May Goal Update

Ok...so I stink at keeping this updated.  Please post your May goals along with a brief update of your progress below.  Let's strive to surpass our April progress and stay motivated!

Goal Updates

Let me know how you are doing on your goals! 

My reading has suffered this last week.  Morning sickness has struck and struck hard.  My free time has been eaten up by sleeping and feeling lousy.  I know that is no excuse, but I'm keeping it real. 

Prayer time has been going pretty well.

What about you????

My March/April Goals & Update

I wanted to make sure I shared out my goals, as a big part of this project is accountability.  I don't know about you, but I'm a lot more likely to follow through with something if others are alongside me and encouraging me. 

Here are my goals:

1.  Read my Bible every day and keep current with our Bible Read-Through group chapters.  This week, I'm doing much better at staying on track.  I have been in the Word everyday except yesterday...and yesterday, I could have really used His wisdom.  It was just one of those days... 

2.  Specifically pray for my Sunday School members during my prayer time.  We have a new class, and I am praying for growth and strengthening of friendships within the group.  I am also praying that God helps me to reach out to all class members, and that He would open my eyes to anyone who is feeling lonely.  I love having an area of focused prayer.  This is something I absolutely will keep doing.

How are you doing on your goals?  How can this group help you to stay committed? 

Happiness Project Tracking Sheet

I have to apologize...my brain went on an extended Spring Break & I failed to post the tracking sheet.

http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0As1SECST8md-dDVsUXdKbWZsZ2pSWGRwQTdNS3dDVGc&hl=en


Post your goals and steps below.  Let us know how you are doing.

The Christ-Centered Happiness Project

I am so excited to begin our Christ-Centered Happiness Project!  I became interested in the concept of a "Happiness Project" after reading a magazine article written by Gretchen Rubin.  In her book, "The Happiness Project", Gretchen Rubin sets out to enjoy and find happiness in her life by setting monthly resolutions and steps to achieve them.  I liked the fact that she was not looking to overhaul her life but simply seeking to find more happiness.   As she worked to achieve her goals, I kept feeling that she was missing the point of happiness.  Happiness is not about making yourself happy.  God wants us to enjoy the gifts He has given us, but happiness is not selfish.  I felt led to take the initial idea of finding more happiness in our everyday lives and to connect it with the giver of true happiness, God.  He directs us in 1 Corinthians 9:24-25, "Remeber that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize.  You also must run in such a way that you will win.  All athletes practice strict self-control.  They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize" (NLT).

Our happiness project will focus on finding joy that can only come from the Father.  Each month, we will set individual goals and steps and meet monthly for accountability, brainstorming and support.  For March, we have adopted a group goal: Drawing Closer to God.  Each member will be setting subgoals to draw closer to our Heavenly Father.  We are each in a different place in our spiritual walk.  Spiritual maturity is never fully achieved.  God is continually teaching us and molding us to His image. 

Goals should be SMART goals:
     *  Specific
     *  Measurable
     *  Attainable
     *  Realistic
     *  Time specific

Examples of subgoals for drawing closer to God might include:
     *  Read one chapter of the Bible every day
     *  Have a daily quiet time (you might even set a specific time/place as part of your goal)
     *  Pray four times a day
     *  Pray with your children each day
     *  Share a devotional with your children each day
     *  Commit to pray for a specific topic or person each day.
     *  Pray each week with Christian friends
     *  Read a book on a specific area of struggle in your walk.

The possibilites are endless!  To assist with accountability, I am attaching a weekly Tracking Sheet for your use.  You could also keep track of your goals on your personal calendar or in your journal.  We also want to hold each other accountable, so share your goals with our group and check into the blog regularly for encouragement as you strive toward your first goal!!!

Date Night

Have you thought about how the concept of stewardship applies to your relationships?  As wives and mothers, we are blessed by the relationships God has gifted us with.  We need to make sure the ones we love don't get neglected in the busyness of life.  This week, we talked about the importance of having a regular date night with your husband.  It is so important to reconnect as a couple and to be intentional about the time that you spend together.

