Andrew Peterson's Songs That Celebrate Marriage and Family

My resolutions for 2010 revisited... again.

Why?

Because I have to be deliberate. Even about the important things. Especially about the important things.

Let Norah play outside - She plays outside for a little while almost every single day now, weather permitting. She's even taken to whining about how often I "kick her out" of doors.

Keep a garden.
I've decided to put the majority of my focus on my flower bed this year. I just don't have enough time (and money) to devote to maintaining a full vegetable garden on my own, too. I have, however, offered my vegetable garden to a friend and her kids. She also home schools and they are renting their house and therefore, can't plant a garden of their own. If she decides to use my garden, then I will, most likely, devote some time to help her and perhaps, plant a few vegetables of my own as well. But, I am waiting to see what she wants to do and just focusing on my flowers in the meantime. I am trying to plant only perennials, so the flowers I purchase will not only come back year after year, they will also increase. I am following this garden plan that I got online for free and I am joyfully adding more and more perennials to my flower bed after every pay day.

Listen to Scripture.
Norah and I are using our Bible audio CDs almost everyday. We are memorizing Psalm 27. We listen to it after we read her Bible story, saying as much as we can along with the CD, learning a little more each time we do it. She had expressed strong fears over nightmares, the dark, etc. so I believe this Psalm, about putting faith in God for protection, is ministering to her little spirit. She hasn't been complaining about being afraid lately. I will also play the Gospels while I do housework and she will sit and listen, absolutely caught up in the dramatized version of the story for a half hour or even more. Sometimes I even catch her lying on the middle of the dining room table with her ear right up to the speaker on the boom box, something I used to do as a teenager. (Not lie on the table, but with my head near the speaker.) I have also been listening to the book of Ephesians, trying to soak it all in and memorize what's in it just by hearing it so many times.

Pray.
I have not been using my books The Power of a Praying Wife and The Power of a Praying Parent that much, but I am praying more, a lot more. In the evenings, I will put on worship music or read Scripture or watch or listen to a sermon online or read a book or do all of those things in turn. The Holy Spirit will lead me through a "lesson" in a week or so, each night revealing something else about a certain topic. I am keeping a journal of all the book quotes, song lyrics, Scripture verses, etc. that I come across and I am also recording the thoughts that go through my own head, but I am not sharing much of any of it with anyone at large. I feel as if God is saying, "Not everything I give you is for someone else, you know?! Will you just let me teach you?!"

Sew.
Not a stitch.

Collect books and music.
Since my last post, I've purchased a few slow songs to use during the cool down and stretch portion of my fitness classes and two more work out CDs.

Call my friends.
This is going well. I've recently made a new friend. She's more like a spiritual mentor, even though she insists I'm just her "sister in Christ." We have some of the same gifts of the Spirit and I talk to her a few times a week, sometimes on the phone, but usually through email or Facebook. I call her with questions or reports about what God has shown me, but mostly with questions, since she has more experience using her gifts than I do. Another friend of mine has been calling me almost everyday, eager to know if God has shown me something new and eager to tell me what He has shown her. On a side note, about friends... God is teaching me to surround myself with people who really honor me and who esteem what He is doing in my life, not just "friends" who pay me lip service and then turn around and say and do unkind things that tear me down. Believe it or not, I've had friends who, though they were very strong believers, did not honor who I was in God and who tore me apart, even seeming to despise what God did in my life. Perhaps they were jealous? I don't know. It doesn't matter. But, God seems to be bringing other people forward, people who put only positive words in my head, who really love who I am in God and who respect what He is doing in me.

Keep my room clean.
We had a few of the pastors, elders and church leaders... "the big dogs," over for prayer a few weeks ago. So, most of my house is still clean from all the elbow grease I put into shining it up for them.

Attend more home school group activities. I have let this one go recently, but only out of necessity. Since I am working more, when we are free, we try and stay home to actually do home school. But, I am hosting a field day for our home school group at our neighborhood park in a few days. Almost forty people are expected to turn out, so that should be lots of fun.

Teach Norah to swim.
I've been slack about this one, too. Hopefully, Norah hasn't digressed too much since her success in Florida. I guess we shall see when we start going to the lake this summer.

Lighten Dwayne's load around the house. I've stopped complaining entirely, but I haven't had the time to do anything for Dwayne. Just keeping up with my own duties is a challenge.

Read to Avril. Norah has been reading to Avril more than I have. But, I think it's even better if Norah can read to Avril. Avril seems to love it, too.

Talk to Norah. I went to church for a special prayer service and spent time listening to God, seeing if He had anything to "say." He impressed on my heart the need to show Norah more affection, even though she is not an affectionate child. He told me to say affirming things to her, such as, "That was really nice of you to share with Avril. I like that about you. You are very kind to your little sister. Thank you." I've done that kind of thing since then and she's responded to it like a flower responds to water and sunshine. I am still talking to her, but I am just paying more attention to what I say, making sure it builds her up and making sure I am kissing and hugging her while I say it.