Word for New Year update

This is a printable I made for my phone and I printed to remind me...

So recently I wrote on my blog about "A Word for the New Year" and I have been thinking about it in the days since then. The word that I settled on is DENY/ self-denial. It is based on Luke 9:23, which says, (I am working on memorizing this as my verse of the year) "Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me." This is what I desire this year, to deny myself and follow Jesus. 

You may think, "Aren't you a Mom? Don't you deny yourself and serve your family all day long?" Yes, I am, and yes, I do. But there are plenty of times when I do what I want to do. I don't feel like reading that long book to the kids, or playing a game with them. I don't want to sit on the floor and play dolls or Avengers, I want to read my book. I want to play a game on my phone too often. There is a time and place to read and play on the phone. I can do that momentarily, but are those things more important than gazing into my child or husband's eyes and talking? Relaxing is important, to be sure. I do love to read. But really, I love my children and sweet man more. Do I show that? Not as often as I'd like. So this year, my goals include focusing on my loved ones more and staring at silly word games less. 

Will I do it right each time? No, I'm sure to fail. But it's a goal, something to strive for. I do give much time to homeschool my kids, prepare for my American Girl classes, fix meals, clean the house. But I desire to TRY to honor others, and my Jesus this year. I want to take up my cross and follow Him. His way is the best way for me, and for YOU too. What does God have in store for you this year? He has a plan, but I'm sure He wants more of your heart. He wants us all to love the world less, to put aside what we want for ourselves. He wants us to seek HIM and what He wants more of in our lives. That is the best, godly and righteous pursuit, isn't it?

Matthew 16:24-25

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.

Mark 8:34-35

 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.  For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.

Luke 9:23-24

 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.

Music Monday: "Little More Time to Love"

Music Monday: "Little More Time to Love"

Many of my diligent readers and close friends know that Steven Curtis Chapman is one of my very favorite Christian artists. I relate to him as a married father and Christian. I have nearly all of his albums and listen to them often. If hard pressed to tell a favorite song, it would probably be "Cinderella" by SCC. I have blogged many of his songs, and a few from his latest CD, "A Glorious Unfolding". This one I can relate to as I am growing older, wonder where the lines on my face have come from, and look forward to going "Home" to heaven and dining in the great Feast at heaven's table. We're waiting for that day, but we have more time on earth to live and to love. Who are we showing God's love to today?

A Little More Time To Love : by Steven Curtis Chapman

There’s a little boy looking at me in the mirror
He’s asking where the time has gone
Was it here just long enough to draw these lines on my face?
Well I’m not sure I’m much wiser
But some things are clearer
And it’s getting clear that I’m not here for long
So what am I to do with my few minutes here in this place?
And we hear the world sigh with its aches and its pains
We see the grass wither and watch flowers fade

But oh, there’s a day that is coming
When everything will be new
And oh, God will dry every tear
And everything sad will be made untrue
And oh, it’s gonna be a celebration
All of creation longs for
And while we’re waiting for that day to come
We’ve got a little more time to love

There are little ones hungry for love of a family
So many hungry for bread
On the left and the right surrounded by the last and the least
And just down the street and just across the table
Hungry hearts are waiting to be fed
‘Cause deep in our soul we’re all longing to be at The Feast
But until we sit down where there’s more than enough
Let us give as we’ve been given and love as we’ve been loved

There’s a day that is coming
When all the last will be first
Every orphan will be home
And all will be filled who hunger and thirst
It’s gonna be a celebration
All of creation longs for
And while we’re waiting for that day to come
We’ve got a little more time

To do justly and love mercy
And show the love we’ve been shown
For we can only be the hands and feet of Jesus ‘til
He leads us home
He will lead us home

There’s a day that is coming
A day that never will end
There in the light of His glory
Everything broken will be whole again
And this will be the celebration
All of creation longs for
And while we’re waiting for that day to come
We’ve got a little more time to love
Just a little more time to love
We’ve got just a little more time to love
Just a little more time to love

Copyright: Lyrics © by Steven Curtis Chapman

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Micah 6:8

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

Romans 8:18-25

 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.  For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.  For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope  that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.

We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.  Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groaninwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies.  For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

Wordless Wednesday: Snowflakes

(Well, almost wordless!)

We had some sniffly colds in my two younger girls this past week. To keep their hands busy, we got out some crafts. We had fun finding patterns on Pinterest and making perler bead snowflakes!

Now they are hanging in our front window and from our ceiling fan to brighten the rooms in January! Do you have any crafts that you put out in your home for winter? What type of crafts are they? I'd love to hear about them!


Psalm 51:7
Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Proverbs 31:21
When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

Isaiah 1:18
“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.