Friday, December 31, 2010

New Years Resolutions for 2011



I hope everyone had a safe and happy New Years Eve. Since this is the first day of 2011 I'd like to share my resolutions with you. I am posting my goals on my blog to help hold myself more accountable.  Most of them are a continuation of the goals I made last year. My goals are divided into five areas. Thanks life as mom for sharing the wonderful goal form. 
Health
1. Exercise 3 times a week. I did really good at this till worked ended in May. I haven't been consistent since then. This year I am going to utilize the local high school track on the days I don't get to into town to go to the gym. 
2. Cut down or off sugar and caffeine.  Okay okay I hear people chuckeling because they think I can't do this. I've gone caffeine free before so I can do that again. As for the sugar it'll be a challenge but I wanna do it. Where there's a will there's a way and Thank God for yerba mate!
3. Limit my TV watching to an hour a day. I did this one last year when I was going to class. I will be starting class again on Jan 3. I can do it as long as I am in school. Also to help me resist the urge to turn on the television I've decided to join life as mom's book club and read one book a month. The booking it challenge starts January 10. You can find more infomation about it here.  
4. Expand my gluten free cooking. I've gotten more confident about cooking gluten free. My goal is to try to adapt more recipies to gluten free. Also to get my husband to go gluten free. It will make cooking much easier not mention less allergic reactions-hopefully! 
5. Draw nearer to God. I grew up in church and became a Christian when I was a teen unfortunately I've never felt so far away from God as I do now. I wanna get back to Him. The Bible says draw near to God and He will draw near to you. One way I am going to do this is to make sure I pray every day and seek him. I'm also going to spend time in His word. One way I am going to do this is by participating in the Read the Bible in 90 Day challenge.I will be posting periodically about the challenge. I'd love to have you join me in the challenge. If you like to join click the link here.http://www.momstoolbox.com/blog/ 

Well those are my resolutions/goals for 2011. What are your goals? I hope you join me in making 2011 the best year ever! 
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Happy New Year's Eve Ya'll

 I just wanted to take a minute to wish everyone a fun and safe New Year's Eve. It's supposed to be raining here most of the day so the hubster and I have decided to stay home and watch movies. We will probably be in bed by 9 :00 pm.LOL! We're getting old! What are your plans?  I also wanted to share with you my new blog design. What do you think of it? I love it! Megan over at Blizzard Blog Design did a great job! I've still got some pages to write and buttons to rearrange so off I go!

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Thursday, December 30, 2010

Already?


A fellow blogger recently reminded me that the first decade in the new millennium was about to come to an close. Wow has that much time passed already ? It seems like yesterday that we were talking about 2000 and Y2K. It just reminded me how fleeting time is. It seems like the older I get the faster it goes. The Bible tells us to Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom. We only get one life so make each moment count! 
Love 

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Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Simple Christmas Recap



I know, I know, here it is almost New Years and I'm just now blogging about Christmas. At least I'm blogging. I'm so far behind on everything right now-I mean EVERYTHING! From laundry, to school work, to house work-you name it! I've decided my new mantra should be "I'm so far behind I'll never catch up! I guess that means I'll live forever!" No I know I'll catch up eventually I'm just a little bit overwhelmed. It doesn't help that my mind is going in 5000 different directions. Oh yeah I'm supposed to be blogging about Christmas-see what I mean. Can we say major ADD either that or too much chocolate! 


Christmas was very low key for us this year. It was really nice. It was just my husband and myself and the girls. We just hung out and enjoyed being together. It was so nice for once to be able to stay in our pajamas all day and do nothing! In fact, I think that is part of the reason I'm so far behind now.  I never got out of that "do nothing" mode. I got the one thing I really wanted.  I got season one of Glee. I love that show I'm a huge Gleek!  How was your Christmas?  I hope everyone had a great one.


Love


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12 Pearls of Christmas Day 13

Day 13: Lauraine Snelling (12/25)

Title: Love

Welcome to the 12 Pearls of Christmas! Enjoy these Christmas "Pearls of Wisdom"! Please follow along through Christmas day as each post shares heartfelt stories of how God has touched a life during this most wonderful time of the year. AND BEST OF ALL ... there's also a giveaway!!!! Fill out the quick form at the link located at the bottom of this post to be entered to win a PEARL NECKLACE, BRACELET AND EARRINGS!  Pearls - a tangible reminder of God's grace to us all.


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Love

When asked to write a Christmas message, one of my first thoughts was Do I climb up on my soapbox regarding changing the words in Christmas songs, using only holiday, etc. I thought about it and decided no. After all, they’re only words and what difference does a word make---really make after all?

Then I kept on thinking. If they’re only words… But we as writers know the power of words, as do readers. When the wrong word is used, it jars, while the right word can be most powerful. Take one highly overused and under practiced word---Love. Four letters is all. We toss it around so glibly, saying love ya and luv and love. But think about the power in I love you. Three of the most precious words in our language when put together. Those of us who write romances or books with romance in them, understand the power when one of our characters tells another, I love you. As humans we can never hear that enough or too much.

