Maridel Willer

Do you have hopes and dreams for your family in 2008?  If you are like me, you may have already spent some time this month thinking about things you would like to change or improve in the coming year.
 
It is exciting to imagine the possibilities of a brand new year, but it can be discouraging to look at past failures or difficult situations that you are facing.  Regardless of your circumstances, you can step out in faith and have the courage to set both personal and family goals for the future.
 
Goals are a tool for the stewardship of your time, resources and abilities.  They help you to live your life on purpose, using your gifts and talents to bless others and build God’s kingdom.
 
Goals are quite different from resolutions.  Many people make resolutions every January, hoping to stop bad habits or make changes in their lives.  However, most resolutions are never kept, probably because we try to make the changes in our own strength and find that we do not have the willpower to accomplish it.
 
Are you ready to start making and achieving worthwhile goals for your family?  Here are some ideas get you moving forward.
 
1.  Start by seeking God for both the goals and His plan for you to achieve them.  Bring the list of your cares and frustrations to Him and wait expectantly for guidance. 
 
2.  Believe that you will be given hope and direction.  God promises to reward those who diligently seek Him and gives wisdom to those who ask for it.
 
3.  Be humble, trusting the Lord to give you wise counsel from His word and bring you the resources you will need.
 
4.  Write down your goals and review them with your spouse and family.  Do you need help putting it all on paper?  Phyllis Sather’s book, Purposeful Planning is full of valuable information on setting spiritual, physical, household, financial and academic goals for each member of your family.
 
5.  Create a family routine to help you develop the habits necessary to meet your goals. A family routine is a daily plan that can help you reduce stress, build relationships, gain margin and keep you moving toward your goals.  When developing a new routine for your family, it is better to make small changes one by one than to set everyone up for failure with a long list of new responsibilities.
 
6.  Make a daily to do list.  Use your most creative time of day to have time to pray and journal your thoughts and plans.  What works best for me is to make this part of my evening routine, after my children are tucked into bed and I can enjoy quiet moments to refresh myself from the day’s activity and plan ahead for tomorrow.
 
7.  Communicate frequently with your spouse about how things are going as you work toward your new goals.  Consider scheduling a weekly time to talk alone.  This should not be a grumbling session!  It can be a source of encouragement and strength as you discuss and pray about areas of concern and decisions that need to be made.
 
8.  Find sources of encouragement in your family, friends, or mentors.  For many years, my source of encouragement was from the writing or speaking of leaders in the homeschooling community. What a blessing it is to find someone who can share your vision, give you ideas and speak words that inspire you to press on.  Words of encouragement will water the seeds you are sowing as you wait expectantly for the coming harvest.
 
Praying that you will find wisdom and encouragement for the journey,
 
Maridel

Do you have a desire to bring more order to your life and accomplish the things that are important to you? 

Is your life complicated by the coming and going of your family’s activities, the demands of your children, frequent interruptions, having a lack of focus or the feeling that you cannot stay on top of everything that you are responsible for? 

Have you tried to get organized, but have not been able to make lasting progress? I can tell you that there is hope!  Step by step you can make small changes that will add up to big differences in your daily life.  I will share some of the truths that I have learned on the road to becoming an organized woman.  This week we will look at some obstacles that may be standing in your way and learn how you can overcome them. 

Roadblocks can delay us or prevent us from getting to where we want to be.  They can be minor distractions that get us sidetracked or major problems that stop us dead in our tracks.  Consider whether the following roadblocks may be hindering you on the road to an organized life.

Roadblock #1 - Strife

Conflict, blame, anger, bitterness or other relationship issues drain you emotionally and cause lack of cooperation between family members.

To overcome obstacles, you must start with yourself.  As a wife and mother, you have great influence over the atmosphere of your home. 

Spend time in God’s word and in prayer for your family to change your heart and bring healing to damaged relationships.  Cultivate a heart of service toward your family that will make it easier to gain the help and cooperation of others.

So good seeds into your relationships and do not grow weary in well doing.  Nuture the seeds with kindness and patiently wait for the harvest.

Roadblock #2 – Complacency 

If you do not have a reason to make changes, it can be very difficult to get moving and keep going down the road to an organized life.  If you need motivation, consider the benefits of becoming a better caretaker of your time and possessions.  God is faithful to reward those who are good stewards of what He has given them. The fruit of becoming an organized woman is a peaceful, productive and purposeful life.  Do not be overwhelmed by any situation you are in.  The Lord gives wisdom to all who ask for it.  You are not alone on this journey.  He will walk with you every step of the way.
  
Roadblock #3 – Over Commitment

There are so many appealing activities and worthy causes that tempt us to add more and more to our schedules until we are operating on overload.  Are all of the activities that your family is involved in worth the cost of the time it takes to travel and participate in them?  Could some of that time be redeemed in more productive time with one another at home?  

Activities are worth the investment of your family’s time when you are called to do them or if they are something that brings refreshing to you.  My upcoming book on Family Routines will help you assess how you spend your family’s time and show you how to decide where to invest it.

For more information on family routines, click here.