It's Music to My Ears...And for My Soul!

This is my Father!s world, And to my listening ears
all nature sings and round me rings The music of the skies.
This is my Father's world:  I rest me in the thought
Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas; His hand the wonders wrought.

This is my Father's world, The birds their carols raise
The morning light, the lily white, Declare their maker's praise.
This is my Father's world:  He shines in all that's fair;
In the rustling grass I hear Him pass, He speaks to me everywhere.
-Maltbie Babcock

This hymn was one of my Dad's favorite whistling tunes.  I'd often hear him out at the barn, whistling this or several other hymns.  It was truly music to my ears...to know where he was and that he was happy..... and music to my soul to know that my daddy was secure (and I could be, too) in his Heavenly Father.
Years later, it was music to my ears and soul when my oldest son Kent would sing this song around the house because it was one of his favorites, too.

I'm a gardener and a porch sitter, and at this time of year I'm all about the music God's little creatures, the birds, are making.  I can recognize several by their tunes.  One of the loudest and most enthusiastic singers is also the smallest...a little house wren.  I'm awakened most mornings by birdsong.....much earlier than I would choose to be awake.  I read once that birds sing loudest in the dark, and it seems to be true..right before dawn, they are a veritable chorus!
My world would be a lot quieter without the songs of birds...and a lot less cheerful.  Their songs reminds me of the old gospel, His Eye Is On the Sparrow, and the words go on to remind me that I know He watches me.  That is true music to my soul!

As in the hymn above, there are other sounds of nature that remind me of my Father's love.
The sound the winds make in a pine forest, the rustling of wheat in the fields, honking of geese flying overhead with the season's change, and rain on the roof.
The sounds of giggling children, my AWANA kids singing Jesus Loves Me, the laughter of my Mom and Aunt Sue, and the voices I love to hear in person or on the phone also tell me all is right with my world which means all is well with my soul(another great hymn).

These words written by David in Psalm 40:1-5 are the truest music to my soul.
I waited patiently for The Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
Out of the mud and mire
He set my feet on a rock
And gave me a firm place to stand.
He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God,
Many  will see and fear
And put their trust in The Lord.
 Blessed is the man who makes The Lord his trust,
Who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods.
Many, O Lord my God,
Are the things you planned for us
No one can recount to you;
We're I to speak and tell of them,
They would be too many to declare.

A Mother's Voice

In the movie, "Two Weeks Notice", the central character is a driven woman attorney whose mother teaches law classes.  In explaining why she is so driven and conscientious, she explains it like this: "it's my mother's voice I hear.  For better or worse, she's the voice in my head.."

Can't we all relate to that?  We hear our mother's voices quite often in our heads, telling us the "right" ways to do things, giving certain pieces of advice, perhaps a special praise or even a cruel or cutting put down.

As a mother myself, I wanted to be really careful about what words I used with my children.  I am a person easily built up or torn down by words, so I understand their power.  Even so, I know I spoke harshly in anger at times or even thoughtlessly and hurt my children.  It's just like the illustration with a tube of toothpaste when you squeeze big dollops out and then try to put them back in the tube..it can't be done.  Our words, once spoken can not be called back either.  (If only) 

The Power of A Positive Mom, by Karol Ladd, offers weekly devotions and journal exercises for Moms.  The one entiltled," The Power of Our Words" emphasizes the power and responsibility we have as mothers to use care with our speech.  She quotes the following verses from the book of Proverbs in the Bible:

Prov. 15:1-4, 18:4, 20

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but harsh words stir up anger.

The wise person makes learning a joy; fools spout only foolishness.

The Lord is watching everywhere,keeping his eye on both the evil and the good.

Gentle words bring life and health;a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit...

A person's words can be life-giving water;words of true wisdom are as refreshing as a bubbling  brook;

Words satisfy the soul as food satisfies the stomach; the right words on a person's lips bring satisfaction

Clearly the power of words is a force to be used in constructive or destructive ways.

In Proverbs 31, that famous passage about the "ideal" wife and mother, the phase I so wish could be said of me is this:

"When she speaks, her words are wise, and kindness is the rule when she gives instructions." v.26

Another versions says:  "The teaching of kindness is on her lips."

That one begs to be a definite index card over the sink reminder.  Of all the things I did right or wrong with my kids, my words, whether kind or harsh are what I remember most.

