Drum roll please

My 2016 Goals are set and established with a plan for each of them.

God- To increase my time in The Word and therefore expand my walk with The Lord.

Self- To make a conscience effort to move more, eat less, eat healthier, and have more purpose in my movement.

Spouse - To show my husband how much I love him on a daily basis and not take for granted all he does for our family.

Family - To teach our children how to walk in The Lord and being a to be a better example of Christ for my children to model. 


While these seem small, they truly are a big step in the process of accomplishment. Making a plan for each goal is definitely beneficial and gives me a starting place and a clear direction as well as a definitive point of success.
For day two, I have already been in The Word two days in a row and have Zumba tonight for me (and my family's) sanity. I instituted a new bedtime routine for my 7 yo last night and have been working to mirror how all of my children should behave in a variety of circumstances.

I'm going to fail. I am human and that, unfortunately, is our nature. But I am most certainly determined to pick myself up and keep moving forward towards finding better habits in all of the areas in my life that I have selected in my goals.

I look forward to hearing about your goals and your progress as you move on your journey with me. Feel free to share in the comments below!!

How to set up Goals

I won't pretend to be an expert on setting goals, or even sticking to them. I also won't pretend that setting a goal is going to work for you. It takes more than setting a goal to make it work.

Today, I am going to just tell you basic steps I take when determining what goals I would like to pursue for the year. This is a month to think about change; changing habits for you and helping others around you in changing habits. 

My first step when considering goals is to ask myself a series of questions.

• What do I want to accomplish? Is this a realistic goal?
• Who will this affect?
• What is the timeline I am determining for this particular goal?
• Will I need/want/get support with this goal?
• What are the first steps to get started?

Some of my family knows that I make lists on post it notes. LOTS OF LISTS! LOTS OF NOTES!!

                                                                                                              

The lists are probably more of a nemesis than helpful, but at least I am willing to admit that and move forward. 

Today's goal focus is going to be on Me, Myself, and I only. Helping others is a great thing to think about, but this is my chance to be selfish. I want everything to be attainable, so I would like first and foremost to determine how many goals to focus on that will be able to be accomplished in the next year. 4. I can take care of 4 goal categories this year.

Goal 1: God

Goal 2: Self

Goal 3: Spouse

Goal 4: Family

Now, let's go through my thought process with this.

God... What do I want to accomplish? I would like to be closer to God this year by living more in His Word. Is this realistic? Yes, IF I set it to be a very specific goal. Who will this affect? While this is a very personal goal, if I am truly in The Word as I desire to be, it should affect every one I am around. Timeline? The entire year. Support? We always need support when working on our walk. I would like to find a Christian friend that would want to work on accountability to make sure that I am doing what I have set to do. First steps? Determining exactly what I would like to achieve through this goal.

                     Through this goal, I would like to find myself in The Word every single day, but I must be realistic knowing that I tend to say that and then move away from it. I am going to make this a goal that is achieved over a series of months before getting fully into what I am doing. Let's break it down into what I can start and develop a routine that can be added to throughout the year.

January - I will sit down 3-4 days of the week and spend 15 quiet, devoted minutes in The Word in either a Bible study or just in reading and reviewing the sermon from that particular week. 

February - I will sit down 4-5 days of the week and spend 15 quiet, devoted minutes in The Word in either a Bible study or just in reading and reviewing the sermon from that particular week. I will also listen to a podcast twice this month that will move me one step further in direction with The Lord.

March - I will sit down 5-6 days of the week and spend 15 quiet, devoted minutes in The Word in either a Bible study or just in reading and reviewing the sermon from that particular week. I will also listen to a podcast three times this month that will move me one step further in the direction with The Lord.

April - December - I will sit down 6-7 days of the week and spend 15+ quiet, devoted minutes in The Word in either a Bible study or just in reading and reviewing the sermon from that particular week. I will also listen to a podcast once a week each month that will move me one step further in the direction with The Lord.

