Blog Hop, I found many great ideas we could use. And our Math curriculum, Mathematical Reasoning.

I have been reading through the All About Spelling teacher's text. It's one of 2 subjects that we have received already, and I'm liking it more and more. At first I wasn't sure about it...seemed hard to understand. But each lesson ties together, with much review and slow progression. I believe this will help the kids retain what they are learning SO much more. And it uses different modes of learning to really engage and create learning pathways... speaking the sounds/words/phonograms; seeing them in print; and using motion and writing to tie it all together.

I am really happy that the rest of our curriculum should arrive within the week. My goal is to read through each one, map out general goals, and be ready to start school around the first of September. Chris has his vacation that first week, though, so we're not sure if we'll take the opportunity and try to get away for a small family vacation, or get a head start on school while Daddy is home to help out. We'll see.

Thanks for reading. And to my new followers, WELCOME!

Homeschool Curriculum Choices for Year 1!!!

This is our first year of homeschooling. We are nervous. We are most likely over-analyzing. We are trying to find out all that we can before we actually get started. Overall, we are super excited to begin this journey of home educating our kids and instilling in them a love of learning and all good things.

After blog hunting and researching and taking into consideration our boys' unique personalities and abilities, we have found curriculum that will hopefully be fun and act as a good springboard for activities and extra learning. We want to take lots of field trips, be library regulars and do lots of hands on learning.

Our boys are 5 and 6, so will technically be in kindergarten and first grade. The classes we have chosen can be used for both boys, and adjusted to meet the age needs of either kid.

Our curriculum choices are:
A Reason for Handwriting Level A
All About Spelling
Little Passports(for geography)
Story of the World: Ancient Times (history)
My Body: grades 1-4 (science)
Telling God's Story (Bible)

We still are unsure about a math curriculum, so if you know of a fun, easy to understand program, let me know! Both boys are actually really good at math, and I think it's going to be hard finding something challenging and new without being difficult and boring. We'll have to shop around.

Other than these classes, we will be doing some child led learning. If they express an interest in a subject, we will use that as a means to learn all sorts of subjects. An interest in construction trucks isn't just about "boy stuff." It can be a way to make reading fun by reading truck books, learn math by measuring different trucks and comparing, etc.

So that's it in a nutshell. Wish us luck on our new, exciting adventure! We're Off!!!

Numbers

Just some things I've been thinking about as my oldest had his 6th birthday and the younger ones are coming up on theirs also.

Number of:
Years I've been married: 7 (almost)
Years I've been a mommy: 6
Children I have: 3
Birthday parties I have "thrown": 11 (with 2 more coming up)


I love birthday parties. I love the preparing; organizing, shopping for supplies, planning the details, inviting, decorating, etc. I love being with the people we love, and getting to know them better. I love marking the milestones of my kids' lives with something memorable.

DS1's 6th birthday party was today, and it was a gloriously sunny day! Warm, a bit windy, but just perfect. The kids played a couple silly, easy games, the b-day kid opened presents, there was popsicles and ice cream cones for the kids and cake and drinks. Just perfect!

The Ball is Rolling!

The land is ours!!!

Officially, in paper, by contract, it. is. ours. We own a piece of property! How amazing is that!? And not only that, we are beginning construction on our very own house. Home. Dwelling. Amazing!

This has been such an amazingly quick process, it's hard to believe it's really real. In March we happened to see a house for sale that we liked a few miles out of town. It was old, but BIG. It had charm. It had a big yard. It was quirky. It needed a LOT of work. Like...at least $80k worth of repairs. It would have needed special financing, the bank would have had to take a SUPER low offer on our part to even make it possible for us. It was not working out.

My mom and I happened to attend the Home and Garden show about that time, and passed through a booth for Adair Homes. I was intrigued. Even more so when my mom mentioned that my aunt and uncle built an Adair home over 30 years ago, are still living in it and love it. Awesome.

DH and I didn't wait for Josh, the coastal Adair rep, to call us. We called him. We filled out the preliminary paper work to see what we'd be approved for, he followed through, and that's the beginning of how we got here today.

We have gotten bids for electricity, excavating, water, etc. We got to choose which house plan we wanted (and fit within our budget). We have been in sometimes daily contact with various offices...realtor (for the land), financial services, Josh, and title company. It has been work, and a big time commitment for Chris especially, but it's all worth it.