Think about the empowering difference Moms can make in their children's lives. Here's an example from a woman I know:

Irene's mother when faced with the necessity of traveling out of town on muddy roads in their old car said confidently, "Why, Irene (her daughter) can get us there."  (Irene was 12 at the time and did not share her mothers optimism or assessment of her driving abilities)

I marveled at the confidence that mother had in her daughter;"my daughter or son can do anything".  If you grow up with people believing so strongly in you, you would probably be likely to believe in yourself as well..especially if you also are taught Phillipians 4:13, "I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me".

My friend Irene related this tribute toward her mother when she herself was in her 80's.  She had become a teacher, then school administrator, and actually served on an education panel for President Lyndon Johnson in the 1970's.  She had a lively faith in God and her early experiences with a Mom who told her she could do anything stood her in good stead as she hopped planes to fly from Kansas to Washington, D.C. for meetings.

 I cringe to think of what my voice might be repeating in my children's heads.  I wish it was a noble, kind thought or piece of advice but I know I slipped and the "teaching of kindness" was not always on my lips.
I have asked forgiveness of my children but I know also that the words, once out, are there permanently.
As mothers or just as Christian women, we need to work on speaking with kindness.

 Karol has these journal assignments as suggestions:
*choose to use only life-giving words this week with my family and friends
*choose the law of kindness to rule my tongue
*choose to correct or discipline children with strong but gentle instruction"

Look for ways to build up others around you.  Don't give false or hollow praise, but thoughtful and sincere appreciation of others.  Even in the middle of a "tiff" with your family, try to hang on to the teaching of kindness.  Your children will follow your example.  Our world is full of rudeness and put-downs, let's engage in a counter-cultural battle and be lifter-uppers instead.  I read of a girl who started a campaign to encourage other women that they were beautiful, no matter what the mirror might tell them, so she started using post-it notes that had affirming thoughts on them and leaving them on the mirrors in women's rest rooms.
We could do this at our churches, or in our homes for our family.
Our words do have a tremendous power and my prayer is that Jesus will help us to be encouraging (to put courage in) and kind in our words..spoken or written!

April Gladness

"I was glad when they said to me, Let us go to the house of the Lord." -Psalm 122:1

This verse from my childhood usually reminds me how glad I am to go to church and Sunday School, but at this time of year I take a broader view of the "house of the Lord".
I'm a gardener and can't wait to get outside to His really big "house" and start putting in vegetable gardens, and tending to all my flower beds. This will involve a lot of hoeing, shoveling as I move plants from one place to another, weeding and watering. The heat of August may dim my enthusiasm a little, but the fall plants will be starting then and fall mornings outside are wonderful!  I especially love to be outside in the Spring and Summer and putter in my garden.  My daffodils and hyacinths are beginning to bloom (although getting covered in snow and ice won't help) and they'll be followed by lilacs and iris, then the hydrangea and roses.  It's about more beauty than I can take!!  And the fragances..lilly-of-the-valley, roses, lilacs...who could have made plants with such an array of colors, textures, uses and smells but God? I continually marvel at His handiwork!
 I come from a long line of outdoors- loving folks, gardeners and farmers who took God's commandment to subdue the earth seriously.  When you visit one of my relatives at this time of year, the first thing you do when getting out of the car is not go inside to visit, but have a tour of the gardens to see what amazing things God's been up to with His plants!  Our calendar revolves around garden chores:  strawberry or tomato harvest, blackberry picking, putting up the peaches, gathering walnuts or pecans for the winter.
My earliest memories are of some of those things--gathering tubs of peonies and delivering them with grandma and great aunts to the cemeteries for Memorial Day, learning to drive in our farm lanes up to the wild blackberry patch, having bouquets of iris and lilacs Mom would bring inside and we would deliver to neighbors in May baskets.  The end of school always brought strawberry picking and jam making and we spent a lot of late nights freezing corn and tomatoes while watching "The Johnny Carson" show'.  We ate a lot of watermelons outside sitting in our yard swing and chairs, just enjoying being outside with all God had given us to enjoy.
There's an old hymn with the lines: "I come to the garden alone, when the dew is still on the roses, He walks with me and He talks with me and He tells me  I am his own, and the joy we have  when we   linger there, no other has ever known"
I do feel very close to God when I'm outside and I get such enjoyment from His creation.  
  Another activity that fills my heart with gladness is reading, and  I wanted to share this except from Karen Scalf Linamen and her book, "Welcome to the Funny Farm, The All-True Misadventures of a Woman on the Edge". -
"You know , gardening can be enjoyable labor.
Or, it can feel frustrating and even futile.
A lot depends on whether or not you've got the right tools.
Resources like the right mower, a handy tiller, and adequate water can make a world of difference when you're in the process of nuturing tender growing things.
Cultivating soil with a weedwacker, for example is a recipe for disaster.  Cutting grass with cuticle scissors in a one-way ticket to the Funny Farm.  And planting bulbs with
 a kitchen spoon not only takes twice as long but can make your coffee taste kind of earthy the next morning.
I understand these principles when it comes or organic growth.   So why do I forget they apply to spiritual growth as well?
I want to grow, thrive and bear fruit spiritually.  But am I equipping myself with the right tools?  Or am I trying to do the job armed with a teaspoon and the Sunday funnies? *
What are the power tools of spiritual growth?  This list isn't definitive, but I've got a few ideas:  Prayer, Fasting, the Word of God, Praise and Worship.  Accountability to godly friends.  Confession. Bible study. Spending time in the presence of God.  
I don't know about you, but some days I think my backyard is a tropical paradise compared to my spiritual landscaping.
Spring is a great time to spruce up the yard.  But maybe it's a good reminder to tend to my soul as well.
I was going to spend the afternoon potting a few patio plants.  But before I head outdoors, I think I'll spend an hour in my favorite armchair with my Bible and a cup of coffee. It should be a rewarding time.
Even if my coffee does taste like dirt."

