I love to give myself new goals, not always just at the beginning of the year but it is a good time to evaluate what is working and what is not in your life.  This past year has been a tough one for sure.  We have had financial stuggles, my father in law was burned over 20 percent of his body this summer (my mom-in law really helped him get through that) and then the passing of my mother in law Jan 2nd.  If you would have told me Jan 1, 2007 that all of this would happen, especially losing my mother in law I would have said no, I could never take that.  Yet God knew what my year would bring and HE had me in the palm of his hand the whole time.  He has given me the strength to endure all of it, I'm just glad I don't have a magic crystal ball to know whats ahead.  I would probably go insane before the events actually happened.  We don't know our future, we can only know who holds it and thank God He holds mine.  I wouldn't trust it with anyone else!  I'm hoping for a less stress year of course but trusting the Lord regardless.  I thought it would be great to post some goals I have for the new year!

At the top of my list is to be a better wife, I think there is always room in this area to improve.  I hope to be the best wife my husband can have.  I want to encourage him more, pray for him often and support his endeavors.  I want to not let the petty things bother me so much and just be thankful for what a great man God has given me.  He is the most gentle, caring man I have ever known and I'm blessed beyond measure to have him- I'm ashamed to admit that I don't always show it and often look to closely at his faults.  I pray God will help me in this area the most!

Second is my children- With my first child I was so in tune to him.  I loved becoming a mother and I worked hard with him.  I worked on his character, and enjoyed every moment with him, sadly with my last two who were only 17 months apart life got hectic, I got busier, and my commitment to my children seem to suffer.  I want to spend more quality time with them, I want to work harder on showing them what a joy to me they are.  I want to pray for them more and work more intently on teaching them about God.  I want to teach them more about first time obedience.  Not because I want to dictate but because I know they will be better adults and servants of God if they can learn that now.  I want to treasure every moment homeschooling them, it won't be long and I won't have them anymore to homeschool because they will be grown-I don't want to take that for granted.

I want to work more on my health.  I'm overweight and need to exercise more often.  I want to have a long life on earth to serve the Lord, and see lots of grandbabies some day.  I also know that my body is a temple of Gods and I want to treat it accordingly.

My husband and I would love to be debt free.  Who doesn't right?  We want to work harder on financial peace and freedom.  Selling on ebay, odd jobs, whatever it takes to get better with our fiances!  Again we know there are many scriptures on debt and what it does to our lives.  I want to please the Lord in all areas of my life.

I would love to read more, it would be great to get one book in a month.  I don't know if this is realistic during the school year but I would love to try.  Reading my Bible everyday is another goal, I did pretty good last year with this, better then I ever had but I would love to get even better with it this year.

I hope to be an encourager to other moms and homeschoolers.  I am going to speak at my local homeschool support group this month on homeschooling and loving it, bringing the joy back into your homeschooling day.  I hope this is a great start to help others in their efforts to teach their children and show that anyone CAN do it if they have been called by God to do so!

With everything I do I want to please God the most.  I don't want to do anything HE doesn't want me to do and I hope to be quiet enough to Hear what HE has for me and my family. 

Angela