As soon as we were told the property was ours,

DH convinced his dad to bring his tractor/mower out and cut the grass (thanks FIL!)...it had grown to well over 3 feet tall! Our boys could very easily hide in it. DH has been raking like a madman, weed-eating along the edges, and quickly making friends of our neighbors. We met both of our direct neighbors, and he said the retirement home next door was very happy about all the work he was doing. I imagine a nice trimmed lot is much more pleasant to look out at than an overgrown mess. *Special thanks to my dad for driving in his trailer and hauling off the grass after DH fills it. And to my little bro for helping DH finish the raking just this morning.*

For those that are curious, our house will have 4 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, a living room & family room, and a garage. All in a total of 2080 square feet!

Now that we own the land and the funding has gone through, we are all set to officially map out where the house will set on the land, have the excavator dig the spot for the foundation and a ditch for the water pipe, and have the driveway graveled. Then I believe it's on to foundation, building permits, and... we'll see!

They have said it will take a maximum of 4 months to complete from the pouring of the foundation. We are overly optimistic that we could potentially be at least moving in to the house by Christmas. It just depends on SO many factors, it's hard to say for sure.

If you are interested in building an Adair home, we'd be happy to help you get started. Kind of point you in the right direction, and offer any advice we can. The people at Adair have been wonderful to work with, and very helpful.
If you do decide to build, be sure to mention that we referred you right at the beginning. There's a bonus incentive included for referrals.

Thanks for reading, and be sure to check back for more updates as we get moving!

Counting

What is going on in my life? Well, lets see...
*I'm stressing about the house situation from every possible angle
*My weight is up and I'm pretending I don't care
*I'm always tired even when I miraculously get 8 hours of sleep
*Headaches and backaches have become my companions
*I am really needing a break from the day to day care of little children.

Sounds great huh? I'm struggling with not complaining, because I do know that many people, actually the majority of people in the world, have things a lot worse than me. I have a pretty good life according to the standards of someone in, say, Africa. Or remote corners of the jungle.

But ya' know.... when I'm in a mood, I don't really care about that perspective.

But in the midst of my unsettledness and discombobulation I still have been attempting to make improvements.

I have discovered that I enjoy the time I have alone when I get up before my kids. Although it does mean waking up to an alarm (most alarming!) and missing out on some much needed sleep. The quiet, uninterrupted, peaceful space where I can enjoy my morning cup of coffee and a new magazine, or catch up on the news on facebook, is very enjoyable.

Even though I find it difficult to go for long, exhilarating, sweat-inducing walks with 3 children, we have been enjoying taking family walks together. All 5 of us. They are not long, very rarely cause me to break a sweat, and are exhilarating in the sense that I am outside and with my family.

We have been doing minor "home improvement" projects lately. We organized and cleaned the best we could with our limited situation the shop behind our house. For reasons mostly beyond our control it quite easily becomes a mess and is not a pleasant place to be most of the time. But we made some rather large pathways and did a bit of organizing.

Also, I have been growing an avocado tree. Well, 2 now actually. And it doesn't really count as a home improvement, but it is somehow enjoyable and gives me a tangible source of pride. The first one is pushing 3 feet tall and has enough leaves it's hard to keep track and count them. The pic at right is from over a month ago. It now has a newer set of leaves on top and the trunk is taller. The newest addition is a few inches tall, has 5 little leaves and is newly planted in it's own large pot. I love it!

I suppose I should end with a counting of blessings due to the complaining at the beginning.
*I do love my 3 children who sometimes get on my nerves. I may be the only mom whose kids do it, but I'll readily admit there are times I can't stand them. But I do love them and would never even wish to imagine life without them.
*I truly am thankful we are living in a house. Yes, it is a most basic need, that of shelter. This may not be the biggest, newest, nicest house out there (in fact FAR from it), but it has everything we need. AND it's not an apartment. And it's not a hut in the middle of nowhere with no running water or electricity. Perspective.
*Even though I have had back and head aches the last week or so, I thank God that generally I can ease the pain with OTC pain meds. A couple dear friends of mine suffer from chronic pain that won't be eased, and all I have to do is think of them when I begin to complain too much. Again, perspective.