*A great gardening tip:  When you want to start a new garden bed, but don't want to go to the work of shoveling up the ground/grass, spread multi-layers of newspaper over the area as a weed/grass barrier and then spread bags of potting soil over them and plant as usual.  Over time, the newspaper layers kill the grass and decompose, leaving you with a new, weed free garden bed.  I've also tried poking holes in the bottom of bags of soil and then splitting them open on top, planting plants in the soil and then covering them with mulch.  Even easier, and the plastic kills the weeds/grass underneath as well.  At the end of the growing season, just pull the plastic from the soil and  ta-daaa!  Another planting bed for next year!
I wish you all April gladness and whatever brings you peace and joy with God, go after it!!
I'll be out in the garden with my shovel, humming praise tunes and my heart will be filled with gladness as I spend time my  Father, the master gardener who plants so many good things in and for us all!

March Madness

What will you be doing in March? I'll be watching the final moments of the NCAA Championship game not only to see what team wins but mostly to hear one of my favorite songs, One Shining Moment.  This is the highlight of the basketball season for me. (To refresh your memory and hear the song, click here: One Shining Moment 2008, the year KU won the championship.). The words and music are by David Barrett Hodges and some of the lyrics are:

The ball is tipped, and there you are ,  You're running for your life, you're a shooting star
And all the years, no one knows, just how hard you worked but now it shows..
In one shining moment, It's all on the line
In one shining moment, there frozen in time
But time is short and the road is long, in the blinking of an eye, that moment's gone
And when it's done, win or lose, you always did your best, cuz inside you knew
That in one shining moment you reached deep inside, in one shining moment you knew you were alive
Feel the beat of your heart, feel the wind in your face, it's more than a contest, it's more than a race
In one shining moment...

Pictures of the players, cheerleaders, fans, and bands are meshed with the song and the incredible energy, passion and hard work exemplified in the games touches something in me, too. Makes me want to lay it all on the line, to strive and give my all.  

It's a song that makes you want to get up off the couch and get busy doing something amazing.
There's something in all of us that wants to expend ourselves in a noble cause.  I think of how God has a plan and purpose for each of us that will call on all we have and even what we don't have so we have to lean on Him to accomplish His work.

We're reading the book,  When Women Say Yes to God, by Lysa TerKeurst, in our current Lovely Branches Bible Study.  Saying "yes" to the things God asks of us is like playing extreme sports..it gets your heart pumping, gives you an adrenaline rush, stretches your talent and faith, and can scare you to death. It may even seem like "madness" at times.

A 'simple yes' in response to God can also energize you to venture out into some wild territory, clinging only to God and His promises.  This stretches your faith.  Just like in the big games, you may win or think you've lost. The fans, your friends and family, may cheer you on, but often they will not be so encouraging  if you dare big things for God.  His approval and your obedience is the "score" that really matters.

