Sunday, January 11, 2009

This post is part of a series titled "Twinmama's Lifestyle Challenge". For more information about how the challenge works, please visit related links here and here.

Week One: How Did It Go?

Twindada and I met this past week to discuss both of our goals.

My 2009 goals are:

* Faith - Strengthen my faith and walk with God; become more educated; become involved in helping others
* Family - Spend more time teaching, playing with girls; enjoy family more; spend more time with twindada
* Health - Live a healthful, active lifestyle
* Personal - Take a leap out of my comfort zone and do something that I have always wanted to do
* Finance - End the year with a healthier financial outlook

These are broad goals that I hope to achieve through smaller, thoughtful weekly adjustments. Twindada is going to hold me accountable to these and I am going to hold him accountable to his, too.

Week Two...cue Mission: Impossible music...

Category?: Faith/Personal

What?: Stop. I need to slow down. Things have been spiraling out of control lately. Our family has been dealt several blows lately and I feel like I don't know if I am coming or going. Secondly, I need to take several minutes a day to pray, think and listen. It's time for me to find a quiet place and just pray and listen for direction and guidance from God. I spend too much time with something or someone taking my attention away from myself and my relationship with Christ.

Why?: When we get so busy with the day-to-day chaos of life, it is easy to forget to take time to thank God for all that He has brought into our lives. Additionally, when tough decisions and times lay ahead for us it is important for us to reach out and give Him the controls.

How Do We Go About Doing the Challenge?: I will take a few minutes each morning before the girls wake up and sit in a quiet place. I will not have the TV, radio, anyone around and I will just pray and then think or meditate on the things going on in my life. I will specifically ask God for direction and guidance on troubling matters and thank Him for the blessings.

Who Does the Challenge Include?: It includes me...and God.

Resources to Help:

Philippians 4:6 (NASB)
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

James 1:19 (NASB)
This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger...

TLC Weekly Challenges start on Mondays and continue indefinitely. I will post my results along with the following challenge next Sunday. Remember, you are invited to participate in my weekly challenge or create your own and tell me about it! Also, if you find better ways to accomplish a weekly challenge, please drop me a comment. Good luck, fellow TLC-ers!

5 comments:

glitzen said...

Thank you! This is great. I will be following this closely. I too have tried to slow down and take time to develop my personal relationship with Jesus, instead of only turning to him when I have hard times. I just started a new bible study, and hope I can take some baby steps and not give up too quick. I love daily time with my Lord, and it always gets my day going much better, when I take time to do it.

Helene said...

This is such a great post! I'm guilty of the same thing. Before my Cole and Bella were born and when they were very little, I'd often take 10 minutes in the morning to sit in prayer and read my Bible and write in my devotional prayer book. But I've gotten away from that and I'm lucky if I even give God 5 minutes of time these days, although if someone has a prayer request I'm pretty good about doing that.

I like this goal and I think I'll add it to my goals as well. I know I always feel so much better (more strength, more patience, more happiness) when I rely on God to get me through the ups and downs!

Thank you for this post! Good stuff as always!

Stacy said...

Good Luck! I've been following along with you weekly on this. Thanks for the inspiration.

Also, I have tagged you for a meme!

glitzen said...

Have to say, that was the SWEETEST thing you said on my blog. Thank u! :)
I love your challenges, can't wait to see whats next!

Kim said...

Hey, TwinMama: I want to talk to you off blog for a minute. Can you email me? (Go to my profile page and you should be able to contact me with the email link)