I feel a little more stable in that goal now, but I feel like with this one, I cannot just state any old Bible study or review or podcast and get away with it. Otherwise, I will specifically end up sitting for those 15 minutes trying to figure out what I want to read. So, I decided that I wanted to go ahead and look at some options. I am going to be specific for January at this time, but each month, I am going to go ahead at the end of each month and determine what is best for the next month. For this month, I am going to use the app, First 5 which is going to cover the book of Exodus. This is done for me and let's me be lazy. In addition, I am going to do a daily reading from Proverbs 31 (again done for me) and a study offered on my Bible app called 31 Days of Building Your Family's Values. All of these started on January 1, so I have a plan of catch up on these since I am starting after the weekend.

So Goal 1 is official. I will be spending more time in The Word starting off with Exodus, Proverbs 31, and Family Values. I will increase my time each day and adjust what I am reading about each month to prevent boredom and make sure that I am covering different topics that I feel strongly about for the time. I will also select a time that fits best for my schedule and consistently make sure that is listed and prioritized properly.

The process takes time. I KNOW. But it has been most effective for me in the past. I am excited to start this first goal and to move forward with my other 4 goal categories. 

I won't bore you with going through every single one, but I will share all of my official goals in tomorrow's post. In the meantime, use the comments section below to tell me all about your goals. What are you wanting to work on? Are you specific or broad with your goals? How has this worked for you in the past? Are you doing something different this year?

I look forward to hearing your thoughts as we continue this journey together!  

Is it Legos?

In the past 24 hours, I have had three conversations and been led to numerous Bible verses about our words and building up your family members. I even felt led to speak to my boys about it this morning at breakfast. It's everywhere for me right now. I am working to try to be positive and to think positive thoughts to have better outcomes in my life and the lives of those around me.
Wake up achy and stiff. not get enough sleep. someone else is grouchy. just get up on the wrong side of the bed... These are all things we face on a daily basis. Things that could make or break out day. I have been getting up lately (late more often than not) asking myself, how are you going to be today. Sometimes I didn't win the battle, but today, I come at it with a different attitude. (It's a good day despite the pain and frustrations of being busy). Do my joints ache yet again? Yup. Did my children act a  little rowdier than they should have this morning? Yup. Do I have to get my entire house clean before the friends I invited show up tonight? Yup. Do I need to do baseball sign ups, swim lessons, workout, work in general? Yup, Yup, Yup, and Yup. Am I gonna let the crazy of the day overwhelm me? NO WAY!!!
This morning, God led me to this Bible verse (because no matter how crazy life is, there is always time to be in His Word).
"Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers." Eph. 4:29 

So I think about it. Am I building my family up like Legos or am I the one waiting and knocking them over? My focus today is going to be on the obvious, positive words. Words to build up, not knock down.  But it's more than just building for me, I want the world to know what an incredible husband and wonderful children I have. This isn't a secret to keep to myself! Everyone should know that my husband treats me like a princess. I am so very well cared for and feel like nothing can stop me as long as he is with me. My children, Oh my word, I treasure every sweet moment with them, and while they work hard to drive me crazy, I STILL love them and want everyone to know they truly are great kids! So, today, I'm building some Lego buildings, how about you?

Waves of Mercy

There are many missionaries in Haiti doing God's work, but there are a few that hold a special place in my heart. Madame Diana and Papa Larry. They are family. The two have been part of my family for over a decade now, and I had the privilege of interviewing them for a newspaper article updating our community on the conditions in Haiti as they stood last summer. Papa Larry had heart surgery just before our interview and was looking forward to getting back "home" to Haiti. I want to share that story with  you now.

Missionaries bring Haitian experiences to local children

(by Kim Lunsford, staff writer - July 05, 2011)

Messenger photo by Kim Lunsford

Broken and shattered, a people stand amidst chaos with disparity and uncertainty.

