Today is my birthday. In case you wondered, I’m 33. You can read 31 Things About Me from my 31st birthday if you are interested. I’ll add on two more.

32. When I shower in the morning, I start at the top with my hair and and wash down to my toes. If I mix up the order at all, I either get confused and wash something twice or I wash a part with the wrong thing. {think face washing with shampoo – eesh!}

33. I’m a sucker for happily ever after. I don’t really like watching a movie if it’s not going to end with sunshine and lollipops. My husband always tells me that real life isn’t all about sunshine and lollipops but I tell him movies aren’t real life!

We’re having steak for dinner with yummy zucchini fritters. Daddy takes dinner requests on birthdays and that was mine.

Happy Birthday to me!

{Yes, the photo is 6 months old but I take the photos so I’m not in that many of them. Can you relate?}

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Jenn is wife to one, mother of three and above all, a humble servant seeking to honor the Lord with her life. 33 Things About Me is a post from Beautiful Calling.

Spring is one of my favorite times of year, rivaled only by fall. I’m in the middle of spring cleaning after discovering my vision and inspiration! I also know that spring brings around the Ultimate Blog Party; what fun!

What is a Beautiful Calling?

When I chose the name for my blog, I was mostly thinking of my calling to be wife, mother and keeper of my home. A wonderful, fulfilling calling to be sure! Upon further reflection though, Beautiful Calling has another application. Any woman, of any age in any season, who is in the Will of God is fulfilling her Beautiful Calling.

Cardboard Crowns

Who Am I?

I’m a princess; daughter of the King. I desire to serve and honor Him in all things.

I’m a wife; blessed to have married DH 6 years ago in May.

I’m a mother to Chloe (2007) and John (2008); precious gifts from the Lord. I’m also expecting another little blessing in May 2011.

I’m a homemaker. I strive to make my home a haven; a place of welcome, comfort and rest. I desire to fill it with laughter, fun and love that my family and others may be blessed.

The best place to read about me is my About page. There is also 31 Things About Me (on my 31st Birthday), and All About Me from A-Z.

Our first day of “school”

About My Blog:

I was domestically challenged when I first got married in 2005! This is a bit of an understatement!

Since then, with the Lord’s help, my desire is to answer my beautiful calling – which is not all about housework! I am learning to be the helper my husband needs; an example and a teacher to my children so that they will come to know, love and serve God. I want to Wait on the Lord with my life! With His help, I want to be keeper of my home and to be a good steward of the time, talents and resources that the Lord has entrusted me with.

This blog is an honest record of my successes, failures and lessons learned (and the ones I am learning!). I write because I enjoy it; not because I have talent.  I pray that here you will find something helpful, encouraging or motivating! Read more here at Why Blog?

Purple Twirls

What I Write About:

• Daily life stories (like overflowing toilets, our miscarriage, Chloe’s and John’s home birth stories)
• Recipes
• Encouragement & Motivation (Welcoming Daddy Home, Enjoying vs. Enduring Life with Littles even on the days when my calling doesn’t seem beautiful!)
• Tot School – learning in daily life with preschoolers
• Craft Ideas (egg carton tulips, Moose & Penguins, polar bear & snowmen)
• Household tips, ideas etc. (More Green = More Green$$)
• Product Reviews & Giveaways

Easy Entry Giveaways

Stunning SHABBY APPLE Dress – Easy Entry! RV $92 Winner Choice Open to US Only. These dresses are amazing. They carry women’s dresses and little girls dresses. Ends 4/10/11.

BecoPotty Review & Giveaway – Open to Canada & US Friends. Made of bamboo by-products you can plant this biodegradable potty when you’re done! Ends 4/10/11.

UBP Giveaway:

Samantha, you’re the winner of the Ultimate Blog Party Amazon Gift Card! Whoo Hoo! Thanks to all who came by for a visit, I’m still working my way around!

