Maridel Willer

I recently had the privilege of reviewing a wonderful book called Purposeful Planning, written by my on-line writing pal, Phyllis Sather.

This thought provoking book describes how you can devote one weekend per year to setting your family goals. 

I really appreciate how thoroughly Phyllis described the goal setting process and how many examples she gives to help you develop unique goals for your family.
 
Does having your spouse’s undivided attention appeal to you?
 
Planning weekends give you time to dream, to talk together about what you wish, or want, at a time when the other person is really listening.
 
Do you need a plan to keep your family moving in the direction the Lord is leading you?
 
Phyllis takes you step-by-step through the process of planning a time together for your family to help determine the path the Lord is choosing for each area of  life.

The e-book format of the book allows you to print out the planning forms that are included for each section, so you can create a custom plan year after year.
 
Her family has followed this format for over 12 years and has found that it provides the compass they’ve needed to plan and stay on course.
 
This time-tested method of planning will give your family new direction for the future. Start today! Choose the dates for your planning weekend, read her book which has the entire “how to” included, and go for it!

Click here to purchase or find out more about this great resource.

I am delighted with my recent purchase of Ann Voscamp’s  The Glorious Coming:  A Jesse Tree Advent Celebration along with The Twelve Week Holiday Planner by Sheri Graham in a down-loadable e-book format. 

I love e-books!  It is so nice to have the information I am looking for instantly and it is so convenient to be able to print all or part of a book as many times as I need for my personal use.  E-books are less expensive than a printed and bound book would be, and there are no shipping costs!

The daily family devotions in The Glorious Coming are a perfect way to keep your family focused on Jesus amidst the busyness of the holiday season.  The format for each day of December includes  scripture verses plus short devotional readings that will draw you closer to God and each other.   A printable ornament is included for each day with directions on making a Jesse Tree to make your devotional time even more memorable.

The Twelve Week Holiday Planner for Christian Families can help you remember and keep track of all the details of all of your holiday activities and celebrations.  The e-book format of the planner allows you to print and re-use the pages of this planner year after year.  Sheri Graham has thought of everything you can think of to put in the planner and includes many great ideas to make family memories.  Find out everything that is included in this package by clicking here.

Each year as the air gets cooler and the days get shorter, I begin to think about preparing my heart and home for the holidays.   Planning ahead helps me have more time for creating family memories and focusing on God’s great gift

Here are some ideas that you can do now to help you simplify the holiday preparations and have more time to savor the moments as Christmas approaches. 
 
Plan to reduce the number of gifts you will buy this year.

A few excellent quality toys that will be enjoyed for years are much better than many inexpensive ones for your children.  Talk to extended family members about reducing your gift exchanges.   You will find that most people will appreciate less focus on gifts and more focus on spending time together.   Fewer gifts will mean less time shopping and wrapping as well as lower bills in January.

Complete your gift buying before Thanksgiving Day.
 
You will avoid crowded parking lots, long lines, and running around to find out of stock items.  Celebrate with a family visit to the mall in December to enjoy the music and decorations, knowing that there is nothing left on your shopping list!

Shop on line. 

Search on line for the best buys and save time and gas.  Shopping early saves on shipping and ensures that packages will arrive in time.  You can even print out gift certificates at home through many websites. 

Make travel arrangements early.

Make reservations now for the best rates and selection.  If you always travel for the holidays, consider staying home this year for a relaxing change of pace.  You could visit your family at a different time when the weather and traffic are much better.

Simplify Christmas card writing.

It is not necessary to hand write a long message for each card.  The cards that people save are family photos and newsletters.    Create a card online from a digital photo of your family with a custom message and have it printed at your local photo store.  Use your computer to print addresses on envelopes or labels and let your children get the cards ready for mailing.

Find a special advent devotional book.

Reading a daily devotion with your family creates a tradition that draws you closer together and keeps your focus on Christ.   This year we will be using The Glorious Coming:  A Jesse Tree Celebration of Advent by Ann Voscamp.  This downloadable book includes a daily scripture reading and devotion, plus directions and ornaments for a Jesse Tree.  The author’s profits from this book will be donated to the Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child.

Keep track of everything with a Holiday Planner.

A printable planner is great to help you keep track of the details.  I really like The Twelve Week Holiday Planner for the Christian Family by Sheri Graham.  Click here to find out more about this great resource, which includes Ann Voscamp’s Jesse tree devotionals and many ideas for making your celebrations special.

I have been pondering the connection between goals and habits this week and thought I would share some ideas with you.

Have you ever been discouraged by not being able to make positive changes in an area of your life that is frustrating you?  You may have the desire to accomplish something worthwhile such as save more money, lose some weight, improve a relationship or become more organized, but have not been successful in actually taking the steps to make it happen.  What can we do to overcome discouragement and accomplish the things that are important to us?

The key to successfully implementing change in any area of your life is to set a goal, then define and implement habits that when performed, day after day, will bring about the results that you desire.  The process of doing that looks something like this:

Desire –>Goal –> Habit –>Routine –> Success

A desire can be something that you want to have or hope to achieve.  It could also be a solution you need to a problem that you are struggling with.  There is usually more than one way to achieve a desire or solve a problem, so the first step in the direction of success is to define specific goals.

The more specific and measurable you can make your goals, the easier it is to achieve them.  If a goal remains vague and poorly defined, you will most likely not begin to make the changes necessary to reach it.  Need help with setting goals for your family?  Click here for a review of the new book “Purposeful Planning” by my friend, Phyllis Sather.

Once a goal has been defined, the next step is considering your habits.  What are the bad habits that you will need to change or eliminate?  (more…)