11. Discover The Beauty and Joy of Christmas

When you understand your need for this simple tool — a weekly meal plan — it will make a huge difference in how your days go!

Being a keeper at home encompasses keeping meals on the table.  And none of us get to escape it, do we?

Menu planning moved to the top of my "momma's systems for survival" after several of my coaching clients shared their frustration with meals — and how not having a good plan affected their day and their efficiency.

We all need to eat.  It’s one of the necessary tasks and events in daily life — so the easier we make it, the smoother our days will go. 

We only need to tame the meal dragon and we can do better!

Stop meal prep from being an interruption to your day by having a plan. 

Having a plan will give you a peace of mind and keep you from being interrupted to get dinner on the table!

When you put simple systems in place, you can make a world of difference about how you feel about your day!

Download the Meal Plan our family has used for years!

Get My Meal Plan google doc (editable) here.

Get a pretty pdf printable here.

Think - Pray - Plan - Do Planners on sale on Amazon! ⤵️

12-Month Planner

January - June Planner

July - December Planner

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Fear could be holding you back from accomplishing your goals and dreams for your family, your home, and your life.  

You can gain control of what feels out of control.  

Caring for a family of 12, taught me to build schedules into my life.  To find the most streamlined way to accomplish tasks — even though I had a fear of planning. 

I had always used a calendar or planner - but I didn’t use it to plan.  But 9 years ago, life was shifting and I realized I needed to actually plan my life! 

And I created my own planner challenge.  It literally changed my life.  It helped me gain control of what felt out of control.

Wake up to the possibility of taking charge of your day and activities — of watching your responsibilities get accomplished.  

God made us unique and with differing needs.   

Some of you are planners — you love schedules, to do lists, and all the bells and whistles of getting it all done!

And some of you have a fear of planning.  That feeling when you're about to fill out your planner for the week and you're gripped with panic — the fear that comes from not knowing what to put on your to-do list?

You feel the tension of putting something on the wrong day, risking it won't get done.  And the sense of failure when things don't get done — again 

You can feed your insecurities and fears — or you can seek help and find tools to help you overcome them. 

I want you to find freedom to make plans and see the growth and productivity that comes from it.

And the only way through the struggle - is through the struggle!

The secret to being content is knowing we're not in control.  Each day you have more control than you want — just not total control!  

• You have to begin to find your sweet spot. 
• Then you’ll see some level of success. 
• You’ll learn to get comfortable with not getting it all done.  

Life Happens - But here's the thing — because we live in a more complicated world than we used to, there’s so many distractions and so many opportunities it’s really important to know:

• what to do every day — you need a plan — and that starts with having goals.  
• how to turn goals into reality, you have to list out the necessary tasks.  
• To get those tasks done, they need to go on a calendar, preferably on a specific week or day!
   

Be flexible.     Don't stress.        Plan anyway.

Envisioning a better day — a great life — a healthy relationship will move you forward.  

➡️  Don't let the Fear of Planning stop you. 
It will take work. 
It will require that you trust and move forward anyway. 
But it’s well worth it! 

I pray your year produces joy and success — in your way and your timing!

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Christmas seems to have jumped out from where it was hiding to say, “You’re it!” 

Everyone I’ve talked with says the same thing, “How could it be Christmas already?”

This season is truly a gift.  One we don’t want to overlook.  Our world and all it has to offer keeps us so busy — we often don’t have time to think and wonder and worship.  

Take time to consider the Good Gift and the holy presence of God Himself sent down to us long ago. 
His gifts given to us not only on Christmas, but each day.

Take a quiet moment in the morning.  
A holy moment in the evening before bed.  
A pause to consider that Baby and what He has done for me.  And for you!

Won’t you join me today?  And tomorrow?

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Paul says it’s important for me to remind you, to instruct you to love you husband.  And that’s a pretty broad category - but let’s focus on reframing our thoughts and attitudes — and how doing that gets reflected in our actions.  

For a marriage to last a lifetime, we need help to get our actions to line up with God’s Word. 

You'll see how I went from living in my present disappointment to reframing my thoughts and actions to a more godly one.  It was one of those moments where life as we desire it and reality collide to create one of life’s many lessons.

God has a way of causing you to reconsider your perspective.  If you’re open to His prompting. 

Marriage isn’t something we should tiptoe into hoping it will all work out. 

It isn’t something that feelings and hormones will keep intact over the long haul. 

Marriage is a long term gig - one we will need “Slow growth with long term benefits!”

Listen in as we discuss tools for reframing your present dissappointments and frustrations in marriage!

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In all the busyness and preparation for this one day, it's easy to get sidetracked from the true purpose of the season.

We have travel and groceries and cooking and cleaning.  We have grumpy children and in-laws — and so much more as we move into the holidays.   

But there is a way to keep the grumbling at bay and put a spin on gratitude. 

On this episode, I offer seven ideas to shake up your celebration this year.

➡️  You really can enjoy the holidays!

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Your choices determine how you spend your life — the influence you bring into the life of your family — and your family’s impact on your community and the world.

You only have today! 

How are you spending it?   

How are your kids spending it?

The world is tempting you with too many ideas and wrong motives for how to live this one life you have. 