What’s a party without a prize? Enter to win a $20 e-gift certificate to Amazon.com.  Open Worldwide. Ends 04/08/11.

• Just leave a comment here! (Your blog link, something about yourself etc.)
• Follow Beautiful Calling via Google Friend Connect

The Ultimate Blog Party is something I look forward to every spring. How about you? Is this your first or are you a veteran partier?

• Winner chosen via random.org. Winners have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen based on interesting comments.
• Portions of this post reposted from previous UBP posts.

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Jenn is wife to one, mother of three and above all, a humble servant seeking to honor the Lord with her life. Ultimate Blog Party 2011 (+ Giveaways!) is a post from Beautiful Calling.

When we first moved into our home in Fall of 2005, combining our two apartments, there was a lot of empty space in the house still. Slowly but surely over the years, things have filled up. It’s five years later, 2010, and things look so different; I feel like we’re finally home!

How long did it take you to feel at home in your home?

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Jenn is wife to one, mother of three and above all, a humble servant seeking to honor the Lord with her life. Then and Now: Sitting & Dining Room is a post from Beautiful Calling.

While I was expecting the fatigue and nausea with the good news of a new baby, I wasn’t expecting the dark clouds. It was suddenly as if the sun stopped shining. I woke up one morning and just was so tired, it was extreme effort to pull myself out of bed. I felt nothing. Not happy, not sad. Everything seemed grey and joyless; everything just required too much work and effort. Forming the words to read a story to the littles seemed an insurmountable feat. This cloud wasn’t really a cloud, fluffy and light -  it was heavy, weighty, dragging me down, making my movements slow and painful.

There were times that I didn’t want to mother; too much energy required. I would wake up, looking ahead at the day. Overwhelmed. I couldn’t make it. Guilt-wracked. Failing.

I just wanted to sleep; to lay down and let darkness wash over me. But often, even when the littles were down for their naps and I had that {hour-long}precious opportunity, my mind would still be a whir of activity. Blog post ideas, like ping pong balls bounced around the dark recesses but nothing writable. Uninspired. The daily tasks, urgent tasks beckoned me accusingly. Yet I lay there.

Joyless. Endless days. Tiredness. Dark. Work. Drowning. Irritable. Then guilty.

God seemed so far away. So distant…or maybe I was far away and distant from Him.

The thought came to me. Unbidden. I dismissed it, angrily. Ridiculous. The thought resurfaced. I faced it. I began to explore. Ideas and thoughts came. Depression has many faces and can be worn by anyone at any time. I’m not an expert on it; I know little of it. I’ve always had my “down’” days from time to time. But this was different. I’m still pondering. Thinking. Exploring. I almost voiced it yesterday. But it seems like such a bad thing, a guilty secret. The words wouldn’t form on my tongue.

Why? Why me? Blessed, abundantly blessed. Yet here I am. Wondering these thoughts, alone in the dark. But not alone, never alone!

The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. Psalm 145:18

Post partum depression, delayed post partum depression, ‘down days’, mild depression, clinical depression, baby blues; many of us have experienced depression in some form or another though it is hard to admit it to ourselves never mind others! What helped you cope, manage, or overcome?

• This post was written this fall…but not posted because it’s such a personal post, I guess it was fear that held me back. But here it is, in all it’s honesty! Though still seeking my optimistic, energetic happy self, I am doing much better. In the New Year, I’ll share with you some things that helped me.

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Jenn is wife to one, mother of three and above all, a humble servant seeking to honor the Lord with her life. Dark Clouds is a post from Beautiful Calling.

Welcome! Thanks for coming by my Ultimate Blog Party Party Post! Don’t be shy;  have a look around and enjoy yourself.

What is a Beautiful Calling?

When I chose the name for my blog, I was mostly thinking of my calling to be wife, mother and keeper of my home. Upon further reflection though, Beautiful Calling has another application. Any woman, of any age in any season, who is in the Will of God is fulfilling her Beautiful Calling.