I pray your day is blessed, cheery, and full of surprises. May God open your (as well as my own) eyes to the beauty surrounding you. The blessings in the midst of trials. The joy awaiting you as you choose to trust His way.


When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Priorities, Personality, Patience

"A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man displays folly." Proverb 14:29

A few weeks ago, my mom sent me a link to a site w/ a 30 Day Challenge... to work on goals, priorities and making them happen. I wasn't terribly excited about it, since I felt like I have things pretty together most of the time and, of course I know everything already (a little sarcasm).

Well, to make a long story a little shorter, I am not so much learning new things as I am putting old information into use.
*I have examined what my priorities are.
*I felt a bit of guilt when faced with the knowledge that 8 out of 10 goals for the next year centered more on ME than on my family.
*I have begun keeping a to do list and feeling a tingle of satisfaction when another "to do" becomes a "to done."

I have also been forced to examine certain parts of my personality that I am not too fond of. I have wondered numerous times why the person I want to be known for is nothing like the person I perceive myself to be.
I want to be selfless and generous, yet find myself behaving like an old miser (minus the millions of dollars old Mr. Scrooge had).
I desire to be known for my quick wit, kind words and open conversation yet find myself clamming up when in the company of others.
I have made it a goal several times to speak positively, and yet find myself nitpicking and complaining.

But there is one area that I think is the root of most of my problems. The dreaded "P" word.

Patience.

I heard long ago, when I was still a child, that you should not pray for God to give you patience unless you were willing to be tested in it. The thought is that when you ask for it, you suddenly find yourself in situations which require oodles and oodles of patience, which you feel you are already lacking.
So I have avoided praying for Patience.
With everything in me.
But the problem I seem to be facing is the more I avoid it, the more I find myself noticing that I need it.

I can't win for losing.


If you would like to sign up to do this 30 Day Challenge, here's the link. It really has opened my eyes to some things I need to work on. And I'm not even half through yet!

"People with goals succeed because they know where they're going."
-Earl Nightengale

What's Up with That?

"You are never really playing an opponent. You are playing yourself, your own highest standards, and when you reach your limits, that is real joy."
-Arthur Ashe

My mom talked me into doing this 30 Day Challenge thing that's all about making goals, priorities, to-do lists,... that kind of thing. I guess. Today was my first day and I'm not too sure what to expect.

The lady who does the video talks for it said one thing that made me think. She said to think about these things: "What are your values? What's most important to you? What do you want people to know you for? What do you want people to remember you by?"

Well, those questions are easy enough answered. I could sit right here and rattle off to you the answer to each of those questions. But then I noticed a strange predicament.

The qualities I want to be known by, the person I want people to remember when I am gone, the things that are most important to me... these are the things I struggle the most with day in and day out. The things I cannot seem to conquer. The areas I feel tested in most.
Why is that?

"A man can be as great as he wants to be. If you believe in yourself and have the courage, the determination, the dedication, the competitive drive and if you are willing to sacrifice the little things in life and pay the price for the things that are worthwhile, it can be done." -Vince Lombardi

Peace

"Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset."
St. Francis

I'm sure I'm not alone in this. Fear and worry and anxiety has gripped our world, our nation, and our little town. After the recent earthquake in Japan, these traits have taken hold of us, causing panic, stress, and more. My family has put together emergency kits for use if our area is hit by an earthquake and subsequent tsunami. Others' family relationships are strained by differences of opinion on how to deal with this impending disaster. Other circumstances have come up in a friends' life that has caused increasing stress resulting even in physical ailments. Fear. Worry. Anxiety. Stress.

I myself was having difficulty sleeping for fear that "the Big One" would hit in the middle of the night. I had my flashlight and set of clothes handy, ready to go if need be. How paralyzing and stressful this way of life is!

I prayed for peace, I prayed for calmness and the ability to trust in what I cannot see. I prayed for God to show me that he has things under control and knows what's in my heart.
As I prayed and poured out my concerns, verses came into my mind.