I don't know about you, but I'd like to  have more than one shining moment when I say yes to God.  It may be as simple (!) as biting my tongue to hold back an uncharitable remark. It could mean surrendering my ways or notions of what my life should look like.  Even venturing out on a limb to help someone and putting my faith on the line to accept a challenge only He can get me through are big opportunities to have a "shining moment".  I've had a few of those shining moments.  They are exhilarating and humbling in that the God of the Universe would choose me to help with His plans!
As with Isaiah (chapter 6, verse 8), God may ask any one of us at any given moment, "Whom shall I send?  Who will go for us?"  I pray you and I will respond as Isaiah did, "Here I am, send me."  A 'simple yes' will do.

Other types of March Madness I'm experiencing this month as well-

Cleaning closets and cabinets, trying to let go of more things.  When I got married 33 years ago, all my worldly possessions  fit in my little car--books, clothes, a coat rack, a rocker, and some dishes and pans.  Now I have a house full of things!  How did this happen?  A woman who says "yes to God" recognizes that all this worldliness is but "trash" compared to knowing God and doing His work.    
"This way lies madness"...is a quote I muttered to myself as I sat going through lists of things to do for my daughter's wedding in July.  Yes, my little girl is getting married to a wonderful young man. The "madness" part comes in as they decided to have a simple, country wedding in our country church.  We also decided it should be a DIY wedding, from making some of the reception food, and growing the flowers and making the bouquets ourselves.  I've made 3 wedding dresses to see which is best.  (My friends can attest that while I try to downplay all of this, the tic in my left eye during the wedding dress construction belied my "no big deal" attitude!)  As I talked to Laurie today about some detail, I told her I was using our wedding project as an example of DYI madness for my blog.  Laurie corrected me saying,"Mom, it's DIY..Do It Yourself, not DYI."  To which I replied, "Maybe it is DYI ...for Do Yourself In!!!    Actually, this wedding may be featured as "March Madness" and "April Gladness", next month's theme.
Finally, one last example of March Madness comes from a story of St. Patrick which Lysa TerKeurst uses in her book.  Patrick was an aristocratic young man from Britain who was kidnapped and made a slave in Ireland for six years.  In time, he escaped back to Britain, but then decided to return to Ireland as a missionary to win the country to Christ.  The world would see this as "madness", caring about the people who enslaved you. Christian history is filled with people who made God's love their top priority, despite the cost..Mother Teresa, Corrie ten Boom, Taylor Hudson, and many other heroes of the faith, with Jesus as the supreme example of giving His life for us all which certainly looked like madness..why die for people who reject, scorn and persecute you??
Celebrate St. Patrick's Day by having scones or Blarney Stones(cookies rolled in crushed peanuts, recipe is one internet) and recite with your family the prayer from St. Patrick's breast plate:
Christ, shield me this day:
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, 
Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I arise, 
Christ in the heart of every person who thinks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in the ear that hears me.
  
May you and your family have a blessed Easter, also.  For ideas to celebrate  Holy Week with children and family, see the Heart and Home blog archives in March/April.  

A Heart to Heart

Happy February!  This is women's heart health month so it's appropriate that our theme is the "Ups and Downs of a Woman's Heart".
This reminds me of a joke:
It seems a motorcycle rider was cruising along a California beach and suddenly heard God speaking to him.  God told him that He would do anything the man asked, just to show the man His power and love.  The motorcyclist was taken aback and blurted out the first thing that crossed his mind.  "Lord, it would be awesome if I had a bridge from here to Hawaii and could just ride my cycle on over."  The Lord answered, "That's a pretty tall order..do you realize how far that is and the engineering involved?"
The cyclist thought and said, "Well, if that's too hard, you could help me understand women.
 If you could just explain the workings of their minds and hearts, I'd settle for that.
The was a moment's pause, then the Lord answered, "You want that bridge with two lanes or four?"

We all know that women's hearts are complicated and even we don't understand why we feel the way we do.  For our heart health, we know we need to forgive others and ourselves,we need to let go of anger and guilt, and to "take a chill pill" sometimes to keep things in perspective. That will keep our blood pressure (and everyone else's) lower, too,  This will help not only our heart health, but the health of our relationships.

