As we journey together “let us think of ways to motivate one another in acts of love and good works”(Hebrews 10:24 NLT)

Hey Guys

It’s been awhile since I have posted about Goals of any kind and I can tell you right now THAT is about to change!

So I have tweaked how I have done my reading Goals for the last two years. Matter fact last year I set ZERO reading Goals…..and Heres Why…

Reading Challenge

A friend Challenged me to take part in THIS reading Challenge

It’s Called the 2020 Christian reading Challenge and the awesome thing about this is it gives you a theme and then you get to pick the books.

Last year I read about 27 books…..and that is awesome for me. This year I set my Goodreads goal at 35- I printed of the checklist and have already knocked off almost a third of the goal. But I wanted to tweak how I handled it this year so I pick 11 books THAT I ABSOLUTELY want to finish this year…All else can be on a whim.

And honestly as I have reworked my entire kitchen I have listened to so many books. I finally finished the Wizard of Oz series . Two Peter Pan books ( the third is not on kindle) All while washing the dishes and cleaning out cabinets..

Top 11 books to read in 2020 (in no particular order

A few words about these books I have not currently started this books with the exception of one and it’s the first but I am going to go back and start from the beginning.

Don’t worry these aren’t my only books either. I currently have 8 in my currently reading on Goodreads and my bookshelves are just chock full of titles longing to be pulled off the shelf and my Kindle is full loaded as well.

Are you interested in going me on my challenge?

Let me know if you decide to join in the fun.

Blessings

Mary

Why hello there I have not been around since OCTOBER???? My goodness Life has a way of taking over, doesn’tt it? Well that is what happened. Life took over. And then it spiraled out of control and that my friends is how we have landed here. I do have some posts that will go o their appropriate dates. And those will slowly start to pop up here and there.

I wish I could say this next year was going to get easier and that there would be more time for blogging but I want to be honest and real- THAT”S JUST NOT THE SEASON I’M IN RIGHT NOW!. But I think that me being realistic with myself has brought a new sense of freedom.

What Happened Between October and now?

WellThe biggest thing fir me was I wrote my first play for our church. I have directed the play for years but this year I really felt like God wanted me to write it. So I started in May Yep In a better of two weeks I had two thirds of it written and then summer happened. I killed my ankle, I got pneumonia and in the midst of all of that I lost the notebook I had handwritten the play in (Yeah that’s just how I roll). Well I will be honest that took quite the mental toll and I wrestled with God over it well into October. But I did send screen shots for about 1/2 of the play to my stage manager. But this whole process takes a while. By Thanksgiving it was finished so then we bumped the play performance back two weeks went into an insane play practice schedule and by the Grace of God it was amazing. Christmas was a blessing but not nearly as peaceful as usual. Notes for the future !

Attack of the Stomach bug

Well the morning after the play both Hubby and J woke up puking their guts out, and within a few hours almost the entire group of kids I had in the plat were doing the same. For whatever reason it had attacked almost everyone EXCEPT the adults (minus Hubby). I didn’t get it as bad but New Years was spend eating crackers, sucking down ginger ale and praying to God that it would all be over.

I never got the full thing hubby did my stomach hurt. Before we knew it break was over and school was back in session. In the middle of all this hubby got an abscessed lymph node (weird right? never even heard of that before). well that is still a thing but it’s not bad.

Two weeks ago I woke up feeling fine and by mid-afternoon I had a decent fever. 3 of us got it. three of us didn’t. Even now J is home sick with a fever. talking g with the school nurses there are multiple things flying around all the schools. things like Strep, flu, stomach bugs and a few other virus-y things.

Looking ahead.

I wish I could sit here and tell you what this next year will look like. BUT I can’t. I know that March 1st marks our 11 year anniversary being here is our church as their pastor. I don’t foresee any ministry changes within our church but there are somethings outside of church that will probably be changing.

I will be honest God and I had a lot of serious talking sessions with God about the future of this blog…and then something happened!!! Content started pouring into my head and heart and I have made some significant changes in my morning routine.

Happy to say For now the blog is here to stay

So as content continues to come and it is coming rapidly, I going to start writing again. As God and I have wrestled this out, this is an act of obedience on my part. I will explain later in another blog post entitled “a Year of Words”. But that is for another day and another time.

Happy Vantine’s Day!

So since there was no Marry Christmas and no Happy New Year I’m gonna start out 2020 by saying Happy Valentines Day (Psssst That’s this Friday!)

I look forward to chatting it up with you guys this year!

I pray that we can grow closer to God and each other this year!

