Love Sleep?

If you love sleep, you will end in poverty.
Keep your eyes open, and there will be plenty to eat! (Proverbs 20:13 NLT)


As a door swings back and forth on its hinges,
so the lazy person turns over in bed. (Prov26.14.NLT)

For a while now, or maybe it's been lifelong, I have not been a morning person.  I am aiming to be a morning person, as I want to maximize my time during the day.  Morning is so awesome-the sun is rising, birds are singing and all in the house are sleeping.  I can take advantage of that time.  That is a goal.  These are some scriptures that helped me out and I actually put the Proverbs 26:14 scripture in the "name" of my alarm for the mornings.  So when the alarm goes off, that is what I see. 

Inspired to Action has helped me begin to see why mornings are important in the Hello Mornings challenges.  I want to press on and really be proactive now in this, I will share next week how it went this week in waking earlier and what changes I start to see happening.

(Photo credit:  Microsoft Clipart)

Are YOU a morning person?  Do you have any tips for me or anyone who isn't, but wants to be and who wants to start taking advantage of those sweet morning hours?  Please share...

More later...Love to you!
Kim :)

Discipline...Me? Check-in

On February 11, 2011 I posted about discipline and I shared some goals I was looking to work on the rest of February.  This is a "check-in" post to see how things are moving and to stay focused on what I was setting my goals towards.

My goals were 1, 2, 3:

1. Wake up at 5:30 when alarm goes off and hit the floor with my feet.  Enjoy exercise quiet time and shower before children wake up.  How am I doing?  Well I have managed instead of snoozing until 7am, I am most consistently up by 6:15am and up before the children.  A few times I have had quiet time, but exercise and shower has not happened yet.  I consider this a great progress!
2. Plan my day in the morning (may I add plan it with asking God what His plans for me are) so that I have a structure throughout the day.  How am I doing?  I just Friday printed a great daily docket list after reading through an ebook I have which I am loving called Organized Simplicity-by www.simplemom.net.  This is planning one day at a time, period.  I like it.
3. Do at least 15 minutes of cleaning task with assigned room for each week.  How am I doing?  Well I changed this.  I don't like having something to do every day like this.  I realized that I want my home clean for the weekend, becasue what has happened normally is that by Saturday I am sick of seeing the house dirty and now have time so I spend Saturday cleaning up as I go all day long.  This is not a relaxing day for me.  So I want my home clean on Friday to prepare for the weekend going into it with a clean home.  So I am going to work on implementing Flylady's Home Blessing Hour.  Picking 6 things in the home and spend 10 minutes on each.  Instead of sticking with the things she says, I will pick what needs most in the home.  This past Friday I chose 6 things and got 5 of them done.  The weekend has been much nicer having everything clean and refreshed.  Then daily I will do my 1, 2, 3's which are 1 load of laundry, dishes and 10 minute declutter.  I have to remember in this season of life I need to have realistic expectations.

Thanks for listening.  Is there anything you have learned in your home that works best for you in keeping it clean but not obsessing over it?

More later...Love to you!

Kim :)

Discipline...Me?

Proverbs 21:5 (NLT) Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.

I realize right now that in order to be more fruitful and enjoy my life more I have to instill some discipline and boundaries into my heart and life.  Step out in faith and do GOOD what God has put in my path right now.  Pick a few things and have fun with it, really work on it, dig deep in those areas and "garden."  What would those look like?  Do any of these sound familiar to you:

• Wake up earlier for quiet time and exercise to start the day
• Make a simple, but clear, cleaning schedule for the week/each day
• Set exercise goals
• Be a good manager of my time so it is not wasted away (especially in front of the computer)
• Go to bed at a decent hour

Well some people may look at discipline or boundaries like this picture below:

I am starting to realize more and more that THAT is not true at. all.  

Lately I have read several things about how you can spend the same amount of time/work wasting time as you can being productive. Well you say how can I do that?  Ok, well the more I waste time, sit around, play on internet, and procrastinate...the more time I have to spend fixing all I didn't do to begin with, regular cleaning and maintenance of house and cars, catching up on finances that may get unorganized and out of order, chaos happens, more time spent bringing structure back into the children's day so that there is less chaos with them and their lives...the list goes on and effects all areas of our life.

So now I bring into my journey...3 IN 30!

To finish up the month of February here are my goals I am going to write down.  Then I will follow up with a post on how I did on those goals.  I have prayerfully considered what I will work on with God's help and will concentrate on these three things.  Ever heard of the phrase....bloom where you are planted?  That is what I am going to do.  Sit still and dig into the things I know I already need to be doing and stop looking for more things to do.  

1. Wake up at 5:30am when alarm goes off, hit the floor with my feet, and enjoy exercise, quiet time and shower before children wake up. (If exercising after children are at school, then quiet time and shower and wear my good exercise clothes to feel refreshed!)
2. Plan my day in the morning so that I have structure through the day.
3. Do at least 15-minutes (set timer) Monday through Friday cleaning tasks: Monday-Kitchen, Tuesday-Bathrooms, Wednesdays-Living Room, Thursdays-Bedrooms, Fridays-Clean van and some outdoor tasks...also daily 1, 2, 3's which are one load of laundry, do the dishes, and set timer for 10 minutes and declutter.