One of the things I am fascinated with is windsocks.  You know, those long, orange open-ended things mounted on a pole, usually near an airport to give a visual indication of wind direction and speed.  Our home backs onto a large open area next to a former hospital, and for years, I could watch the windsock for the helicopter landing area from my window at the kitchen sink.  I enjoyed watching the windsock as it foretold changes in our weather--I could always tell when the wind changed directions or speed and know that a  storm or cold front was heading our way. Wouldn't it be helpful if our hearts had windsocks so others could be forewarned that a change or a storm was brewing??  It would like the mood rings of the 70's, telling others the "weather" of our hearts....Take cover, she's going to blow!
The fluctuations of my heart have caused me and others no little distress over the years.  I would really rather have an unchangeable or steady heart and reactions. This brings  me to the topic of steadfastness .
 The word steadfast has several meanings: to stand "fast" or secure in place, to be firmly established or fixed, to be constant and unchanging, not fickle or wavering.  Much too often my heart is up and down based on my circumstances, instead of being secure in my faith and trust in God.  I did some research of the use of "steadfastness" in the Bible and these verses are the antidote to "ups and downs" of my heart:
Psalm 51:10 tells us, "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me."
Consider also, Psalm 112:7, "He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord."

The book, Unglued by Lisa Terkeurst, deals with the ups and downs of our emotions or hearts, helping us to get a handle on them and becoming more steadfast.
A chapter I found particularly helpful is called, "I need a Procedure Manual".  Lysa describes an experience in which she was on an airplane before take-off and one of the passengers became completely unglued.  The woman ranted and screamed obscenities and the flight crew concentrated on trying to calm her down.  No matter how out of control the woman became, the crew remained calm, using carefully measured responses to the situation.  The woman was removed from the plane, and Lysa observed that we should all follow a "procedures manual." in dealing with the circumstances and people in our lives.  The crew had practiced a "default" plan that helped them to remain calm and in control.  She uses the Biblcal story of King Jehoshaphat as an example of steps for our own default plan:(read his story in 2 Chronicles, chapters 19 and 20.
Step 1. Alarmed, I resolve to remember who I am.
  Jehoshaphat received the very alarming news that a neighboring kingdom's army was headed his way to take over his country.  He immediately resolved to inquire of God what to do and to remember that he belonged to God and was in His care.
Step 2.  Redirect your focus to Jesus
  Jehoshaphat took his eyes and thoughts off the alarming news and focused on the almighty and all powerful God instead.  Sometimes we need to focus on Jesus because what we're coming unglued about isn't really worthy of a child of God. However, at other times our circumstances are so painful or tragic all we can do is cry out "Jesus".  My friend RoAnn gave me a book ,"The Power of Crying Out", as she discovered for herself the power of crying out to Jesus as her family took refuge in their basement as a tornado destroyed trees and buildings around them last spring. In His name is our refuge, our peace in the storms.
Step 3.  Recognize God's job is not your job
   These words were given to King Jehoshaphat: " Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army (coming against you-my words). for the battle is not yours, but God's." -2 Chronicles 20:15
Too often we're paralyzed by not knowing what to do..we need to seek God's guidance from His word, and then obey.  Our job is obedience, God's job is the results.  We stay in the flow of God's power by searching His word for answers--about relationships, money troubles, anxiety, or whatever concern we have and then obeying and letting God work out the rest--that's all we can do.
Step 4.  Shift from having an "attitude" to gratitude.
   King Jehoshaphat's battle plans given to him by God were to send out the choir singing praises to God in front of his small army to meet the oncoming enemy.  What a crazy plan!  In the midst of our problems and troubles, we are also called to focus on what is right and praise God for those things.  There is always something to be grateful for and that changes our perspective...our circumstances don't change, but our attitude does.
Step 5.  My reactions determine my reach
   Jehoshaphat's obedience and calm, trusting response brought forth not only the God-given victory over his enemy, but he was given peace and rest and his neighboring countries began to fear the Lord as well.  Our responses to our problems can bring us peace if we trust in God and we also can influence others to find God's peace and trust, and to have steadfast hearts as well.
I really do want a steadfast heart and need to commit these steps to memory.
This is also a good  time to improve your heart health by walking, eating right and reducing some of the stress in your life.  Laugh each day..spend time in God's word.  Take those vitamins.  Do those things you've been putting off that would give you more rest--I'm starting with cleaning out my sock drawer again! (From windsocks to sock drawers) I can't tell the difference between the blue and the black pairs and every time I get dressed, it takes digging through all the socks to find the right pair.  It's a small thing, but I get aggravated with myself each time because I haven't done what I can to fix the problem.  What do you need to "fix" to have less stress and more rest?  Let's get after it.
Celebrate Valentine's Day and the love God made possible for all of us by spreading His love all around--be generous in your loving!  That's good for your heart, too..and celebrate with dark chocolate, another heart healthy bonus.    
Here's one last verse to remind us to practice a default  plan to protect our hearts from being up and down and all over the place:  
"My heart is steadfast, O God, I will sing and make music with all my soul." -Psalm 108:1

Happy New Year--Make It a Good One!

