Basketball Season

I am enjoying such a fun season of life with Greg and the boys.  Now that they are both a little older, we are exploring sports options.  Neither boy has ever played on a basketball team before, but both wanted to do it this winter.  It has been a great thing so far!  They are both loving the game and are having fun practicing in the driveway at home.  It's a joy to watch them be persistent and get better at different skills.  

For me, my "season" isn't defined by a sport (although I am still running a little bit for exercise and stress relief) but rather by the routines of life.  This year, I promised myself and God that I would enjoy the rhythms of daily living, moving forward with joy and appreciation for where we are as a family.  

I am establishing more routines for myself as I am working and taking care of our home.  I am learning to set limits around how I spend time, so I can reduce stress and be more productive during the week. 

My words for the year are TIDY and TIMELY.  I sense that God wants me to pursue them in both the practical and spiritual aspects of my life.  

I want to focus on keeping our home TIDY by having a set time each day when we all straighten things up.  I want to keep the family's meals and schedule TIDY by planning ahead.  I want to encourage the boys to keep their own rooms TIDY so they know where their things are when they need them.  

Spiritually, I want to keep a TIDY heart.  I want to stay clean before God by confessing sin daily and seeking His cleansing presence.  I want to be aware of the "weeds" that creep up in my life...jealousy, selfishness, harshness, impatience...to name a few...and to regularly ask God to take them out and replace them with something beautiful.

I want to focus on being TIMELY in terms of how I use the hours of each day.  I am setting aside time with God and time for exercise in the mornings.  I am working on doing things on a schedule so I can meet deadlines and be free to say "yes" as I am truly available.  I want to encourage the boys to be TIMELY by getting to school on time and working as a team to leave the house together.

Spiritually, I want to be TIMELY with my words, waiting until the right time to speak.  I want to live in recognition of God's perfect timing for my life.  I want to be TIMELY in my relationships, looking for opportunities to invest and share.

Lastly, I am committed anew to seeking Christ's glory.  This is incredibly freeing, as there have been many times when I have felt very bound by what I want or think I deserve, or by negative feelings that I have allowed to become such a habit that I have believed they really do define me.  Praise God for His power to change me.