The land that is Haiti in the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake remains a landscape of debris and broken lives. The already depressed country was struck down by the 7.0 earthquake which took the lives of as many as 316,000 people and shook the entire nation.

“Homes are shattered. Lives are shattered and broken,” Waves of Mercy missionary and co-founder Larry Owen said. “It takes years to get back to where it ought to be.”

Larry and Diana Owen run Waves of Mercy mission in Port de Paix and have been in the country for more than 30 years taking care of Haitian orphans, street boys and widows in need.

After starting their original mission, Northwest Haiti Christian Mission (NWHCM), the Owen family began raising their children to know the work of a missionary. Today, while home base is in Versailles, Ky., there are two of their children, as well as their spouses and their children, who live and work in Haiti alongside them running the NWHCM. For their retirement gift to themselves, The Owens’ created Waves of Mercy.

“There are people in Haiti who are starving to death just because they are starving to death. Then there are those who are starving to death because they were affected by the earthquake,” Larry said. “This is the kind of thing we face. Haiti is still very much in the healing process. Spiritually, and I have to be guarded how I say this, this is the best thing that has ever happened to Haiti. It was such a traumatic experience that really shook the whole world. What that did is put Haiti on a lot of people’s prayer lists that never even thought of them.”

Larry understands the pain and burden on the heart of the Haitians.

“Our business as a mission is to restore and release people,” said Larry. “It is to set them free from this burden that they have and just give them hope.”

“Madame Diana” and “Papa Larry,” as the Haitians lovingly call them, have been out of the field for a few months dealing with health needs. Larry was extra tired this past year after the earthquake. The work is tiring, difficult and labor intensive. A return stateside and a visit to the doctor uncovered a new challenge for the Waves of Mercy team. Larry had blockage in his heart and needed immediate bypass surgery.

“I have gone through the most difficult time in my life. It was so overwhelmingly shocking. The Lord literally carried me,” Larry said. “I know the Lord was preparing me for this challenge. I long to be with my people. They are family to me. As I struggle with wanting to be back in Haiti, I know there will be a time when I am ready.”

Larry said his surgery is similar to what the people are going through with the aftermath of the earthquake.

“Like the earthquake at first, it just seemed so terrible. It just seemed so unfair,” said Larry. “But what I have learned is compassion more than I ever have before and understanding. Through this struggle you can say one day, I have been restored. I have been released and I am at peace with my body. That is the same thing we are trying to do on the mission field.”

The wounds are still too fresh for many Haitians to see events through Larry’s eyes, but he believes one day they will say  it is a blessing.

“For them, those large number of people who died, I say, oh what a tremendous waste for them,” said Larry. “But for those who died, they caused a change in the country, they are patriots. When we fight our wars and we have victory and we set countries free, they are heroes. They didn’t die in vain. All these people who sacrificed for the country. For that we can take comfort. That is how I try to comfort our people in Haiti. They could have lived their whole life and not make a difference, but instead they did and what a blessing that is.”

Diana said, even though they are out of the field right now, the mission continues to function effectively at the hands of the oldest orphan boy who they raised and who is their minister. The programs set in place work with the Haitians to educate them and feed them among other things.

“There is still so much tragedy in Haiti,” said Diana. “God isn’t finished with Larry yet, and He’s not finished in Haiti.”

The Owens spent the past week with host church, Amazing Grace Christian Church in Grove City, celebrating with the children and teaching them about their work in Haiti during the week-long vacation Bible school. The children raised more than $1,000 to help support the mission of  Waves of Mercy.

Churches and individuals interested in getting involved in the work Waves of Mercy and earthquake aid can do so by contacting Lori Conley at (614) 506-3694 or at trousdalelori@yahoo.com. Donations of peanut butter, rice, beans, other non-perishable items as well as Clorox to clean water, white sheets for burial, sleeping bags and basic hygiene items are being accepted. Monetary donations will also be accepted through the website http://mercysaves.org.