my blessed life

I'm excited about this new year!  I'm so ready to put last year behind me. 2015 was just a tough year with lots of challenges.  Not that I don't expect challenges in this new year but I am just planning to face them with more grace, more patience, more of reliance on God.  Basically just more of God.  Without Him I can do nothing! My grace is sufficient for you; for my power is made perfect in weakness. II Corinthians 12:9 Some ways I am taking on the new year's challenges are: daily Bible reading ...I'm going back to one of my fave reading plans: the chronological one with the YouVersion Bible app reading a new-to-be but old devotional for the first time: My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers beginning my mornings with prayer and coffee--the best way! How are you beginning  your new year?

I know it's been a while.  And I've missed being here.  I hope things are going well with you. Life has been fast and furious around here these past few months and I simply needed to step away from so much time online in order to keep my sanity. I had lost my zeal for blogging.  Sort of lost my direction, in a way.  There are so many voices out there telling me how to improve my blog, how to make more money from  blogging, how to promote yourself better...  I just got tired of it all. I needed a little break.  So I took a couple of months off and it's been good. ***** Life has been a bit hectic lately and I am desperately trying to be intentional about how I spend my time.   More intentional in my walk with Jesus.  More intentional with my children.  More intentional with my marriage.  More intentional in my home. Believe me, I'm not getting it perfect.  In fact, most days I fail miserably.   Bu...

This month has been so incredibly busy.  I still can't believe that it's nearly over.  And May is shaping up to be a total blur! Sometimes you just have to let some things go and hang on for the ride.  I feel like that's what I'm doing these days.  There is just so much going on at this time of the year every year. End-of-the-school-year wrapping up, Mother's Day planning, church yard sale, special church events, science fair, co-op, upcoming mini-vacation, finalizing yearbook pages for our homeschool group, special ladies' events at church, helping my mother because of her broken shoulder, helping my husband every way that I can because he wears too many "hats", trying to plan our garden, ...the "list" never stops, right? And sometimes I don't do so well when I'm feeling overwhelmed.  I really just want to curl up on the sofa with a pint of Graeter's Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip ice cream and watch hours of Psych.  No...

Well, here it is ...the last week of the Early to Rise challenge .  And I have learned a few things about myself.   First of all I have learned that being a night owl is deeply ingrained in me.  I absolutely love those late hours when the kiddos are {hopefully} asleep in bed--I do have a night owl daughter, too--and I can relax, watch a favorite show, work on lesson plans or another project, read a book, even make a late-night run to the store ...whatever I want to do.  Sort of like if I got up early before everyone.  And while in my mind I would really like to flip-flop this to get up earlier than everyone else, it never fails that I get this massive second burst of energy every night around 9 and the kiddos are all tucked in.  To go to bed early would literally require sleep-aid every.single.night. because even when I've gotten up extra early it doesn't make me any sleepier at night.   Secondly , I've learned not to condemn myself if I don'...

Well, I could look at this week as a bust.  I have not been much of a "fun mommy" .  I sure have not been "early to rise" .  And we are playing catch up today on school work since I had a few sick days this week. But that's okay. Sometimes mama gets sick, right?  It's not fun, but it happens.  And while I rarely get anything that really knocks me out of commission, this week I apparently had the flu and it took me down.  So not a good time. I'm happy to be feeling more like myself today though, even if not 100% yet, mostly better is good, right? And today I'm grateful . Grateful for children who have been {mostly} helpful to me while I've been sick. Grateful for my husband who has been wonderful, even though this all meant he didn't get a home-cooked meal for four days after he got home from Egypt. Grateful for the flexibility of homeschooling. Grateful for a new day. Grateful for grace. ***** Don't miss a thing he...

Counting my gifts even in the mid-winter... 601.  memories of Springs past 602.  the anticipation of Spring to come 603.  the pleasure of a visit from a far-away friend 604.  taking an unexpected day off from the regular routine 605.  the fun of a night out with my hubby 606.  a big, fat red-breasted robin right outside my front door 607.  trying out a new recipe~and the whole family loves it:) 608.  an unexpected encouraging message from an unexpected person 609.  those first daffodils of Spring popping up all over 610.  Belgian hazelnut seashell truffles~pure bliss!

Wow.  Where has January gone?!?  This may have been the fastest, busiest start to a year that I've had yet.  I hope this isn't a sign that they just keep going faster the older I get. When my friend Nancy at There Is Grace first gave us this Thirty for 30 challenge I really didn't think it would be that hard.  Little did I realize how this month was going to throw me for a loop. I had visions of kicking off our new homeschool semester by getting up extra early, enjoying winter mornings in peace and quiet.  But my night owl tendencies kept showing up, my early-bird son got up before me nearly every morning (while I continued to hit snooze), and I experienced a strange period of extreme fatigue during this month.  Still not sure what that was about, maybe it was a winter weather-related thing.  Whatever it was though was really hard.  I dragged around for days. Then there was my decision to try the Read-the-Bible-in-90-Days plan.  Um....