About Me:

I’m a princess; daughter of the King. I desire to serve and honor Him in all things.

I’m a wife; blessed to have married DH 5 years ago in May.

I’m a mother to Chloe (2007) and John (2008); precious gifts from the Lord.

I’m a homemaker. I strive to make my home a haven; a place of welcome, comfort and rest. I desire to fill it with laughter and love that my family and others may be blessed.

The best place to read about me is my About page. There is also 31 Things About Me (on my 31st Birthday), All About Me from A-Z and last years UBP post, a little about mommy with littles.

A Little About My Blog:

I was domestically challenged when I first got married in 2005! This is a bit of an understatement!

Since then, with the Lord’s help, my desire is to answer my beautiful calling – which is not all about housework! I am learning to be the helper my husband needs; an example and a teacher to my children so that they will come to know, love and serve God. I want to Wait on the Lord with my life! With His help, I want to be keeper of my home and to be a good steward of the time, talents and resources that the Lord has entrusted me with.

This blog is an honest record of my successes, failures and lessons learned (and the ones I am learning!). I write because I enjoy it; not because I have talent.  I pray that here you will find something helpful, encouraging or motivating! Read more here at Why Blog?

What I Write About:

• Daily life stories (and disasters like overflowing toilets!) and pictures
• Recipes
• Encouragement & Motivation (even on the days when my calling doesn’t seem beautiful!)
• Craft Ideas (egg carton tulips, Moose & Penguins, polar bear & snowmen)
• Household tips, ideas etc.
• Product Reviews
• Giveaways
• Whatever comes to mind

View Full Album

Chloe and John do “school”; John has “blanket time” until Chloe is done.

Four Giveaways (WINNERS LISTED HERE):

You need a Reno-cation! (Canada Only) 

Enter the renocation here to win $100 in gift cards! {$50 dinner gift certificate AND a $50 gift certificate to Home Hardware}.

Hand sewn item of choice (Canadian & USA Friends) {apron, oven mitts, clothespin bag, fabric book, baby bibs and more!}

The other day I shared about a fantastic shop, Ann’s Apron Emporium, where she makes wonderful hand-made items. Please read the review and leave a comment ON THAT post sharing what it is you’d like to win. Ann makes so many wonderful things. What would you like?

Year Membership to ListPlanIt (Worldwide!)

Everyone needs one of these great memberships. Want to put your world in order? Head over and read the informative review of ListPlanIt and leave a comment ON THAT post to enter.

$15 Paypal Certificate (Worldwide)

Fill out this reader survey for your chance to win!

And as a reward for stopping by the party: leaving a comment on this post will count as an additional entry into EACH giveaway providing you have completed the initial main entry for each giveaway.

Happy Partying!

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Have you seen all the prizes available at the ultimate blog party this year?

• INT2 (Blog Design) I love my design but with the WordPress transition; I have lots of work still to do and many broken links to fix!
• USC35, USC39 (Cash) Yes, it’s universal isn’t it?!?
• USC60 (Wall Vinyls) Would love to do something around the house!
• USC 57 (Eleven Shoes) Seriously, I have a thing for shoes!
• USC 31 (Clothing for Littles) sounds fun; I love kids clothing!
• USC31 (Loveable Labels) looks very handy!
• USC 49 (Mabels Labels) again, handy for little ones!
• I love to win. I’m not really fussy I have a 3 year old and a 1 1/2 year old so I love anything that relates to them!

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Jenn is wife to one, mother of three and above all, a humble servant seeking to honor the Lord with her life. UBP: About Me (Giveaways CLOSED) is a post from Beautiful Calling.

Age: Jenn 31, DH 38

Bed Size: KING…DH is 6’8” so room is good!