I'll be honest--Brandon and I do spend enough time alone as a couple.  As you can imagine life with four kids is, well, extremely busy.  This week, we talked about this as a group, and it was apparent that this is a common problem.  We have planned to approach our church about scheduling a monthly date night and having couples sign up to participate.  This is not an activity that needs funded childcare.  We plan to divide the participants into two groups and provide the childcare ourselves.  One month, a couple will get to go on a date, and the next month, they will get to have a fellowship with other couples while babysitting the kids at this church.

Now for some ideas on what to do...Here are some suggetions that we discussed:

 * Go back in time and revisit the places you went on some of your first dates

 * Cook a special dinner for your husband at home (or get take-out), use your good dishes, candelight, etc.  Just for him!!!

 * Make a picnic lunch and find a secluded park or garden

 * Free movie night at the George Bush Library (once a month) or visit a drive-in movie theatre

There are a few books that I would recommend on this topic--Romancing Your Husband by Debra White Smith and any books by Elizabeth George (they inspire me to be a better wife and mother)!

Next week we will be talking about how to plan special time with your children!

Organizing Your Home 101

This is one of my favorite topics!!!  I was so excited to discuss home organization at today's Stewardship Group.  The key to organization is being prepared with enough time, the correct supplies and plenty of patience and endurance to complete the task.  Over the years, I have read a lot of books on the subject of time management and home organization.  The common thread is to declutter your belongings enough that they will fit into the alloted space.  This is not always an easy task when you are working in small spaces.  We talked about the Fly Lady last week when we discussed cleaning, and I must say that through the years, she has assisted me in paring down my belongings.

One of my favorite books on the topic of decluttering and organization is One Year to an Organized Life by Regina Leeds.  This book breaks the task of home organization down by looking at a different area or project for each month of the year, and it is very specific on the steps and time that will be needed each month.  If you are a beginner to home organization, I highly recommend this book.  I also love all of the books by Julie Morgenstern on organization and the companion topic of time management.  My favorite is Organizing from the Inside Out.

We shared tips for each area of your home this morning during our discussion.  Here are some of my favorite organizational tips that I have picked up over the years and a few other wonderful ideas that were shared this morning:

*  Plastic rectangular ice buckets are a wonderful way to store plasticware lids.  Turn the bucket on it's side, and you have easy visual access to the contents.

*   Use plastic storage units to store everything from laundry supplies in your utility room cabinets to spare toiletry items under your bathroom sink.  Group like items in each tub.  You'll never have to pull out 1000 items to get to your dryer sheets again!

*  Use adhesive hooks to hang and organize your necklaces in your bathroom or closet and plastic ice trays to sort earrings.

* Buy a large CD storage notebook to store DVDs and CDs.  Discard the cases unless they are collectible.

*  Carbiner clips work perfectly to store your ponytail holders and hairbands.

*  Jennifer has assigned a different color towel for each of her children.  After their bath is over, they hang the toweland matching washcloth on a double hook in their bathroom.  If there is a towel on the floor, she knows exactly which child it belongs to and this simple system ensures that the children participate in keeping the bathroom clean.  The color assignment translates to other areas of her home, like the kitchen, where the kids have cups in their assigned color to prevent drink mix-ups.

*  Charity saves empty round CD/DVD containers for marker and crayon storage for her young children.

There were many other wonderful ideas shared this morning along with lots of coupons.  I will be adding the remaining coupons to our coupon exchange box in the church narthex.  On the topic of coupons, we have GREAT news!  The Bryan Eagle newspaper has agreed to donate their extra Sunday newspapers each week to provide coupons for the troops.  This will be approximately 1000 copies of coupon inserts each week.  The Blinn College Student Government Association will be sorting and clipping the coupons, and we will be sending them on to an organization which provides coupons to our troops and their families overseas to be used in the military commissaries.  The commissaries accept coupons up to six months after their expiration date and families overseas have very limited access to coupons.  This is a wonderful way to be good stewards of our extra coupons and LOTS of others courtesy of The Bryan Eagle!  Thanks to Charity of taking ownership of this project!!!

Next week, we will be discussing Date Night ideas!  Bring your best successes, ideas/suggestions and even some of your failures (we need to learn from each other).  See you next week!!!