This month I've been reading in the Old Testament, most recently in Leviticus.  What a complicated book!  So many rules and regulations!  And how often did the Israelites fall short of them.  Yet God in His infinite mercy and grace continued to give them opportunity and opportunity to return to Him, to turn away from their sins.  While they did experience chastisement, they also received forgiveness and so many second chances that I can't count them all.  All because God loves His children! This always makes me think of how far I fall short of God's standards each and every day.  When I fail to spend time with Him first thing.  When I'm grumpy and short with my family.  When I choose to gossip about someone. And yet when I come to Him, humbling myself and confessing those sins, He always welcomes me with open arms.  He doesn't say, "Well, I'll forgive you, but I won't forget about it."  Or, "Yes, I love you, but you'd better...

Today I am blogging over at There Is Grace (thank you for inviting me, Nancy!).  I hope you'll join me there! During this month of getting back to the basics of daily time in God's Word, I have also been reading a new book for mothers.  With the title  No More Perfect Moms , the tone for the whole book is set. It has really been speaking to me and it seems that the theme of "striving for perfection" has been jumping out at me in more ways than just this book.  Or perhaps my reading this book has just made me more aware.   Without  completely  ripping off my husband's message from church a couple of Sunday's ago, I want to share with you some thoughts that have really spoken to me.   ... {click here} to continue reading.

How are you doing on your Thirty for 30 challenge?  Yeah, it's harder than I thought it would be, too.  It's so easy to let daily life squeeze your time.  I hope you're making time for the Word though and letting God speak to you through it this month though. I want to share a verse with you today that God has brought to my mind lately. Or do you think lightly of  the riches of His  kindness and  tolerance and  patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?  Romans 2:4 (NASV) I have been convicted lately about just how sharp I sometimes speak to my children in an effort to chastise them or get their attention.  Impatience and frustration seeps in and my tongue becomes too harsh in its delivery. Just like our children don't always get it right the first, second, or thirtieth time, neither do we ourselves as God's children.  Just how often do you fail, do you have the wrong attitude, gossip abou...

As I sit here trying to put some thoughts down for the Thirty for 30 challenge, I just feel somewhat depleted. It has been an incredibly challenging week as a mother and I have failed more than I've succeeded--at least that's how it feels. And, in all honesty, I have also failed some in this Bible reading challenge.  I have already been playing a bit of catch-up in my reading goal. But each day is a fresh start and I am determined to meet my goals! Determination : this is the character trait that my children are learning about this month in their classes at our church.  We've also been talking about it at home each morning before beginning our homeschool lessons.  It's a great word! Here's the definition for Determination that they're learning: "Deciding it's worth it to finish what you've started."  Pretty powerful stuff, huh?  How often do we need to remind ourselves of that? The verse that they learned this past week to go ...

I am so ashamed of myself.  I have no excuse. I haven't stopped to count the many gifts in my life since .... August .  Yep, that was five months ago. Rather than condemning myself though I'm giving myself some grace and starting again.  It's a New Year, right?  I love fresh starts! The gifts never stop. 0591.   snow flurries~we haven't seen a lot, but I love, love, love the ones we have seen 0592.   having my parents and sister living close by~even when we get on each other's nerves there is a bond there that cannot be compared 0593.   having a real date night with my husband, stuffing ourselves at the Olive Garden and laughing so hard together at a movie about parenting~can't be beat! 0594.  hanging up a brand new {Susan Branch} calendar for the brand new year~pure joy! 0595.   whispers in my ear from my son about the special gift he wants to buy his sister for her birthday~precious 0596.   new goals for the...

You know that saying by Aristotle, "Well begun is half done"?  That's how I'm feeling today.  It's January 3rd and I feel like this year is "well begun" ....although certainly not half done--nor do I want it to be.  I'd actually like to slow down time a little if I could.  Wouldn't that be nice?  It's not reality though and so I am learning to prioritize and use my time more wisely. I am on Day 2 of the Thirty for 30 challenge and I feel that is "well begun" also.  After prayer and consideration I have decided to go for it and tackle the plan to read my Bible in 90 days.  I've read my Bible through several times, but it's always taken me a year+ to do it before.  I've had the 90-day plan printed off for a while now and tucked into my daily planner though.  And since it's a new year I want to try my best to do it. Each time I've read through the Bible new things jump out to me.  It's like that with any...