Happy New Year!  I always enjoy January and its chance for new beginnings.  We have a brand new year and blank calendar pages waiting to be filled.
As much as I enjoy Christmas and celebrating our Savior's birth, I breathe a sigh of relief in January.  I make some hot tea, listen to the Christmas music and gaze at the lights on the tree one more time and spend time alone with Jesus reflecting on the past year.  It's sort of a personal mini-retreat.  I get out a new calendar but take the time to look through my old one, recalling special events of our year.  There were days of happiness, joy, sorrow, regret, gratitude, and just plain living.  Highlights and lowlights of riding around on planet Earth for one more year.  I thank God for all His mercies and blessings to me and mine, and ask forgiveness for the times I messed up as His child and representative.
My Dad and his father before him kept a little pocket notebook in their shirt pocket and wrote a summary of each day's events.  Now that they're gone, their notebooks are a little sample of the things they found worth noting each day.  In one of my Dad's notebooks, we find  he sold so many bushels of wheat at a certain price, we got a quarter inch of rain and a certain cow had a calf.  Every now and then he mentioned me or my sister, family activities, or world events.  He would refer to his notebooks to look something up when trying to recall events.  I washed out as a notebook keeper, but do write events on my calendar.  Over the years, I have purchased many attractive journals to try to get myself to be a journaler...without much success.  My son and daughter have kept journals for years, so maybe the journaling gene skipped me and went to them.I have kept prayer journals for years, however, and it is so amazing to look back and see how God has answered.
With a New Year, I have a chance to begin again keeping track of daily events and even more prayers and Bible study.  After looking back at 2012 and it's victories and defeats in my faith and actions, I pray for the new year.  I ask God to show me those areas (numerous!) where I need to improve.
Each year I try to set at least one goal in these areas:  spiritual, intellectual, physical and social. The thing about setting goals is making them doable, which usually means taking small steps or making small changes.
For instance,  here are some I'm working on for 2013-
Spiritual-journaling!!  I need to keep track of my Bible reading and pour out my love, gratitude, and feelings to God.  Memorizing Bible verses, one a week is a good goal  Being involved in a Bible study also helps with spiritual growth. I want to get serious about a gratitude journal like Ann Voskamp and her One Thousand gifts journals.
Intellectual-learn something new!  Last year I took 4 hours of college credit to renew my teaching certificate and I enjoyed it tremendously.  Being with fellow teachers and keeping up with new methods of teaching reading and phonics and learning strategies re-energized me.  I read that learning something new is as beneficial as taking a vacation in that it refreshes you in a similar way.
Physical--get healthier!!  Drink more water.  Eat an extra serving of vegetables a day.  Move more!!  I read that if you get up during commercials in 2 hours of television viewing and walk around or in place, it can add hundreds of steps to your activity level.  ( Have you ever worn a pedometer?  For good health and weight loss, you need to get 10,000 steps each day--most of us fall woefully short!)  Get a friend and get outside and walk.  Make it a prayer walk and pray for people as you pass by their homes or schools and businesses.    
Social-establishing and improving your relationships with others. For some people, setting a social goal may seem unnecessary. "I'm plenty social", you say.  So..are you making new friends or just keeping the old ones?  Are your friendships going deeper or have you stalled out?  Do you listen more than talk?  Do you push yourself to practice hospitality or to make others feel welcome, even people different from yourself?
Do you ever speak of spiritual things to your friends?  My dear sister-in-law, Mattie, is a master at this.  When we're together, Mattie dispenses with the shallow chitchat and goes directly to "What has God been teaching you lately?"  It's good to have friends who keep us honest and accountable!!
I also try to analyze our home and family life and ask God to help me change anything that would make life easier, simpler, and free up time, energy and money to spend in other ways instead of wasting resources because I don't manage them well.  This leads me to declutter our home again and look at ways to improve the way we do things in order to save time, money or energy.
Whew..looking ahead to 2013, I definitely have some issues to tackle.  Here's the thing, though--without any goals, we drift.  If we want to end up in a different place in some area of our life, we're going to have to do something different!  With God's help, we can make small changes and in another year, we'll be a lot closer to our goal.
Have a mini-retreat, get some coffee or tea, grab your Bible and a calendar or a journal and pray for God to lead and keep you and yours in the days ahead.  Pray to be a blessing, an instrument to further His kingdom here on earth.  Take some time to say good-bye to last year and welcome the new one.  Rededicate your time, energy and money to serving God and others.  Choose a goal in the spiritual, physical, intellectual and social areas and work toward it by making small changes. Thank God for the chance for a fresh start!

