Category Archives: New Every Morning

The Word That is Navigating My School Year

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white-peony-beauty-observed

My two youngest kids will be starting 9th grade today.  I have only four years left with the day-to-day teaching of parenthood and home education.  After the last year we’ve had, I feel so strongly that the Lord is whispering to me “focus.”  I want to finish this calling well.  Now is not the time to let things slack.  I need to gather every ounce of my gifts and abilities and put them towards this last leg of the journey.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize?
Run in such a way as to get the prize. 
I Corinthians 9:24

 

white-peony-focus-meme

What that looks like:

  1. A schedule for every one of us during the school day.
  2. Every thing goes into my planner.  This helps me get done the important things instead of just wasting time.
  3. Just saying no to the phone.  I’m letting the answering machine catch the calls and will return them during my “phone” slot on my schedule/planner.
  4. Saying no to most activities/events/invitations that happen during the school day.
  5. A good menu plan to get me through the fall.
  6. A lesson plan book for each kid.  I can’t fit it all in one planner.  They are responsible for their own planner. (Yes, that is the correct link.)  This will be our third year of using these planners and they have worked well for us.
  7. Filtering everything through the word “focus.”  I started doing this at the end of the summer.  Host an MLM party?  Not part of my focus.  Sign-up for such-and-such class?  Not part of my focus.
  8. Most importantly, daily time in the Word!  Nothing brings more focus to my life than hearing from my Creator by spending time with Him!

What things do you do to improve your focus?  Comment below and let me know!

Have a beautiful day!

Beauty Observed in a Bit of Pink

forced-hyacinth-bulb-beauty-observed

We are in the midst of Snowmageddon.  I’m so happy I started to force this hyacinth bulb in December.  It’s just what I need to remind me that there is growth going on below the surface.

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
    his mercies never come to an end;
 they are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.
 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
    “therefore I will hope in him.”

Lamentations 3:22-24

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Shared at:  Life Through the Lens,Equipping Godly Women, Friday's Unfolded,

So Much to Say

red-hibiscus-stamenHello, everyone!!

I have so much to say.  Really, I could probably make about three posts out of this, but it is all relevant to today, so it all goes here.

1)  We had a wonderful month with our oldest daughter, Amy!  She is now back in D.C. and we miss her greatly!  Having adult children is such a peculiar thing.  I am so proud of her and glad that she is making her way in the world, following hard after the Lord.  At the same time, I really wish she was back here, tucked away in her bedroom with her younger sister.  I think all the mamas of adult children can understand.  😉

2) I want to apologize for not keeping up with all of you and linking-up as often as I had been.  This is my first summer blogging and it was harder to keep up than I thought it would be.  Thank you for your grace!

3)  The most amazing thing has happened for our family!   Ed and I have been married for almost 27 years.  He has worked a night shift job for almost 25 of them!   Today, he started a first shift job with the same company that he has been with for 18 years.  The whole family is beyond excited!  Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

4) A very sad thing has happened.  I haven’t talked about it here, but my step-father was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in October of 2013.  He never smoked or “chewed.”  We just found out that he now has a very fast-growing, aggressive cancer in his brain.  The prognosis is very grim and he will be moving to hospice soon.  Please pray for our family.

5) Due to such drastic changes in our family, I will be changing the way I blog.  I had made a goal last year when I started Beauty Observed to blog three times a week.  I have kept that commitment for the past nine months.  Starting this week, I will only be posting one or two times a week which will include the Whatever is Lovely Friday link-up.

Thank you, dear Readers, for your prayers and support!

 

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