So I put it in writing.  These are my goals for the rest of the month, granted its not a full 30 days, but close to it.  Maybe I will continue these goals for my March 3 in 30 as well.

That's all folks.  Do you want to join me in working prayerfully towards 3 goals the rest of the month of February, and not waste anymore time?

More later...Love to you!

Kim :)

Timer is My Friend

Timers.  Until I met Flylady I never used a timer for much really, maybe some type of exercise things.

She says you can do anything for 15 minutes.  She breaks down house cleaning tasks into 15 minutes a day.  It is neat to see when I do something for 15 minutes every day, different focus each day, how much better I feel and how I see progress in the house and more organization and cleanliness.  It also motivates me to do a little more.

I have since added timers to other things as well.  One thing is making the childrens lunch in the mornings.  If I am running late especially, but hoping that habit is being broken with new habits taking over nowadays, I set the timer for 10 minutes and make sure that I focus just on making lunches and I know I will be done in 10 minutes with that.  Then onto the next thing.  I can break things down into periods of time so that I know how much time I have and how long I will take.  It is a nifty little tool!

p.s. I like to use my microwave timer!

Have you tried using a timer for anything?  Share any tips or ideas you have!

More later...Love to you!

Kim :)

3 in 30

I like this new challenge that I have seen on Sam's Noggin blog, I like 30 day goals, and I am going to take 3 things that I am already doing and have them as my 3 goals in 30 days.  I think this is a good way to stay on top of things that I am working on in my walk in life.

My 3 goals:

1. Finish reading the Bible in 90 Days.  This will end October 8th and by God's grace I will press on and finish it and continue hoping for a renewed relationship with the Lord and to learn things I have never learned before.
2. Focus on feeding on God's Word and my relationship with Him and not food.  Take one moment at a time and learn to recognize my true hunger signals and with His help learn to stop when I am satisfied and not grab for more food.
3. Internet breaks.  Finish reading my Bible in 90 Days reading before I "play" on the internet.  Reading email for work or quick things ok, but no playing on the internet until my reading is done.

More later...love to you...Rest in Him

Goals from My Personal Trainer

**Revising some of this as I feel it is way to complex here and need to simplify**

So during my quiet time a few days ago I had the Lord help me with goals.  I always struggle with these because I seem to fail every time.  This time though the word reliance is what is needed.  Jesus, my reliance on Jesus.  My focus on Him.  He is my rock.

I am going to, along with 2 chapters a week from Reshaping it All which I feel is a light read and not too deep, I am going to go through 30 days of Thin Within, which is the first of my short term goals.

Before making my goals I committed this all to the Lord as Proverbs 3:5-6:

⁵Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.  ⁶In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths. 


I did not want it to be mine and wanted Him in control.  So here are the goals I felt led to write in my journal Saturday.



The Big Goals:

1. Lose 52 pounds and fit into my blue jean shorts my husband got me in 2009, pictured below.  
2. Be Free from the "pull" (bondage) of food.
3. Help others, as God leads, to do the same.

Mini Goals (reminders):

1. 1 Pound per week.
2. Keep eyes fixed on Jesus renewing mind constantly. (Do not EVER have to go back where I was)
3. I will have one treat a week.
4. God is my personal trainer.
5. When I'm not physically hungry and want food, run to God!
6. Fast a meal a day until June 26th.  Fill up on God in the midday meal and if I get hungry have some fruit juice or some fruit or small snack, to sew seeds to my Spirit and not the flesh.  (Learned this from Alternative Diet by Diane Hampton)
7. Exercise 3-5 days a week doing T-Tapp, walking or going to the gym/taking a class.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Spiritual Goal:  Remain constantly in fellowship with Him walking and submitting to the Holy Spirit.

30 Day Goal-to June 26th (for my husbands big birthday and our little getaway)

1. Exercise 5 days a week.
2. Eat when my body is physically hungry and until June 26th fast one meal a day, middle of the day meal, and feed on God's Word, if hungry drink fruit juice or eat small amount of fruit. (Learned this from Alternative Diet by Diane Hampton)
3. Run to God for heart hunger.  
4. 1 treat a week, when hungry, savor it.
5. Read through the book Thin Within in 30 days.  I may not hit it all every single aspect, but to hit on just what God wants me to hit on.

Counting the Cost:

This and every day is not always easy.  Remember that.  Rest in Jesus.

Hebrews 12:11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.......

So there we have it.  Giving You Lord all of my fears and intimidations because they are there.  Help me rest in You, move forward one step at a time in this, I cannot do it wihtout You, as You lead me and give me strength.  Your word says: " 

²⁸ Have you never heard?

      Have you never understood?
   The Lord is the everlasting God,
      the Creator of all the earth.
   He never grows weak or weary.
      No one can measure the depths of his understanding.
 ²⁹ He gives power to the weak
      and strength to the powerless.
Help me meditate on the fact that I am powerless and You are my strength, constantly renewing my mind with Your truth.  Lord help me to be still and listen each day.  Stop me from any legalism.  In Jesus Name, Amen