December--Christmas

December is the time we prepare our homes and our hearts to celebrate the coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Immerse yourself and your family in the sounds, sights, smells and tastes of Christmas--those things that make the season special to you.  This is the time of year when our spiritual dullness is shaken off and our senses quickened by the music and wonder of the Christmas story. 

At top of your Christmas gift or devotional list, I recommend going to your nearest Christian bookstore or the internet and purchasing the book, The Jesus Storybook Bible, Every story whispers His name,  by Sally Lloyd Jones. I have several copies right now...to keep, to use with the kids in AWANA and children's church, and the rest for gifts for my kids and granddaughter .  The great thing about this Bible is that every story of famous Bible characters is linked to God's great rescue plan begun in the Garden of Eden after man's fall into sin.
Here's an excerpt from The Jesus Storybook Bible:

The Bible is most of all a story.  It's an adventure story about a young Hero who comes from a far country to win back his lost treasure.  It's a love story about a brave Prince who leaves his palace, his throne-everything-to rescue the one He loves.  It's like the most wonderful of fairy tales that has come true in real life.  You see, the best thing about this story is-it's true.....all the stories are telling one Big Story.  The story of how God loves 
his children and comes to rescue them....At the center of this Story there is a baby....

Celebrate Advent, the coming of God's special baby or Emmanuel.  You can order a wreath from a florist, or make your own.  Traditionally purple and pink candles are used to illustrate the Hope, Peace, Love and Joy lessons of each Sunday before Christmas.  Gather as a family to make your Advent wreath and read the scriptures for each Sunday.  Again, Christian bookstores or even the internet can provide you with devotions to use for this activity.  (Ann Voskamp's blog, www.aholyexperience.com has some good information to use for Advent)

Talk to your children about the real meaning of Christmas.  Gather your family several nights during the season and make your manger scene interactive..only put out the figures that go with the reading of the Biblical account .  Begin with Luke 2, the angel appearing to Mary.  Add Joseph  later and then read the portion of scripture commanding them to travel to Bethlehem.  So far you have Joseph, Mary and the donkey. On Christmas Eve, they get to a stable and then you add the Christ child.  Add the angels, shepherds and sheep.  A day or two later, read the scripture about the star appearing and the wisemen coming to bring gifts to Jesus.  Go to www.familylifetoday.com and look at their Christmas manger scene with devotions called, "What God wants for Christmas."

Simplify your decor and gifting.  Tell the kids that Jesus got 3 gifts and that's what they'll get, too.  Give some other items or money to others..gently used toys and clothing, or contribute to Christian relief organizations. (See last month's blog for ideas). 

Use items found in nature this year to decorate...pine, cedar, pine cones,and holly.  Spray paint some tree branches white, silver or gold and display in a glass container with Epsom salt "snow" at the bottom.

Produce from the store is beautiful and edible!  Use red and green apples, cranberries floated in water with a pillar candle, and lemons and limes.

Simplify your schedule by deciding early with your family what things you really want to do, and what things can be eliminated so that you have some evenings free to be a family together and enjoy your decorated home.  Serve hot coca, read the Christmas story from the Bible, watch a Christmas movie or go car caroling.   Remember whose birthday we're celebrating and give Him gifts..of loving service to others, of a glad heart and of a contented, peaceful spirit.  At the first Christmas, people missed Jesus in their midst because they were so busy...let's make time to seek Him and to worship Him.  He is after all, Emmanuel, God with us. 

" there, in the stable, amongst the chickens and the donkeys and the cows, in the quiet of the night, God gave the world his wonderful gift.  The baby that would change the world was born .  His Baby son.....God was sending our Rescuer..... Because God loves us with a Never Stopping, Never Giving Up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Love.  (from the Jesus Storybook Bible)
Merry Christmas!!