Chore you hate: Jenn: Dusting – it’s not that I hate it but rather never get to it. I’m also not crazy about weeding. DH: Washing the floor {with an exasperated sigh}

Dog’s name: No dogs for us. Allergies. We have fish. Just one. He’s blue in a little blue tank with blue rocks and he’s very hard to see. His name is Nemo and I keep waiting for him to be belly up in the tank since I am terrible at remembering to feed it.

Essential "Start the Day" item: Jenn: Shower, DH: “What?!? I don’t have an essential start-the-day-item {in an incredulous yell}. I just go to work. Some days I go to Mc Donald’s but not every day. What is this? {still yelling}. OK, I shower…how about that?”

Favorite color: Jenn: Pink! DH: Orange

Gold or Silver: Jenn: White Gold, DH: Platinum

Height: Jenn: 5’5”, DH: 6’8”

Instruments you play: Jenn: Piano {badly} and some Clarinet in high school {badly}, DH: None

Job Title: Jenn: Domestic Engineer (a.k.a. stay-at-home mommy), DH: I.T. Manager

Kids: Chloe (2007), John (2008) and maybe {please DH?} another one soon?

Living Arrangements: Jenn: Happily {most days} married for almost 5 years and living in our first house. DH: Married with children…is poor an arrangement? {what?!?}

Married: Sorrento, Italy 2005 (both of us – to each other)

Nickname: Jenn: Just Jenn (though as a child I was Jenner or Poopsie to a select few), DH: None and he would like me to mention he is answering these questions under duress.

Overnight Hospital Stays: Jenn: eating poisonous flowers on a nature walk (about 9 yrs), minor surgery (16 yrs), overnight in emerg the day after John was born for unexplained fever (annoying after having a home birth to end up there for a fever that came and went with no reason!) DH: Tonsils

Pet peeves: Jenn: hmmm, I’m sure I have many but am drawing a blank here. I’ll come back to this one.  DH- Answering surveys! People who say “like” (eek, I do that LOL)

Quote from a movie: Jenn: I’ll never go hungry again – Scarlett O’Hara DH: Life is but a dunghill, Betty and I am but a cock that climbs upon it to crow – Rob Roy

Righty of Lefty: Both Righties

Siblings: Jenn-1 brother (Australia) and 1 sister (ON, Canada) DH- none

Time you wake up: Jenn: shortly after Chloe wakes up (too early)DH- 6:00 am

Unique Trait: Jenn: I am optimistic to a fault and will buy almost anything for $0.25 or $5.00 {those are my magic numbers!} DH: Lays claim to “most growly bearish person you know”. {Why would you say that?!?! Though it is kind of true LOL}

Veggie you dislike: Jenn: I used to think I loved all veggies and then we joined an organic CSA. After weeks and weeks of green leafy things like kale and swiss chard, I determined that I am not generally a fan of green leafy veggies. Oh, and I don’t like tomatoes except in sauces or ketchup. DH: Eggplant

What makes you late: Jenn: Everything once I had littles. Spit-up, diaper explosions, a messy breakfast (John rubbing PB in his hair!), disorganization, an empty gas tank, a phone call…. DH: My Wife {bad man!}

X-Rays you have had:Jenn: Teeth, DH: Teeth, Foot (When his apartment stairs collapsed!)

Yummy food you make: Jenn: Spaghetti and Meatballs, cupcakes, brownies, umm…more baking things than meals for sure! I love to bake mostly because I love to eat baking! LOL DH: Spaghetti Carbonara (which he just happened to post on today!)

Zoo animals you like: Jenn: All of them…but mostly African. Elephants, Hippos, Lions, Giraffe, Zebras and I really like the red panda which doesn’t look anything like a panda in my opinion.  I really enjoy the zoo!DH: Hippo, Rhino

View Full Album

These were taken by DH on his visit to South Africa in 2001. Beautiful aren’t they? The closest I’ve been was African Lion Safari in 2009

• This was borrowed from Rachel of Rachel & John. It looked kind of fun!

