My Personal Mission Statement

The structure of the statement is based on this post by Lindsay at Passionate Homemaking, and from the material provided in Women of the Word, Fisherman Bible Study Guides "Becoming a Woman of Purpose", by Ruth Haley Barton. Thanks to these ladies for their wisdom.




My Mission Statement


1. To be a person of grace, committed to pursuing Jesus in every task, thought and word.
2. To be a wife of noble character, who serves her husband faithfully and well to affirm his leadership a partner with him in serving the Lord and others.
3. To manage a hospitable, peaceful home, and offer love and refreshment to the people who God brings in to our lives.
4. To live intentionally for God's Kingdom. To have clear, well-seasoned speech and prayer for others, to be influential in grace.
5. To be a worker of moral responsibility, set apart, a noticeable difference in my work and leadership.

My Goals and Disciplines

Relationship with God
Goal: Taking time each day to read God's Word, being faithful and consistent in prayer.
Discipline: Ensuring time every morning to read God's Word and to pray. Going to bed at a reasonable time each night to ensure this. Going to church and small group weekly.

Marriage
Goal: Time to talk and reflect on how our marriage is going. Reflect on my conduct as a wife and supporter and grow in knowledge of how best to serve Awesome.
Discipline: One-on-one time to talk with Awesome every day. Date nights together twice a month. Read 4 books each year on being a Godly wife.

Work
Goal: Gracious service of my staff and clients, going the extra mile, to be set apart in word and deed.
Discipline: Not engage in gossip, pray for work each work day, going the extra mile for each person, not swearing - letting my conversation be seasoned with salt.

Church and Community
Goal: To build intentional relationships with others, to be friendly and welcoming to others, to be faithful in prayer.
Disciplines: Seek out new comers. Take time to nurture relationships with others. To take prayer requests and offers seriously, write them down and follow through.

Physical Health and Well-being
Goal: To be well rested and physically able, to maintain a healthy weight and get adequate exercise.
Disciplines: Go to bed at a reasonable time, eat healthy and nourishing foods, exercise daily (15min+).


Home and Recreation
Goal: Well organised household, food and meals available to nourish our family, help others or feed visitors.
Disciplines: Menu plan where possible, manage finances to ensure extra giving is possible, have ingredients on hand to make food when needed.

Personal Development
Goal: Extend on my knowledge of God's love and the practicalities of being a Christian.
Disciplines: Read at least 10 Christian personal development books this year on a range of topics (eg. hospitality, prayer, being a Godly wife. Read at least 10 books on God's Word this year.


These are not a list of things I already do to show you what an awesome Christian I am and make you feel somehow inadequate if you don't tick all the boxes. This is a list of the things that I actually struggle with the most. Daily. This is what, in God's grace, I want to do about these things this year. And I will need to check in regularly to ensure that I have made these things a priority. Four years ago I wouldn't have thought it possible to do all these things at the same time, but God is slowly changing my heart to show me that it is possible when I intentionally rely on Him and make efforts towards change.

The Day of Rest

Sydney's Chinese Friendship Garden

 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ~ Matthew 11:28

How well do you rest? How often do you take time to truly rest, to allow your body and mind to regenerate so that you can give every person and task in your life the best of God's gifts to you?

Take time this week to rest. To put away the books, the plans, the schedules. No TV, no ipods, just you in a quite place for 30 minutes.  You may find that when you truly stop for a moment, sleep will come. That's ok, relax. You need it. 

Take 30 minutes this week to rest. True, God-honouring time to be in His presence. Pray He would restore you better than any Spa treatment, therapy session, shopping trip. 

Relax, and let Him hold you. 

My First Mini-Mini-Mini Triathlon

150 meter swim, 5k bike, 1.5k run = 36 mins and addicted!

Being Real in an Unreal World

Yesterday I came across a post here, that spoke really strongly to me of the need for Christians to be real, all the time. This is something I try to practice in my "real life", by giving honest answers and not avoiding the tough questions when it comes to how I am "really" going today. But in the "unreal" world of blogging, it is much easier not to be so transparent. There is a permanency to what we write that makes me hesitate, and sadly often refrain from being open about how things are going in my 'real' life. 


So what am I going to do about it? 


Well... writing this post is a first step. I want to be more open, more honest, on this blog. But at the same time, I need to protect my husband, marriage, family and friends (and even myself) from potential heartache. So I will not be sharing the intimate details of the lives of those people or myself.  What I can share, is the reflections I make on how those relationships and experiences have been used by God to change my heart. 


Perhaps by being more open, I will have to think less about what to post and post more regularly as a result... we'll see!!


Today's favourite posts: 


10 Fun Ways to Praise Your Husband
How to Make a Marriage Bed

Completing Him Challenge Week 7

I am really enjoying this series on Completing Him from Women Living Well. It has helped me to take intentional time each week to focus on the little things that help improve our marriage and has reminded me to spend more time focused on discovering what God wants for me as a wife and a woman!


Here's this week's challenge:Support his vision. Discuss his vision for your family. Where does he see your family in 1 year, 5 years, and 10 years. Share with us how you let your husband lead.


We had a quiet conversation about this during the week.  It surprised me how quickly and easily Awesome was able to articulate his vision for us. Some of the things that he mentioned included:


- Taking time each week to be intentional in hanging out together
- Save money so as to be able to pay off a large chunk of our mortgage when our fixed period is over
- Spend time now becoming healthy and waiting on God's plan for our family
- Use the jobs and time we have now to help us prepare for whatever God has next, be it Bible college, mission work, studying in our current fields or continuing in our current jobs


It's nice to know that even when I get busy or worried about what the future has in store for us, that God has chosen this man to lead me, who has such confidence that God will keep things together. 

Thanksgiving Tuesday: The Lists

Counting One Thousand Blessings...

For inspiration and information on the Gratitude Community, please click here.

• One to Twenty
• Twenty one to Fifty 
• Fifty one to Ninety
• Ninety one to One Hundred and Twenty
• One Hundred and Twenty One to One Hundred and Fifty Three
• One Hundred and Fifty Four to One Hundred and Eighty Four

God-Sized Dreams

2010 Goal Setting

• Find time to have quiet time with God everyday
• Use less internet each day - create stillness in the home
• Have less junk in my life - physically and spiritually
• Read 30 excellent books
• Complete the first level of the Preliminary Theological Certificate
• Plan meals to manage the budget more effectively
• Memorise Ephesians this year
• Remember more and forget less!
• Complete sewing projects for gifts and for the house

Contemplation

Its the end of another long week at work and home and I am left once again wondering what I really want to do with my life. God has been so generous in His provision, I am amazed by a loving husband, beautiful home, wonderful family and friends and a job that allows me to express both my creativity and organisation.

But I have been challenged recently about my life purpose. About whether to change jobs to take on the new offer God has placed before me (I have accepted a transfer to another child care centre in the same organisation which will allow me to explore my passion for family grouped child care), about when to try to start a family, when to seek a new church, what to be involved with in our current church.

I have many things to think about, and was reminded of this verse from Proverbs 19:21 " Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails."

I am unclear about how much of my life's purpose I am to be responsible for.