Where Are You Going?

 

I am a person who loves making new year's resolutions.  I love the idea of a fresh start, a brand new year to start over and dream big and be made new.  Usually I have my goals and plans made and laid out by New Year's Day so I can immediately dive in. But this year we are in the second week of January and I am still struggling to lay down some goals and make plans towards pursuing them.  It isn't for lack of things I want/need to change or lack of inspiration.  I think instead what has been happening for me is too many things that I want to pursue.  Now that we have the blogosphere I have seen tons of ideas of challenges that I want to join in on.  The problem with this is my head is swimming with information and changes that I long to see in my life but I'm so divided between different paths that I have no direction to pursue.  I fear that I will have all the best intentions and yet no substantial disciplines in order to see change.  So I am searching for some quiet time alone where I can search my heart and listen for what I need to focus on this next year.

Here are some questions from Sally Clarkson's blog, www.itakejoy.com, that I plan to walk through as I evaluate what direction I need to pursue this year.

*Evaluate what are the good habits and what are the bad habits that you practice and how they influence your soul, and your heart and consequently, your worship of God, as we are commanded to worship Him in our minds.

*Make a plan of how you will grow in wisdom, beauty and truth this year.  What will you read? When will you have a quiet time?  What do you need to stop doing?

*Make a plan for all the ways you will pour beauty, goodness, wisdom and truth into your children this year.  What books and stories will you read to them? When will you have devotionals with them?  How do you need to change to reflect love and graciousness to them so that they will form their relationship habits on gentleness and generous love?

*What do you need to focus more on investing instead of just passing time with emptiness? (internet, television, computer, etc)

"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask it of God who gives to all men

liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him."

I hope if you too are still searching for some direction this year that these questions will help you to think through what changes you would like to make in 2012.

Road Trip to the Upstate

Last week after Christmas we hit the road and drove up to Greenville and Anderson to visit David's brothers and their families. 

Our first stop was in Greenville to deliver Christmas presents and hang out with David's oldest brother Kirk and one of his sons, Grayson.  I just have to brag on Grayson and say that I was so impressed by how much he has grown.  He is in third grade now but looks like he could be in middle school.  The DeWeils have always been tall boys.  Grayson is such a conversationalist and talked so eloquently about sports he's involved in and trips he's taken this past year.  I also was blown away by his mechanical skills.  He is definitely following in Papa D's footsteps with a love for trains.  He had a track set up around the Christmas tree and was changing it's course and showing off the train's horn to Caroline.  She was in awe of course.

After Greenville we headed to Anderson to visit David's other older brother Scott and his wife Jennifer and their girls Mycah and Sienna.  Caroline is the youngest in the family so these girls are who she looks up to like older sisters.  Mycah and Sienna were so generous in finding fun activities for them to all do together.  They enjoyed a tea party in the afternoon to warm up after painting and drawing on the sidewalk outside. 

There were three beverages offered in tea pots: hot chocolate, milk, and Sierra Mist.  Along with a bowl of marshmallows and slices of chocolate cake. 

Mycah also gave the girls tips on how to hold their pinky fingers up in the air while drinking.  So cute!

David and Scott decided to try out Mycah's new Wii game - Just Dance 3.  Their instructor on the screen looked like some indian chief and their song went something like "Get on it! Get on it!"  It was pretty hilarious to watch!  Of course it brought out some brotherly competition and silliness. 

We finished the day with a performance from Sienna who sang and danced for us.  Loving the spotlight is a definite DeWeil family trait. :) 

Aren't they beautiful!

 

We hated for the day to end!  More family time is definitely on our list for 2012!  

Gentleness

Being a parent is a tough job.  I have shared many times with friends how my dear mentor shared with me before marrying David to be prepared for all of my sin to rise to the top and be visible in ways I had never seen before.  Well parenthood takes that to a whole new level.  Being a mom has been very revealing of areas in my heart that desperately need transforming.  One of those areas is anger and impatience.  I always aspire to be a mom who speaks words of life and encouragement in our home but let me be real honest and say that there are days when I feel pressed in from all sides and have been pushed to my breaking point.  Those are the days that my responses to repeated corrections move from gentleness to outbursts of a hot temper.  I have struggled feeling like a failure as a mom and worried over the many counseling sessions Caroline will need when she is older.  In those times I have been reminded of my need of my Savior's grace.  I have had to repent and humbly seek Caroline's forgiveness. 

I share all of this with you because I am very excited about a new challenge for 2012 that Courtney from Women Living Well is launching.   
 
I will definitely be embarking on this.  I hope if any of you have also been in my shoes that you will follow this challenge as well and find some encouragement and hope. 

And I will leave you with some verses that have been posted on my fridge lately for my meditation throughout the day.

A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.  Proverbs 15:1

A gentle tongue is a tree of life.  Proverbs 15:4a

Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly. Proverbs 14:29