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Jenn is wife to one, mother of three and above all, a humble servant seeking to honor the Lord with her life. All About Me from A – Z is a post from Beautiful Calling.

Well, it’s been a while hasn’t it? The the blogging changes, then a busy week with the missions conference amongst other things, I’ve just not been around lately.

One of those other things? I’m officially an Epicure Consultant! Hurray for me. I’m really excited and I wanted to share a little about it with you. Whether you want to shop, save or earn, Epicure is right for you!

What is Victorian Epicure?

Victorian Epicure is a 100% Canadian family-owned company dedicated to providing high quality food products to help families prepare delicious, healthy meals that are quick and easy to prepare. It all started with a mother filling a need for her family.

As a working mother, I longed to spend more time with my young family and provide them with delicious, nutritious meals that were quick and easy to prepare.

Dissatisfied with what the market offered, I created my own spice blends, quickly developing a passion for this ancient art. The overwhelming popularity of my products and easy recipe ideas at local fairs and consumer trade shows soon prompted the creation of Epicure Selections®, allowing me to share my success with Independent Epicure Consultants across Canada.

Today, Epicure continues to offer the highest quality food products made by Canadians for Canadians, with authenticity, integrity, love and care.            Epicure Website

What do they Sell?  

The company now offers a fantastic line of products such as:

• Spice Combinations
• Dip Mixes
• Teas
• Baking Supplies
• Cookbooks
• Kitchenware
• Home & Body Care
• Dressings, Marinades and Rubs!

Many of these items are:

• Low or No Sodium
• Gluten-Free
• Healthier
• No Additives
• No added MSG

Where to Buy:

These products are available in Canada. You can purchase directly through me or online at Victorian Epicure (be sure to mention Jennifer VanderPloeg as your consultant at checkout!). In either case, you can have your order shipped anywhere in Canada!

Let’s Party!

If you live in the Brantford, Hamilton, Simcoe or Cambridge area, book a party! We have really awesome hostess benefits!! Please contact me for details if you like prizes, food, free stuff and FUN!

If you are within an hour of Brantford, ON – why not book your own party today?

Looking to earn a little {or a lot!!} of extra money? Being a Victorian Epicure Consultant is fun, easy and the income possibilities are amazing. The starter kit is affordable and comes with everything you need to get started right away. Interested? Contact me; I’d love to get you some more information and answer any questions you may have!

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Jenn is wife to one, mother of three and above all, a humble servant seeking to honor the Lord with her life. I’m a Victorian Epicure Consultant is a post from Beautiful Calling.

So this is one of the only wedding photos that I have in digital format; horrible isn’t it? At least I am smiling! We uploaded them to a site during our 3 week long wedding/honeymoon. The site we uploaded most of the photos to doesn’t give you access to the photos except to print through them. Ugh! If you view the full album there are quite a few more pics if you are interested.

I turned 31 on January 8th. I’m Ok with that. Last year I wasn’t Ok at all when I turned 30. DH is older than I am and I have never thought of him as old. I have many friends older than I and I have never thought of them as old either. 30+ isn’t old for others; it just seems old for me! I don’t feel 30. I thought I would feel more grown up by the time I was 30 but you know, I still feel the same as I did at 23.

With that being said, we’ll celebrate my 31st birthday with 31 things about me. (and I am sorry but for some reason, numbering or bullets do not show up on my site right now which means it is hard to read. I’m working on it!)

I love chocolate. Actually, it’s more than that. I’m a chocoholic! Maybe it’s a problem but hey, there are worse things in life right?

I’m not a morning person. Never have been. I am now a morning person but not by choice. The good Lord in His infinite wisdom (and with a sense of humor?) blessed me with a sweet little girl who is most definitely the happiest person alive in the morning! The early morning!

I was born in a very small town in Northern Ontario. It could be –40 and we were fine with that and, dressed appropriately, we headed outside. I loved it. Ice-fishing, ski-doing, skiing and more!

