I know that everyone is starting to feel the holiday buzz already.  I could see it at the stores this weekend.  So to get everyone started I thought I'd post a link to the flylady's holiday planner. 

 

http://flylady.net/pages/holidaycruising1.asp

 

I have always been a "planner" kind of person.  It's a gift and a curse all rolled up into one.  :)  There are many of my friends that don't do it well, and ask for advice all the time.  This planner is a way to get started on your holidays now.  I know that it is only October, but if you want things to go smoothly and really enjoy the season, some preplanning is necessary.  If you start on some simple things now, you will be ready to enjoy later.  

 

Flylady also has some daily Holiday planning missions that come in her emails right now.  They are little 15 minute things to do each day that help get you ready for the season.  If you feel you need prompting, that might be the way to go.  You sign up for her emails under www.flylady.com and click on "Join Flylady Now" on the left-hand side. 

 

I'm starting my planning by looking at my dates on the calendar and deciding where we are traveling to and what days will be family days at home.   With Tim's schedule (like most husbands) it takes some extra planning. I will also look at these dates when choosing other activities so that my schedule doesn't become too full.  I then will probably start looking at what I want to do for Thanksgiving with just our family (5 of us).  What do I want to cook, when (lunch or dinner), how do I want it to look, and what do I need to buy etc.  Just ideas and getting lists started.  All these things also need to be budgeted, so that we don't overspend during the holidays. 

 

So there you go.  Just some thoughts I had today.  The weather is cool and rainy so it's a perfect planning day.

 

Happy Upcoming Holidays!

 

Jennifer

 

Good evening everyone.

 

As you can see, I've changed my website up a little.  The info is the same but the graphics are not.  I thought with the autumn season upon us, that a change was in order. 

 

Over the past few months, I've been busy.  As you can imagine, moving twice in the last year with everything else we do as a family, has been difficult. After listening to our new pastor talk about why we live a holy life, I felt compelled to take a retrospective look at the last year. With inspection I noticed that it could use some "holing up."  My priorities had shifted in the move, and it was time to get my spiritual house in order.   The things that needed to change were not what most would consider sinful, but nevertheless are things that are not uplifting, nurturing or healthy for one’s soul.  For example, watching particular TV shows, a dwindling prayer time, a lack of praise and worship time at home etc.  These are things that I felt the Holy Spirit drawing me to examine this weekend.  I would say one year ago, these things were not an issue.  However, with a year of moving, children, and challenge, comes mediocrity.  So I've taken the scheduled shows off the DVR.  Turned up my music in the mornings and scheduled some extra prayer and reading time.  Already it is like a cool autumn breeze. 

 

One of the verses that jumped off the page this morning during the boys morning devotions was Matthew 6:22-23. "The eye is the lamp of the body.  So if your eye is sound, your entire body will be full of light.  But if your eye is unsound, your whole body will be full of darkness.  If then the very light in you (your conscience) is darkened, how dense is that darkness!"

 

In making my decision to stop watching some TV shows, I felt a little silly.  Like one or two TV shows were not going to change whether I was a Christian or not.  But after really looking at what those shows represent, it's not all that silly.  When examining the content (as my good friend Tammie pointed out), they have everything that God tells us to hate, namely sin.  Adultery, murder, gossip, strife, just to name a few, but when you add cynicism to the mix you end up with a recipe for a change in conscience. It's just a show right, it’s funny?  Not so much.  It's a cover up of what the true consequences of sin bring--death, not humor.  So our conscience is seared and a dense darkness comes.  

 

Now I have to add one of my disclaimers here.  I’m not telling you to give up one of your TV shows or telling what to watch or not what to watch.  Notice I did not tell you which shows I was giving up.  J  Only you can decide if they are good for you and if the Holy Spirit is asking you to do the same.  I’m just telling you what’s going on with me. However, if you are feeling uncomfortable about now, then you might want to take a break and open that window for a breath of fresh air and make a change of season.      

 

Warmly,

~Jen