Monday, January 19, 2015

My Bible Reading Goals for 2015

Recently I wrote about the Bible being our spiritual mirror.

Have you ever let that reflection get so foggy, you hardly recognize yourself? If so, you are not alone!

I know as moms, we can get so bogged down with every day life that we get away from the most important thing. The reason we do anything at all: God! His Spirit. His Words.

They are life-giving, and every time I read them, I see myself a little more clearly.

Once upon a time, I wasn't yet a wife, I didn't have children, and I pretty much only had myself to think about. Whoo! I was so spiritual! Can you relate to that? I thank God that I had time to myself early on to dive deep into His Word and get to know my way around the Bible, but thankfully, He had more in store for me!

I was soon married and quickly (really quickly!) became a mother, and then became a mother again...and again, and now I'm expecting our fourth blessing. I can be exhausted sometimes. It can be so hard to get up earlier than everyone. It can be a challenge to get to bed at a decent hour, because I spend time catching up on things after everyone else is in bed. In the most recent times that I've gotten up and have been able to spend uninterrupted time in His Word, it has been glaringly obvious to me that I've become distant from Him.

I don't want that to be the case in 2015! So, I'm pressing on. I mentioned a while back that I had found a great Bible reading plan in the YouVersion app on my phone. Guess what? I'm still plugging away at that plan! Project 345 Plus is a 365 day reading plan, most days having four chapters to read. Needless to say, it's taken me much longer than 365 days to read through it! But that's okay. I was pregnant with my third child when I started it, and that plan has seen me through a pregnancy, a postpartum period, a growing infant turned busy toddler, all while homeschooling my two older children, and now another pregnancy.

My plan is to be purposeful about waking up earlier than everyone so I can have that uninterrupted time to read and soak in His Word. I need that time to replenish my spirit! I need it to give me the mental, emotional, and spiritual energy to keep things going smoothly around here (I plan to do a better job at that this year! Only by His grace).

Will you join me? Pick out a Bible reading plan on YouVersion or somewhere else (even the back of your Bible might have one) and just get started. You won't have to waste time hemming and hawing over your Bible in the morning about what you should or shouldn't read. You'll know what's next. And amazingly, so will God. I'm always astounded that whatever I'm reading is exactly what I need for today. He is so good!

What Bible-reading goals do you have this year? Share in a comment!

Friday, January 2, 2015

2014- That's a Wrap!

I've been silent for several months here on Happy Christian Home. And I've been silent before. I realize there probably aren't many people still reading along, but somehow I still feel compelled to keep this blog going. Something in me says to keep sharing, and keep putting one foot in front of the other.

It is so easy to get overwhelmed in this great sea we call the internet and social media in general. It's a challenge to not compare oneself to everything else happening online. Feeling small here is pretty much effortless.

I guess I don't care about feeling small, per se. I just want to know that I'm called. And doing the thing I'm supposed to do with this space.

It is my goal this year to just be more consistent here, whatever that might look like. Either with monthly postings, or weekly postings- just consistent. Gradual. Realistic.

As you know, if you've been a reader for any length of time, I am a wife and a mom. I have three little ones, and for the past two and a half years, we've been homeschooling. This year, we are expecting a new little one to join our family, so that blessing will add a new dynamic. And of course, when we are busy with finding the "new normal" as a family, things like blogging tend to take a back seat. That's okay. (I'm sure you understand!)

Also, this past August, I teamed up with children's author Donna Perugini to be a contributor on her site. That has been an exciting opportunity for me, and I've really enjoyed working with her, and being sharpened as a writer. So, I guess you could say I haven't been totally silent online.

So, what's ahead for this space? Well, I hope to continue to share things as God places them on my heart, and also follow up with some of my writing from last year. I'd love to reach out to more of you via social media, like Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest. I don't want to spread myself too thin, though since I feel called to focus on writing, but at the same time, I need to go where readers are. I've learned I can't just click "publish" and kick back with my feet up and wait for the people to start rolling through here (if only!) There is a work side to this whole blogging thing! (File that under "things nobody tells you about starting a blog".) ;-)

I hope I can continue to connect with those that come through here as I have in the past, and get to know more of you! 

I hope that you had a wonderfully blessed 2014, and pray that your year ahead is awesome! 

If you're new around here, here are links to three of my favorite blog posts this year, and also links to a few of my favorites on Donna Perugini's site! 

Happy Christian Home posts:


Reflecting on Our First Year of Homeschooling
Read Aloud Chapter Books We've Enjoyed this Year
Unburdened: 9 Ways to Create an Uncluttered Atmosphere

Donna Perugini posts:

A Shiny Reflection for 2015
A Shiny Reflection for 2015
Homeschooling as a Beginner
Hosting a Community Baby Shower