I now live in Southern Ontario and when it dips below 0, I’m freezing and have a tendency to hibernate in my house LOL.

I got my motorcycle license before my drivers license.

Most of my growing up friends were my guy pals.

I have one sister and one brother. My sister lives in the same city, my brother lives in Africa. Sorry, senior moment?!? He lives in Australia with his Australian wife and daughter. My mother-in-law lives in Africa though. We’re going to visit her this spring but that is another story!

The meat I grew up eating was whatever dad shot or caught (fish, partridge, moose) interspersed with ground beef and the occasional chicken.

I don’t remember how little I was when I first shot a gun but I was little. At 12, I got my hunting license. I own a couple of guns which are collecting dust since we moved south and I became a very busy mother of littles.

DH and I took archery lessons with my dad three years ago. Our bows are also collecting dust until life settles a little bit.

DH and I took ballroom dancing classes too!

DH and I were engaged in 2004, married in 2005 and also built our first home, miscarried our first baby in 2006, birthed our daughter in 2007 and our son in 2008. (I need to blog a little about these things huh?) Three years ago today, I woke up in labor. I thought for sure I’d have a baby for my birthday. Alas, Chloe wanted her own day. Tomorrow is CHLOE’S Birthday!

DH and I both worked in the same office. I had seen him around but I wasn’t interested in my DH at all. My friend Carm, who was friends with him, insisted that we go to the Office Christmas party together. I figured why not…and the rest we’ll save for a blog post

I hate spiders….I really hate spiders. I also dislike bananas, milk (on it’s own), tomatoes and melon. I like liver, brussel sprouts and almost all veggies.

I am terrible at public speaking; it doesn’t matter the size of the group, if I have to stand up in front and speak while everyone listens, I am nervous as anything. But I was a cheerleader in high school. Go figure!

I loved accounting in high school and almost failed gym class.

I dropped out of high school.

Four years later I went back to school via correspondence and graduated. I then started college courses but didn’t pursue them further after becoming a mother.

I’m currently on weight watchers to finish losing the baby weight I gained (and my baby is 17 months!)

I have birthed both our littles at home and hope to have the privilege of birthing a third one at home

I had a cleaning lady until December 2008 when she retired. Due to finances and our decision for me to stay home, we didn’t replace her. Since then I have discovered that I actually like washing my floor. I love the feeling of accomplishment I have when it is sparkling clean (for about 5 minutes).

I had never ironed a thing (successfully) before 2009, when I started ironing for DH as a birthday gift.

I had dogs, cats, ponies, hamsters, fish and birds growing up. We also briefly had a duck that we found and kept in the garage in a swimming pool one afternoon until dad came home. That was the end of our pet duck. (Turns out he belonged to someone a road over. *sniff, sniff* )

I love cloth diapers. Oh, not the washing of them so much but I do like to browse through online diaper shops, see the latest diapers, and ‘ahh’ at all the pretty colors. I also think that fluffy ‘diaper bums” are adorable! And though my first attempt with Chloe was a flop, cloth diapering with John is a breeze!

I love pink; so bright, happy and cheerful. As a child, I hated pink and would never wear it.

I am kind of an optimist, I always expect the best outcome (which is sometimes a problem!) and I am happiest when others are happy too.

I love to read. I have never read my bible through entirely. You can see my reading goals for 2010 here.

Reitman’s is my favorite clothing store. I only own 2 pair of jeans (in 2 different sizes) and mostly wear skirts every day. If you want to buy me a present for my birthday, almost anything from there is sure to be a hit!

My husband claims I hog the bed and *gasp* he claims that sometimes I snore. I think he’s exaggerating. He also says that I should add “chatty” to my list. Is being chatty a good thing or a bad thing?

I have always disliked my hair. Oh, I’ve had it done at the salon and love the results but when I get home, I’m never happy. I guess I am looking for the elusive, “wake up, shake my head and everything falls perfectly into place.”