I love fresh starts and new beginnings~that's why I enjoy New Year's Day so much!  A whole new year ..."clean with no mistakes in it!"  It's as if God has an extra large dose of new mercies for us on this special day. Through the LORD’s  mercies  we  are  not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They  are   new   every  morning ; Great is Your faithfulness.  Lamentations 3:21-24   (emphasis mine) I am excited about what God is going to do in our lives in 2013!  I have great expectations for this year! (click the button to get the code!) I am also excited to have some accountability for my daily Bible reading.  I told you the other day about the challenge my friend Nancy at There Is Grace has given and I can't wait to join in. The challenge is simply this: to read the Bible consistently, 30 minutes for 30 days in a row--January 2nd-31st.  This should help create a wo...

Don't miss anything at My Blessed Life!  Subscribe by email and "like" our Facebook page today! It's hard to believe that 2012 is nearly over and we begin a New Year next week!  I feel as though this year just started last month--I guess that's a sign of getting older, right? Not too long ago I blogged about how I am "cleaning off my plate" , "trimming the fat" from my schedule, so to speak.  That's definitely not something that happens overnight with a simple decision.  It's an on-going commitment and also a challenge. An important part of that commitment is continuing to make time daily to spend with my Lord and Savior.  It's a proven fact that starting my day in The Word makes a real difference.  Not being much of a morning person, I love to read at bedtime--and don't plan to stop doing that either--but disciplining myself to get up early and begin my day in The Word is worth the effort. I was excited that m...

Today my thoughts and prayers are with the families of Newtown, CT.   For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and of a sound mind.   II Timothy 1:7

This month I am joining Courtney at Women Living Well and quite a few more fellow Christian women bloggers in making a concerted effort to "make my home a haven".  This is something I have been striving for since I first married and began making my own home with my husband.   So many times I fall short and things are not very haven-ish.  Laundry gets piled up, the sink is full of dishes, the floor is sticky, and I'm just tired.  And, frankly, when that happens not even I want to be at home~ha!  But think about how it is when you make the effort to create an inviting atmosphere in your home.  We all want to be there, right? This week Courtney challenged us to simply "light a candle" each day , make your home feel warm and cozy, and when you see that candle to pray for peace in your home.   We have certainly been enjoying the yummy-smelling candle I picked up at the store (of course, I had to have a little chat with my son again about...

Have you ever felt like your life's plate was so full that you needed a to-go box to actually hold everything that was supposed to be on it?  I sure have--more than once!  Apparently that's a lesson that I have to repeat.  I admit it: I'm a chronic over-committer. Lately I have felt the rising panic as I realize to what all I have committed and what it being expected of me--not just by my family, but many others.  It's an overwhelming feeling, especially when it appears that you have bitten off more than you can actually chew. I am one who loves to be involved and active in things.  I've always been that way, cramming my calendar full and squeezing in as many things as possible.  I am by nature a very social person (and somewhat of a control freak, let's face it), but it's just not possible to do it all .  Even when you really want to.  It seems like I have to come to this realization about once every year or so.  Slow learner, I ...

I feel as though I'm am continually dropping all of the balls that I am juggling lately. I'm struggling to wake up in the mornings, battling some bad attitudes with my kiddos lately, falling behind on housework, not blogging as often as I would like, the list goes on.... There is just a lot on my plate right now.  And I have got to get a better grip on prioritizing and organization and time management.  Quickly. So if you're one that often reads blogs (like I used to) and thinks "that person really has it all together", don't . In blogland, we're mostly just sharing the positives in our lives (everyone already has enough negatives, right?).  But that doesn't mean that there aren't plenty of challenges to be faced as well. Each day I am asking God to give me grace and creative ideas for facing my problems and challenges.  He is so incredibly faithful to do that--if I will just ask ! If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who g...

Many of us as Christians have often heard quoted the verse from John 10:10, "The thief does not come except to kill, to steal, and to destroy.  I have come that they may have life and have it more abundantly." (NKJV) When I've heard that verse in the past I've always thought of things like car wrecks, plane crashes, terminal illnesses ...in other words, BIG events that bring death and destruction and pain. However, a couple of months ago I was thinking about my family and some of the challenges that I was facing as a mom and this verse popped in my head (seems like there was something I heard that triggered it, but, for the life of me, I can't remember what it was now--only the verse stuck). All of a sudden it occurred to me that things that " kill, steal, and destroy " are most often the little things in our lives.  The little things happen so daily and we become immune and accustomed to them and don't even pay them much attention at all....