New Year's Resolutions

Do you make them?  I used to.  I'm trying a new approach this year.  Oh, I have things throughout the year that I try to improve, but I really try not lump them all together at one time at the beginning of the year.  It can be depressing to see in print all the things I know I need to improve in my own life.  (See post below regarding envy.)

It is better for me to slowly work on them one at a time.  I have found that taking one new goal and focusing on it for a month or so at a time actually helps me start a new habit and hopefully give up the old one. 

Farm Envy

Yes, I am envious.  An friend of a friend (and hopefully someone I will get to know better in the future!) has just purchased a farm in Greenwood.  This has long been a dream for me and my husband, but one that has not happened yet.  Check out her farm blog at http://sugarhillfarmsc.blogspot.com/.

And, to top it all off...she is getting chicks!!  Yes, chicks!!

One day...

The Pioneer Woman Cooks!

I got the cookbook for my birthday and I am so excited!  I will hopefully be able to chronicle my journey and live vicariously through PW.  Let's get cookin'!

I tried to get a photo of the cover, but I couldn't figure out how to do it.  Oh well!  Here is a link to her blog with more information about the cookbook.  

http://thepioneerwoman.com/my_cookbook/

Gratitude

21. a sprained ankle and not a broken one
22. rain, washing away all the dirt and grime
23. encouraging words from a friend
24. freedom to worship
25. hard-working husband

Memorizing Scripture

Do you do it?  Do you daily soak yourself in the Word in hopes of it taking permanent root?  I don't.

There have been verses memorized, snippets here and there. But to know them intimately? I don't.  I want to.  I want to be able to wield the sword, offer comfort and encouragement, and have sweet fellowship with Jesus.


Ann encourages us today to do just that and gives us some great resources to further our explorations into the Word God gives us every day.

So, again Ann, thank you.  The Holy Spirit is using you to shape me, mold me, conform me to His image and I am eternally grateful.

Giving Thanks

16. hot shower on a cold morning
17. my kids running to hug me
18. Eagle Scout nephew
19. tucking in sweet ones at night
20. husband bringing hot tea to me in bed on my birthday 

Just One Scarf

It is beginning to actually feel like fall here in the southern US; but in Pecs, Hungary, the temps are already those of winter and snow has already begun to descend on the city.

Here is an excerpt from a newsletter sent by my dear friends, Glen and Clista Adkins, missionaries at the Gandhi School in Pecs:

"Leaves of yellow, orange, and red drift and swirl through the air as we walk on the roads. Squashes and pumpkins are appearing at the vegetable stands. Local vendors are setting up their hot chestnut and hot wine stands around town, and local Roma are scavenging and hauling wood on conveyances from wagons to bicycles. Even as the leaves are flying around in the nippy winds, people are scurrying around, trying to get everything ready before the big-time cold hits!"

This really touched my soul when I read it. I could almost feel myself there, in Pecs, smell the hot chestnuts and hot wine. And my heart began to break for the Roma all over again. You see, the Roma are what you may call gypsies. And in Hungary, they are considered lower than second-class citizens. They have long been the outcasts of society there and are still trying to prove themselves and make a good name for their people.

This is where the Gandhi School comes into play. This is a residential high-school expressly for the Roma. This is a place where they can further their education and hopefully better their lives and their family's.

One thing about the Roma...they are incredibly poor, some still living in huts, scavenging for firewood, not to mention having little to no warm clothes for the brutal Hungarian winters.

And yet, here is a bright spot, at least I hope and pray it will be one. Ben is going to Hungary for 10 days in February as part of a mission trip. I wanted to be able to send something with him for the students, and possibly even the staff/faculty at the school. We've sent Christmas stockings one year, but thought that perhaps something a little more practical would be in order for this trip. Coats are too bulky, even to ship. Then one day I was knitting and Ben mentioned me knitting a scarf for the Roma students. Well, I knew that I could knit a few before he left, but there would not be enough time to knit one for every student.

That is where you come in! If you can knit or crochet, would you consider making just one scarf for someone at the Gandhi school? Or maybe you can't knit or crochet, but have a few extra dollars to pick up just one scarf while you are out Christmas shopping. I would be eternally thankful, and I know the Roma would be as well. If we each contributed just one scarf, it would make a world of difference.

Scarves can be dropped off to me or I will gladly come and get it from you.

Thank you for your kindness to these lost and forgotten children of God.

Paper, paper everywhere

That pretty much sums up the state of my schoolroom/office. It is to the point that I must do something about it. What to do though? Binders, folders, pockets?

I came across this site, recommended to me by The Home School Mom. It looks doable and broken down into enough steps as to not overwhelm me. I may just post before and after pics. That is, if I'm brave enough!

I really do enjoy organizing things. It just takes so long sometimes and I don't always have huge chunks of time to do it. So, I am learning to take small steps with an eye on the goal!

A Wife's Biblical Submission: What It Is and What It Is Not

Sunny begins with a beautiful overview of what true Biblical submission looks like. Our society has told us over and over that to be submissive we must be doormats and not have an opinion. The Bible clearly tells us the opposite! We are to be pillars of the faith and our marriages, supporting with enormous strength and fortitude, not something cast to the side.

We are also called to do this willingly (it is not submission otherwise) and cheerfully. (Deuteronomy 15:10) Not with grumbling and complaining, but with a heart turned toward God and seeking His favor. So many times I just get frustrated only to find that my heart is seeking praise from my husband, instead of seeking God and His will. True submission is trusting God by following those he has placed in authority over us. It doesn't mean that we never voice our thoughts or ideas, but that once those opinions have been voiced, we follow willingly and cheerfully whether we agree or not, trusting God to "work together for good". (Romans 8:28) Because when we willingly submit to our husbands, we are obeying God and working with Him instead of against Him. He will surely bless our labors and our marriages.

So, my challenge for today is to do the things God has called me to, and the things regarding my husband I need to do with a willing and cheerful spirit, keeping my eyes fixed on God.

What is God calling you to do with a willing and cheerful spirit?

All About Me

Well, not maybe all about me, but enough to let you know who you are dealing with when you pop in here.

• 38 years old
• married for 12 years
• two children - son who is 8 and daughter who is 6 (22 months apart)
• live in suburbia but one day hope to move back to the country
• love to read, knit, sew, bake, drink tea
• follower of Christ for 30 years, not always devoted, but forever sealed by the Holy Spirit
• Proverbs 31 Woman wannabe
  

Submission

That word is so powerful and either encourages you, scares you, gets your feathers ruffled, or all three! I have long had a fascination with Biblical submission. I have read numerous books, done numerous studies, and yet still feel like I have so much to learn.

So, when I came across an online study of Proverbs 31:10-31, I was intrigued yet again. I've been looking for a Bible study that I could really get into, and this seems like it will be a great one.

If you are new to the concept of Biblical submission, or think you know what it is really about, or just need some encouragement; I encourage you to read and study and let the Holy Spirit speak to you.

This also ties in with my desire to "rise up early" and have daily devotions with the Lord. It used to be so easy to get out of bed at 5am and make it to the gym for a 5:45am aerobics class. Then I would shower and get dressed for work (at the gym) and eat breakfast before heading off to the working world. This was all before I was married, or even met my husband. Anyway, I've been thinking that if I could do it then, I could do it now. Except instead of exercising my muscles, I would be exercising my faith and devotion to God.

I still haven't managed to get out of bed at 5am (and be a member of the 5 o'clock and FAM clubs), but I am slowly working toward that goal. I know it will only help me, and I need all the help I can get!