Octamom passed on a challange that was issued to her a few days ago to describe your thoughts for 2009 in one word. When I read that post, my thought was, "No, too difficult, don't think I'm gonna try it." However, in the time since then I have thought over my goals and hopes for 2009, what I feel like I and my family need out of this next year, and a word pops, unbidden, into my heart. That word is renewal.
Whenever we have a new baby enter our family (all 2 times now ;)), it seems like it takes the whole first year for me to get back on my feet. With Libby it was because she cried the whole first year (no kidding or exagerating at all). With Hudson it has been a year-long healing from the above-average amount of blood that I lost during his birth combined with Scott's former-former job working shiftwork (leaving me alone through the night with a newborn and a 1 and then 2 year old) and then his former job that was very stressful on our whole family. As soon as Libby turned 1, I got pregnant with Hudson, so I feel like I haven't slept or had energy since before she was born.
So, as we shrug off our family-wide illnesses, ponder on and set aside 2008, and walk towards 2009, I anticipate the renewal of myself as a follower of Christ, a wife, a mama, a friend, a keeper of my home, and even a blogger.
Now, I'm not under the delusion that I will be getting more sleep (I'm 2 for 2 in bad sleepers) or more hours in the day, but it is time for me to look up and around me. It's time to breath and walk forward, out of "new babyhood" (yes, even though he will be a year old in a week!!), and into renewal.
What does that mean for you (the few people who look at my blog regularly, and those of you who peek but don't comment;) )? Well, the layout of my blog will be changing a little bit to help me keep on track with this renewal. Part of my renewal as a keeper of my home is to get back into menu-planning and to keep a home management journal. I got lots of great tips over at Simple Mom. Every Monday, I will be posting my menu for the week. (Monday Menu, get it? ;))
To help me keep on track as a follower of Christ, I will be getting back to having a time where I read the Word and nourish my relationship with Him every day. So, on Tuesdays I will share an experpt from my Daily Wisdom for Mothers book that I am reading as part of this time. (Tuesday Truth, are you catching on?)
On Wednesdays I will write about a certain website that I find encouraging as a mother, or inspiring as a wife, or helpful as a keeper of my home, or just one of the many blogs of my friends that I love to keep up with. (Yep, your're right... Wednesday Web)
On Thursday, I'm still not sure what I am wanting to do, maybe something from the garden once the weather warms up (I wait with such anticipation). Though, yeah, Thursday and Garden don't start with the same letter.
On Friday, I will be posting something about my family, either something like 'a day in the life' or some recent pictures, or a 'corners of my home' or something like that. (Uh-huh, you're ahead of me aren't you? Friday Fam).
And on the weekends I will either not blog so I can spend more time being a mama or wife or home-tender, or I will blog about whatever comes to mind.
One thing that will be different as well is that I will probably be adding new posts in the evening for the next day. Mornings just aren't good times for me to blog, because it throws everything else in the day off. So, I will probably post the Monday Menu on Sunday evening, for example.
So, friends, this is how I plan for renewal. I hope you are renewed in some way yourself as you travel through this year with me, or at least get a few good recipes ;)
I will start this new blog layout next week (in true "resolution" form, lol) and in the mean time I will be updating some things on the physical layout, and I'll post a few things as well.
Oh, by the way, I have no idea how the giveaways work, but I'd love to be able to host some here and there. If anyone is still reading this post and knows how that works, could you share your knoweledge?
Have a wonderful day, and here's to renewal!!!
9 comments:
What a powerful word. I truly look forward to reading your blog daily. I think your ideas for each day are wonderful.
p.s. how about Thursday Turf or Thursday Tree Lovin', or Thursdays in The Garden :)
Oooo, you are inspiring... I can't wait to see what you do, and maybe, just maybe, it will inspire me to have more of a schedule, too!
Yay megan! Love it:-) I agree with the morning blogging....I'm having to end it too. Evenings are much better:-) I love the 'schedule'--very inspiring!
Very ambitious! Looking forward to it!
Dawn
Thank you ladies all for your encouragement. Courtney, those are some great ideas =) I like Thursday Tree Lovin'. Scott always teases me that if there ever existed two words that were so opposite but went together so well, it would be Hippie Christian, and that describes me.
Leslie, I'm sure you will be hearing all about it this year, weather it be how the home management notebook is working out or grumbles because I can't come up with different menus.
Jenny, I loved the red noses, babies covered in blankets (and kicking them off ;)), blistery wind walk yesterday. It was so nice to spend some time with a great friend and get some fresh, crisp air.
Dawn, we'll all see together how it unfolds =)
Megan, Sounds like you have way more engery than I. I wish you well on your renewal. I only wish I could be so well organized, I seem to have great ideas but can't always carry them out. I wish you all the best in 2009, I check your blog most days and can't wait to see how all goes!!!! Jeanne
Oh, Nan, you give me way more credit than I deserve =) You see, I don't have energy, and the chaos in my home right now proves that I am not organized. That's why I am seeking the renewal, or rather, letting Christ renew me! I frequently don't carry out new ideas, either, that's why I'm using this blog and relying on you, my friends, to help me along. Have a beautiful day!
Love your word and love the way you have already considered how you're going to live it--beautiful!
Blessings!
Octamom, I have actually been thinking for the last few weeks about these things, and then when you issued the challenge (although I initially rejected it as being too hard ;)) it all sort of unintentionally came together. Thanks for the nudge =)
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