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me." John 14:1

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." John 14:27

"Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,
for the LORD will be at your side and will keep your foot from being snared." Proverbs 3:25-26

"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7

"You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you." Isaiah 26:3

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:25-34

Already my heart was feeling lighter, my heart had stopped it's quick beat, and I was able to relax. Last thing I remember was saying the 23 Psalm out loud before falling asleep.

1 The LORD is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell[a] in the house of the LORD
Forever.

**********************
In these times of uncertainty, fear and catastrophe, it is easy to be overtaken and overwrought. It is easy to fall into a pattern of distrust and anger and selfishness.
We have to look beyond ourselves and what we see, and rely on God to see us through. I'm not a pastor or a theologian and I don't claim to be overly knowledgeable in understanding Biblical meanings. But the verses I've quoted here show clearly that God is in control. The One who created Earth, created you and me, created the birds and animals and every species of flower...HE is the one who knows. He holds us in His hands. He is there in front of you, beckoning to you to come. Like a daddy comforts a wounded child, He wants to comfort you. He wants you to rest in His arms, be cradled in His love, be safe in the knowledge that He is here and is in control.

Does this mean that the "Big One" will be held off? That our town will avoid calamity? That the troubles in the world will be resolved? That is not the promise. His promise to you is that IF these things happen, He WILL be with you. He does love you. You are held in His hands.

"First keep the peace within yourself, then you can also bring peace to others."
Thomas Kempis

Words

"It is with a word as with an arrow -- once you let it loose it does not return."
Source Unknown


Tonight I am tired. My mind refuses to be occupied by the silly computer games I am attempting to pass the time with, and instead keeps wondering and thinking of off the wall thoughts.
One thought that stuck out to me was this...what if I were suddenly infected with a disease that made it impossible to hold back from saying the things I am thinking? I admit that it would be nice to finally be able to tell some people what I really think of them, or let them know how their words and actions affected me.

But for the most part, how harmful this disease would be. Because, although we don't like to admit it, these not-nice thoughts invade our minds even about people we love and cherish. Our impatience gets the better of us and we silently wish they'd get their act together. Or maybe something about a person's appearance needs improvement. Normally we would bite back the negative comments and find something positive to compliment this person on. But, no! When infected with this disease, you are suddenly telling this person all the ugly, distasteful, scornful things about themselves.

Now, let's turn the tables for a moment. Imagine everyone you know has this same disease. They can't hold back the nasty comments rolling around in their heads. I picture the sky filling up with dark, rolling clouds that choke out the sun, and people's faces drawing into perpetual frowns.

I suppose now the proper thing to do would be to imagine yourself being infected by, shall we say, the love bug. The nice things you notice about others, the sweet things you are normally too embarrassed to say are now drawn out of you and vocalized. Can you see the recipient's face? The joy that spreads across the face of one you have just said wonderful, unexpected things about. This paints a picture of bright blue skies, rainbows, butterflies and unicorns. Silly!

My point is this: our words matter. Our words really do have the power to build up a person, or destroy them. We bring hope, and dash it away, just by opening our mouths and saying what's in our hearts.

What will you be saying (and thinking) today?

Proverbs 15:4:

Gentle words are a tree of life;
a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.

CARE

"To will is to select a goal, determine a course of action that will bring one to that goal, and then hold to that action until the goal is reached. The key is action."
Michael Hanson

A good friend of mine challenged her blog readers recently to adopt a "word of the year." I have been pondering this for a while and think I may have come across a word that fits.

CARE

C- Change. Change my attitude. Change my bad habits. Change the basic way I view things in life. In a sense taking off one set of glasses and putting on a new set. One that sees the good in people first, appreciates the smaller things in life.

A- Accept. Accept and love who I am. Accept others as who they are. Accept the place I am in right now as God's will for me. Accept the good things that are coming my way.

R- Relationships. I want to build upon the ones already in place in my life. I want to sow into the lives of my friends, spend more time with my family, and grow deeper in love with my husband.

E- Encourage. I want and need to make a conscious effort to be positive and say uplifting words. I want to focus on building people up, and help them feel valued and loved.


So that's it in a (not so small) nutshell. Care about God. Care about myself. Care about my family. Care about my friends. Care about others I may come in contact with. Lord let me be a caring, accepting, encouraging person.

Everyone of us needs to show how much we care for each other and, in the process, care for ourselves.
- Princess Diana