I never wanted to blog! I am married to the most wonderful man. I didn’t want to blog and was frightened of the whole thing. He encouraged me to do it anyway and said it would be a perfect fit for me. Now I am hooked.

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So did you make it through my whole long list? I’m flattered if you made it half way through!

I have a birthday request: if you’re a regular around here, please leave a comment with your website if you have one and something about yourself. I’d love to come visit you too!

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Jenn is wife to one, mother of three and above all, a humble servant seeking to honor the Lord with her life. It’s My Birthday: 31 Things About Me! is a post from Beautiful Calling.

I mentioned that this tiny little quote issued a big challenge to me.

“A goal without a plan is just a wish.”

Making it SMART

The idea of smart plans came from a review I did on an Epicure product. Who’d have thought it would have such an impact on me. A SMART goal is one that is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely. In order to maximize our chances of success, each goal should cover most of these areas.

A Word

Tricia mentioned last year that she chooses a word for the year. After much thought, prayer and having come across this idea so much in the past few weeks, my word for 2010 is INTENTIONAL.
More specifically, being intentional about:

• Growing in the Lord
• Nurturing my marriage
• Raising, training and teaching my tots
• Reaching out to others with the gospel

A Verse

“And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offense toward God and toward men.” Acts 24:16
I discovered this verse a few months ago and it has crossed my mind so often! I want this to be the focus of 2010. As I have meditated on this verse, the Lord has brought many thoughts to my mind and reinforced that He has chosen this verse for me.

• “And herein” – A declaration of intent! A statement that from this point on… or a resolve. This is a great way to start the year

• “Do I exercise myself” – It won’t all come naturally. It will take work, determination, will-power, reliance on the Lord.

• “To have always” – Consistent!

• “Conscience Void of Offence” – When you first read this, you may think about not offending God or man but the more I’ve thought about it the more firmly I realize that this verse isn’t about not offending men. It’s about having a conscience void of offense. When we are doing right, standing up for right and proclaiming right, someone is bound to take offense. But if my goal is to have a clear conscience, then I will strive to do the classic WWJD in all circumstances. Note: the more Christ-like we become, the more the Holy Spirit convicts and fine tunes us.

• “Toward God and toward Men” – My primary and first goal is to be void of offense before God and a natural by-product of that will be that I will have one before most men as well. I know that often we can have the attitude, “I don’t care what other people think”  but I believe that while we can’t govern our actions by what others will think, their opinions of us are important! It should be Christ they see through us.

A Plan

SPIRITUAL: Since the Lord ought to be my first priority, He should be at the top of my list. I admit that sometimes it is easy for me to jumble priorities and when that happens, chaos ensues.

• In 2010, I will strive to put him first in all areas, my day included. One of the books that I read this year and loved was Passionate Housewives Desperate for God. In it, they dispel the myth of “perfect” morning quiet/prayer time for those of us with littles, which was liberating to read. At the same time though, it shouldn’t keep us from striving for it, but rather free us from the guilt for those times that we can’t.
• I have never read the whole bible through. It seems like everyone has but I haven’t. Though saved at a young age, it wasn’t until the Lord drew me back to his side (after a difficult miscarriage), that I really began to get serious about my walk with Him. Alas, losing Isaiah, then having Chloe, then John, I have to say that I never seem to have time. This year, I am going to read through the NT. I know that the whole bible is too large a goal for me but if I read two + books a month, the NT is a do-able goal for me!

MARRIAGE: is the next most important thing to me. And you know what, sometimes I get that mixed up too. When the littles are so, well, little, they require so much extra attention and sometimes I forget that DH needs my attention too. We do welcome daddy home (most days) but I need to do more. Our marriage is wonderful but filled with many areas that need a little work.

