Friday, January 01, 2010

Happy New Year!!

Happy New Year to each of you. Today is a fresh start, a new beginning. Each day is a fresh start, but being the first day of a new year gives it even more freshness.

Last year held many things for us. There were good things and bad. This coming year is like a clean slate. What changes would I like to see happen? What new habits would I like to form? Is there something new I want to try and do? Life is change. The thing that stays constant (besides the Lord) is that things will change. Some changes are good and immediately embraced. Last year after a long wait, the Wonderful Neighbors had a beautiful baby girl. This was a good change for them and for us (since they are good at sharing). Some changes are hard, like when my Mom died. That was one of the times that forever change your life. I still grieve for her. It is not as intense and does not happen as often, but at moments great waves of grief can come crashing around me. Some changes you make happen like taking out those doors we had and putting up a new wall in their place. Some changes you have no control over, like a car giving up the ghost and having to replace it.

We are trying to bring about some change in our household. I don't like to do the whole New Years resolution thing because I feel like a failure if I don't end up sticking with something. These are things that we have been working on, but we are going to be living more deliberately and trying to stick to them and make them habits.

First of all, we are again going to read through the Bible this year. Last year I did it in the New Living Translation. This year, I pulled out my NASB again. Michael and I are doing the same schedule this year which is good for discussion. I also want to increase my prayer life. I want to be more faithful to write down requests and needs and to pray them through. We both know that if we don't start with the spiritual, that none of the other stuff will come along.

We are also starting the Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey. We have wanted to be debt free for a long time. We are going to take the steps to move in that direction. If you get a chance to read his book "The Total Money Makeover", I suggest that you jump at it. Especially if you are young and just starting out. We wish that someone would have given it to us when we started out almost 31 years ago. He takes you in baby steps. It is do-able!!!



We eat fairly healthy for the most part. We have eaten some junk through the holidays, but not as much as usual, as we did not make it or bring it home. :) We got a little bit and it was enough. I get to the place where I am sick of that stuff anyway. I told Michael the other night that I would rather have a piece of my homemade bread with butter and some honey and an orange than even a slice of cheesecake (one of my favorites). I want to do more planning for meals, more portion control and stick with whole foods.

We also want to get more exercise. That is probably one of my biggest areas I fall down in. I am doing no outside chores right now. I do have my inside chores, but all the things I love to do are not very active. :) I like to read, spin, knit, crochet, paint, the computer.... you get the picture. We have a treadmill and I also have 2 of Leslie Sansone's DVD's where you can walk away the pounds in your living room. I need to put these to use.

I also want to reach out to others more this year. I look back over the last 4 plus years of my life and somewhere things changed. I think it was a slow change, but with the meningitis, then losing my Mom, then starting into "the change" (I cracked up even typing that) it creeped up on me so that I am not even sure of who I am anymore. I feel like I have to much of a focus on me and what is going on with me. I want to be a blessing to others. As one of my friends puts it, I want to be His hands and feet.

I am also looking for more ways for me to bring in money from home. I appreciate all of you who use my links for Amazon, Vision Forum, Lehmans, Christian Book Distributors, Franklin Springs and the other links. They have helped us to bring in some cash flow. Also, I would highly encourage you to at least try Swagbucks. You can use this banner.

Search & Win
We put up the tool bar that comes with it and use this as our search engine instead of google or another. We have earned enough Swagbucks and turned them in for Amazon gift cards, that we have now bought 2 telephones with them. You can turn them in for all sorts of things.

Anyway, I do want to find something else I can do from home. I know several people who do medical transcription from home. I am praying about what to do.

All of the above sounds like a major change at our house. For the most part, again, it is all stuff we have been sort of doing all along. If you ever pray for me, pray that I will allow the Lord to work through me so that I live each moment deliberately instead of just walking through life and taking it as it comes. We are not sure of what changes the Lord will bring. Our farm is still for sale and we still have a desire to live near Brittany's family as well as Josh and Britt.

What changes are you looking for in this new year???

3 comments:

Lynn Bartlett said...

I have the same desire to find a way to make money from home. My occasional job cooking at a retreat center has dried up, and it is my desire to work from home anyway. I think this will be an interesting year for everyone.

Anonymous said...

Wow Marci,
Your plans for the New Year could be mine. A lot of the things you want to do better at are my thoughts exactly. My family will also be doing Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover, I am excited about that. Have a wonderful 2010 and may the Lord bless you.

kathy

The Dearborns said...

Aaron and I just started reading David Ramsey's Financial Peace together the other night! :) My goals for this year are to be more in prayer as well, and be consistent with my devotions. And I love Leslie Sansone. :) I have her Pilates DVD, and it's great!