Christmas is about love. The greatest love story ever told, that of God for us humans, and it never changes. Customs change, politics change, the years change but God’s love never, ever does. At Christmas we are invited to share that love, to give it away, to pass it around. To find wonder again and joy in simple acts of love. We make contact with people we might never see or talk with through the year. That says I love you. We buy and make gifts to give, we reach out to strangers in need, we try to make sure everyone has a special dinner and every child a present. By giving, we receive.

So, let’s use the power words, but more so, put feet on those words and pass the love around. Let’s look for and find the wonder, the joy and the peace, maybe in small bits and pieces and perhaps in an avalanche of blessings. Make your days brighter with the simple gift of a smile, a kind word, a touch, for every single one that you give away, will come back to you multiplied. As you give, so shall you receive. Merry Christmas my friends. May we all recognize our blessings----and let an attitude of gratitude permeate this holiday and every day. With love and joy on this day, Lauraine!


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About Lauraine: Lauraine Snelling is the award-winning author of more than sixty books, with sales of over 2 million copies. She also writes for a wide range of magazines, and helps others reach their writing dreams by teaching at writer’s conferences across the country. Lauraine and her husband, Wayne, have two grown sons, and live in the Tehachapi Mountains with a cockatiel named Bidley, and a watchdog Basset named Chewy.

For more information please visit Lauraine's website: www.laurainesnelling.com.



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A three strand pearl necklace will be given away on New Year's Day. All you need to do to have a chance of winning is {FILL OUT THIS QUICK ENTRY FORM}. The winner will be announced on the Pearl Girls Blog (http://margaretmcsweeney.blogspot.com) on New Years Day!

12 Pearls of Christmas Series and contest sponsored by Pearl Girls®. For more information, please visit

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12 Pearls of Christmas: Day 12

Day 12: Karen O’Connor (12/24)

Title: An Unforgettable Gift




Welcome to the 12 Pearls of Christmas! Enjoy these Christmas "Pearls of Wisdom"! Please follow along through Christmas day as each post shares heartfelt stories of how God has touched a life during this most wonderful time of the year. AND BEST OF ALL ... there's also a giveaway!!!! Fill out the quick form at the link located at the bottom of this post to be entered to win a PEARL NECKLACE, BRACELET AND EARRINGS!  Pearls - a tangible reminder of God's grace to us all.


~~~


An Unforgettable Gift

On Christmas morning, 1912, in Paducah, Kentucky, fourteen-year-old Charlie Flowers and his three brothers and two sisters huddled in their beds, fully dressed, trying to keep warm as the wind howled outside their small frame house.
       
It was a desperate time for the family. Earlier that year the children's father had died. And their mother had not found work. The coal had run out and there was little money––none for gifts. Their scrawny tree with decorations made from scraps of colored paper had been given to them the night before by a local merchant.

"Can't sell this one," the man said with a nod of his head before handing it over to the eager children.
   
To pass the time, the siblings joked and shouted stories from their bedrooms across the hallway from one another. Then suddenly a racket from the alley at the rear of the house broke into their games.
       
"Charlie," his mother called, "would you see what's going on out there?"
      
Charlie pulled on his shoes, grabbed a thick overcoat from the hook by the door, and ran out back.

There stood a man in a wagon bent over a load of coal, shoveling it into the shed as fast as he could.
       
"Hey Mister, we didn't order any coal," Charlie shouted. "You're delivering it to the wrong house."
       
"Your name's Flowers, isn't it?" the man asked, still shoveling. 
       
Charlie nodded yes.
      
"Well then, there's no mistake.  I've been asked to deliver this to your family on Christmas morning." He looked the awe-struck boy square in the eye. "And I'm under strict orders not to tell who sent it," he teased.
       
Charlie ran into the house, his coattail flapping in the cold morning wind.  He could hardly wait to tell his mother and brothers and sisters. God had provided––just as he had on that first Christmas morning so long ago when He sent his only son to a needy world.
       
Charlie Flowers died in 1994 at age 96. And right up to the last year of his life, not a Christmas went by that he didn't tell the story of that sub-zero Christmas morning of his boyhood when two men gave his family an unforgettable gift.
       
It wasn't the coal that was remembered or cherished, Charlie often said––welcome as it was––but rather what two men brought to his desperate family. One, for his gift of recognizing their great need and taking the time to do something about it. And the other, for being willing to give up part of his own Christmas morning to deliver it.
       
That gift of so long ago has continued to warm the Flowers family from one generation to another, as Charlie's son––my husband, Charles––calls to mind these two unknown men each Christmas morning and whispers a prayer of thanks.


 ~~~






About Karen: Karen O'Connor is an award-winning author and writing mentor living in Watsonville, California with her husband, Charles Flowers. Karen’s latest book is 365 Reasons Why Gettin’ Old Ain’t So Bad (Harvest House 2010).

For more information, please visit Karen on the web at www.karenoconnor.com.



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A three strand pearl necklace will be given away on New Year's Day. All you need to do to have a chance of winning is {FILL OUT THIS QUICK ENTRY FORM}. The winner will be announced on the Pearl Girls Blog (http://margaretmcsweeney.blogspot.com) on New Years Day!

12 Pearls of Christmas Series and contest sponsored by Pearl Girls®. For more information, please visit www.pearlgirls.info

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