• Miscommunication is something that I believe will always be a bit of a struggle. While we rarely ‘fight’, we certainly can get snappy at each other sometimes and most of the time it has to do with miscommunication. We have talked about it in the the past and agree that ‘subtle’ hints are not the way to go for us. We both need to clearly (and kindly) speak about what is on our minds, and what we are thinking. Listening more and talking less often may be the solution.
• Expectation is another key area that goes hand in hand with communication. I’m not sure that DH struggles with this as I do but it is something to work on this year. In many cases, we need to lower our expectations of ourselves and our spouses. I know often I expect him to do something, know something or say something and he has no idea. This frustrates me and I feel like a need isn’t being met and I get grumpy or snappy.
• If we can communicate expectations and listen more and clarify to help avoid misunderstandings, 2010 will be a great year for our marriage!

PARENTING: Loving, teaching, training and disciplining my tots is the third priority in my life and one that is filled with joy, delight, frustration and challenge. Though I could list a million areas that I need to work on in order to better raise my littles, keeping it simple and attainable, I’ll just list two:

• Depending more on the Lord for PATIENCE to respond in a kind and loving tone when dealing with an attitude or action for yet the millionth time. Patience to explain when necessary, to love when I don’t feel loveable and to give myself wholly when it costs.
• Being CONSISTANT in rules, consequences, discipline and in love.

FINANCES: are something I seldom touch on here at Beautiful Calling because I am in no way qualified. I will say that this year I read Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover and was amazed.

• I hope to re-read it with my husband in the New Year and talk about how we can implement it into our lives.
• As of January 1st, I will be an epicure consultant and hope to contribute to our finances through that.
• I am thankful that we both share the same desire: me to be at home raising and training our littles. We are still learning to work as a team when it comes to finances and everything else.

COMMUNITY: I hope to be more involved in our community in the coming year.

• The biggest thing that I want to work on is sharing the gospel. Sure, it is easy to share with someone who expresses an interest first but sharing my faith with someone I don’t know or who hasn’t brought it up first? Nope, that is scary. To just hand a tract to someone you don’t know? I’ve never done that. Ever. Door to door knocking to invite people to church? Never done that. Ever. This year, I want to try (Lord, give me courage) to be more bold for Him.
• In 2007 I sent out quarterly letters to seniors and shut ins but 2008 just got so busy. I think I sent out one. I know that snail-mail is a fun surprise and can be a real blessing. It is also a super easy ministry to do with the littles. I want to sent out at least once card per month to someone who could use a snail-mail {hug}.
• I also live very close to a nursing home. I often drive by it and think, “Oh, one day we’ll drop in and visit someone” but never do. Once the weather is warm again where we can walk that far without freezing, I would like to try get that visit in to some new friend just waiting to be met.

• Visit Happy Housewife for more 2010 Goals!

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Jenn is wife to one, mother of three and above all, a humble servant seeking to honor the Lord with her life. TUT: Being Intentional! 2010 Goals (Link Up!) is a post from Beautiful Calling.

What is Tune-Up Tuesday? Find out more HERE!

…I found out I was pregnant. We were excited and told virtually everyone. And then we lost the baby. God used this tragedy to turn my heart back towards Him. As I began to focus on Him and learn more about His designs, my heart slowly turned towards home.

It was about that time that I stumbled upon Crystal’s blog: Biblical Womanhood. When I first began to read some of her writings, I thought “Are you crazy?” The idea of serving my husband constantly really rubbed me the wrong way…

Back then, I was certainly in need of a heart tune up! You can read the rest of my story at Hearth Management today (July 30th) and see what helped me on my way; a journey that is still in progress!

I also mentioned a couple of books in the post…and I have a giveaway happening right now for one of them. Talk about great timing!

Do you have a tune-up you’re working on or a success story to share? Link up or leave a comment!

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Jenn is wife to one, mother of three and above all, a humble servant seeking to honor the Lord with her life. TUT: Heart Toward Home? Heart Toward God! is a post from Beautiful Calling.