Your kids are listening.  Will they be able to ignore it?  Not without some help from you!

And that’s where the family mission statement comes in.

I believe with a mission — a vision in mind — you'll get much closer to your hopes and dreams than if you have nothing on your radar. 

Armed with a vision for your family, you’ll get closer to God’s best. 

As you imagine where you want to be in 5 or 10 or 20 years, that picture in your mind will help you filter the future choices you’ll need to make. 

Imagine having a plan in place - a mission or vision for where you want to head…undergirding it with the values and beliefs you hold dear.

Imagine not having to come up with every decision on the fly because you already have an image in place.  

Can you see how many decisions would be easier if you had your view of life in mind?

Knowing your values and beliefs help sift out the rubble, the unnecessary - and keeps you focused.

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Take time to play with your kids.  And not only when they’re young.  Throughout all of life!

Don’t settle for all work and no play. 

• Laugh and joke and play games with your family.  
• Try a new sport that your kids like.  
• Teach them a new sport you like.  

And this tip is is huge!

If they ask you to do something with them - do it!   GO!!!!

Get out of your comfort zone.  I guarantee it will be worth it.  They'll remember it.  And their friends with remember that you played right along with them.

What you’re telling them is that they are important to you. 

They are valid and valued. 

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Today we’ll be talking about choices — how you can gain clarity when it comes to the decisions you have to make.  

Studies suggest we make about 35,000 decisions each day.

You can make peace with your options and have a clear picture of your goals.   Gain a solid sense of God’s love and care for you as you seek His will in and among all the noise. 

This episode will:

• Cause you to think about the possibilities in your life - some you might need to say no to…and maybe some exciting ones.
• Give you permission to make a choice you’ve been putting off.
• Help you realize your responsibility for the outcome.  
• Remind you of God’s grace - and how to take a bit more thought and prayer next time! 

Every choice is going to have rewards or consequences — like ripples that fan out to your future and your kids and their kids.

As a Christian, you have two important factors to keep in mind when you’re making choices.

1. You ultimately can trust God.  You don’t have to fret and worry about your decisions - you can trust God with our future.

2. When you know what you believe - what you believe in - what you believe about God, you are more free to make the choices you believe in!  

Psalm 37:4 says to “Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart.”

Delight in God’s goodness – and the desires of your heart will line up with His desires — which keeps your choices in line, too!  

Trusting God helps you stand against your temptation to covet, worry, or complain.  

Your choices set you apart as a kingdom woman. 

Two ingredients for wise decision making: 

• Trusting God 
• Knowing what you believe

What choices will you make to spend it preparing for a better tomorrow – a better future?

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We're setting one important foundation today — the cornerstone for your life as a woman.  

I believe when you see your VALUE from God’s eyes — you can move into the life He’s given you with confidence.  Which also helps you live above the noise of the world around you!  

It's so important for you to discover and embrace your unique identity and value as the woman you are. 

When you wake up in the morning do you wonder if what you’re doing is worth anything.  Is this work you’ll do today valued by anyone?Do you wonder - “Am I worth anything?"

We start believing there's no other way to feel about ourselves or to make progress in life — but to see ourselves through our own or another’s eyes.  But there is a better way!

It’s time we each look at the true value of a woman — your true value given by God — what He considers imperishable and precious.

Be who you were created to be — not by the world’s ideas or your friends or what’s most popular on Pinterest.  Take time to discover what’s best for you and for your family. 

It takes deep thought to see where your heart really lies!  To see what you’re using to create your value in life.  And to understand that God wants you to discover your value to Him and in Him!

We usually pay attention to what God did, but pay extra attention to why He did it!

There's a side of God you may have forgotten.  He loves YOU. He cares for YOU.  He has plans to use YOU on this earth.  His love for YOU transcends your love for Him.  It goes way beyond anything you can imagine!

We were called to be like Mary sitting at Jesus feet, yet we still have the jobs of Martha to be busy about — being a keeper at home — managing our life — and loving our family well — but to do that well, we’ve got to make time to sit at Jesus feet. 

 When you know God’s immense love, you’ll stand taller and look more keenly to Him to determine your worth and work and value.

You need discernment!  With all the voices of the world in our pocket every hour of every day — it’s much harder to escape.  So the need is pressing for you to filter what you hear.

This will let you see how God and His word are your framework and foundation for worth and worthiness in all of life!

And because your family your most important responsibility this side of heaven, you’ll be able to pass that onto your husband and kids!

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What’s Paul talking about when he says in Titus 2:3-5, “to be sensible, pure, workers at home.”
What really is a “keeper at home?”

Do you need of a refresher for why home management is so important?
Along with how to keep a good attitude in the midst of all the work of keeping a home?  

We're discussing our role of caring for our home — the reason it’s so important — and the attitudes we need to do our jobs well.

Home is the place God's gave us to build one another up and raise up the next generation — and why?  

All for  His glory!

Listen is to discover ways to capture your calling and find sanity amidst the hard work of managing your home!

Episode #2 - A Firm Foundation for Marriage — God's Way

Episode #3 - A Solid Framework for Parenting

More Than A Maid - Defining A Keeper At Home by: Annie McQuire

Whistle While You Work song

Flylady

✏️ Phillipians 4:8 Checklist!

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