Blessings,

Mary

Happy Tuesday everyone!! Today we are going to talk about the word ASPIRE! Dictionary.com defines it as to direct one’s hopes or ambitions toward achieving something.

As I thought about this I began to ask myself what I aspire to be or achieve. Have you ever thought about that for a serious amount of time? I’m not just talking about off the cuff. I have a friend who jokes about aspiring to be a unicorn. I’m not talking about that I mean seriously aspiring to something worthwhile.

Here are my aspirations

• I want to be a world-changer for Jesus. And that starts right here in my home. Then it extends to my church family and the kids hubby and I work with , in Youth Group and then it moves from there to the Crisis Pregnancy center I volunteer at and then to here my blog. My own tiny piece of the internet . It’s through my words and actions that I bear the truth of the one who I belong to.
• I want to be the best wife I can be for Hubby.
• I want to be the best mom for T,K,J &S
• I aspire to paint and to learn to paint. Not professionally just as a stress relieving hobby. Really it is about becoming the best artist I can become. (I do NOT aspire to be a professional )
• I aspire to write a book. one day- or I guess more realisitically would be to publish a book since I am in the middle of writing said book….YEAH I just said tha!
• To be the best wife of a pastor God has called me to be. I don’t aspire to be a people pleaser. I aspire to speak truth not to tickle ears.

When It comes right down to it it’s not about WHAT I aspire to do BUT how I do it. No Matter what I aspire to do I want to do it to the best of my ability and to bring glory to God in the process.

How about you what do you aspire to do? Let me know in the comments below!

Essential: My First Word

So last year was my first year to really participate in write 31 Days. I was bummed to find out that it was the last year for the group. So this year I wanted to write 31 Days in October BUT I was unsure how to go about it. Then I had a BRAINSTORM. I had begun a hand Lettering Challenge at the beginning of the year sponsored by Dawn Nicole Designs. So I decided that these words would act as my prompts for writing every day in October of this year. So the word to start out October is ESSENTIAL. I have given my self 15 minute time limit, so let’s get started

Essentials to my Faith journey

Essential l#1 My Bible whether it is on my phone or a hard copy book I need this book to grow my relationship with Jesus.

Essential #2- Time. Now I am not saying that I have to have the time. What I am saying I have to MAKE the time- otherwise there will never be time.

Essential #3 A church that preaches God’s word. I just happen to be married toa pretty awesome pastor who takes care to preach what God’s word says and is not swayed by the world’s enticement to be comfortable.

Essential #4 A notebook- this is not essential for everyone but it is for me. I write a lot and I take a lot of notes. It’s how I remember things and it is how I can continue to grow by revisiting what I have learned.

Essential #5 (also my preference but NOT a necessity) is other books written by men and women who are strong in their faith. these books acts as an encouragemetn to me when I am struggliing.

Essential #6 is Christian music. This keeps me focused on the right attitudes and On God when I am not able to be reading my bible and or praying.

I don’tknow about you all but today I am tired but that *may* be my fault. Because I *may* have gotten my new planner yesterday. And I *May* have gotten a WEEEEEE bit distracted by said planner and I *may* have stayed up a TAD too long. BUT in my dfense. the rain did play a teensy part in my sleepiness.

The Weather:: Pretty sure Fall is showing up this week.

Monday – 60
Tuesday – 81
Wednesday – 65
Thursday – 57
Friday – 49
Saturday – 56
Sunday – 61

On my reading pile:::

Bare Bones Bible Handbook by Jim George

Choose Joy by Kay Warren

On my tv::: YouTube Art Channels

On the menu for this week:::
Monday –  mashed potato Sundaes
Tuesday –  Philly Cheesesteaks. Wednesday –  Sloppy Joes and french fries (though this may have to change to something meatless)
Thursday – Tater Tot Casserole
Friday – Pizza, and wings
Saturday – Chef salads
Sunday  – Roasted Chicked with potatoes and Crrots

On my t -do list:::
Re-straighten the indented part of the living room (aka kinda my office). Craft Closet organized Closet cleaned. general cleaning maintenance. Laundry

What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating::: I’m going to participate in Inktober on my instagram. Im drawing cartoon animals (my own prompts) and focusing on Ohuhu Alcohol Markers

Looking around the house::: I have some cleaning to do. I have been in search of something missing and soI have ripped a part a few areas of our house that I need to put back together

FROM the CAMERA::

On my prayer list::: I have a friend who is really going through a hard time right now

Bible verse, Devotional, Inspirational Quotes:::

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