D. S. R. F.

Even though it is already the 5th day of the New Year, I am still thinking about all the goals I have set for myself in the coming year. Just having had our second baby, right now things are going well in what a lot of new mom's refer to as "The Survival Mode". However, I feel that we are moving beyond the survival mode and I am able to refocus on what we, as a family and individually, have set out for the new year.
This year I am focusing on 4 words and have derived our my goals for the year from these words.

DISCIPLINE
My first area of focus is discipline. This is not meaning in the sense of our children, but more so in carrying out tasks/goals to completion. As my husband tells me many times, I am an undiagnosed case of ADHD. For many that know me, I have trouble saying "no", can't sit still (heaven forbid I should take a nap), and love to take on new projects/hobbies. I am a woman a many hobbies or at least the hubby thinks so. So this year to allow my ADHD mind be a little more focused, I have organized a notebook with all the daily needed items (financial, daily menus, chore lists, daily schedules, yearly reading lists, monthly projects to try, yearly goals/discipline lists). This so far has been a HUGE help in keeping my mind focused throughout the day, even with the interruptions of a 6 week old and a 3 1/2 year old!

SIMPLIFY
I have been participating for now the last year in Community Bible Study. Each week I meet with about 150 other women from the community to dive deeply into God's word. Through this group I have been able to study almost 4 New Testament books in great detail. In addition, I do my own devotional/prayer time. Over the past 6 months, I have been asking the Lord to reveal to me a weakness in my life and to strengthen through His power not my own. Well, He has broken me down in so many aspects of my life, too many to list here, but a couple of particular areas had to do with "STUFF". I know that I might step on some toes here for some people, but remember I asked the Lord to search me and challenge me in ways only He could do.

He has revealed to me that I focused for too long in life in "keeping up with the Joneses" mentality. This is a thought, now knowing, that comes of this world. I couldn't quite put my own mind grasp around what Dave Ramsey says, "Live like no one else, so you can later live like no one else." I am not saying that we are living in poverty or don't have nice things. NOT THAT AT ALL. What I am getting to is the fact that I realized I had things that other people could use that I have not touched in either the last year or LONGER! I have some things that I bought 2 years ago that were still in the box. Growing up my daddy always said, when we cleaned out rooms/closets, that if you haven't used it in the last year then out it goes.

So we are in simplicity mode. So far, on this 5th day of the year, I have gone through kitchen cabinets (rearranged my entire cabinets) and the living room area. My husband was very impressed with the already 2 LARGE boxes full for a garage sale in March. I think the Lord used our last 2 moves to really show me how little of stuff you need to survive. In addition, our kids don't need every outfit or toy that is out there. SG is quite content with what she has. We realized at Christmas that after her stocking she was satisfied and could have been done. WOW!

ROUTINE
This kind of ties into the whole discipline idea too. But we, as a family, have found that things run A LOT smoother when we have established a routine. Being a minister's family, we spend a lot of time at church. So sometimes it feels that routine can't happen with the later than normal Sunday and Wednesday nights. But NOT SO!
Simplify the routine and it works. It can be as simple as the order in which things happen when you and children awake. SG now knows that breakfast does not come before she is pottied, dressed and bed is made. We are now working with her on having morning chit-chat instead of morning TV time. This was a drag in our somewhat routine last year. The TV took too much of her attention and lead to too much head butting in the mornings. Routines also help with Mommy's attitude too.

FAMILY
With all of these previously mentioned areas of focus, my most important area is family. I cannot tell you how precious my now family of 4 is to me. Even on the days when I want to hang-up the "Mommy" badge, I look at my children's precious faces and the undenying loving disposition of my husband and think, 'Man! I am the luckiest woman in the world!'
Since we have never lived in a city/town where our extended family resides, the core focus on our immediate family has been critical. In addition, our children grow up so quickly. Just looking at sweet baby Elijah (who has now taken on the nickname given by SG "Elijah Bug"), I can believe how much he has grown in just 6 weeks. He is still supposed to be the tiny 6 lb 2 oz. baby we brought home almost 2 months ago! Then in May it will mark 4 years since SG was diagnosed with Type I diabetes and she will then be 4 years old meaning in 2013 she will be starting Kindergarten. Can I take a moment with my Kleenex box?
All of this to say, my hubby and I are really focusing in on family time because it will be no time before they are all grown up!

Like I mentioned a fore, I took these core areas of focus and broke them down into smaller areas to set my yearly goals. I may have completely bored you with this but I felt it important enough in our lives to share with you. Feel free to comment below with some of your goals too! I love to hear what others are doing too!
Happy New Year!