Every year, around the end of the month of December, I find a quiet place in my house and – armed with a prayer, a pen, a pad of paper and a cup of coffee – I sit down to write my New Year’s Goals. 

I began this exercise many years ago, after hearing a teaching by my pastor, Brian Anderson.  His words made a huge impact as he challenged his congregation with this concept, “Unless you set goals for yourself, you’ll just wander through life until it passes you by.”

I sure didn’t want that happening to me!

Though more commonly known as resolutions, I chose to use the term “goals” instead, because it seems to purvey a more attainable meaning: something to aim for. 

My daughter’s JAG teacher tells his students, “Unless you write it down, it won’t get done.” So true.  Seeing my goals in paper solidifies them and brings them into focus.

I’d like to share with you my goal-setting method in hopes it will inspire you to develop your own:

First thing I do is take three separate pieces of papers:  One is labeled “Personal Growth”, the second one “Relationships”, and the third “Work/Ministry”.   

On the “Personal Growth” paper, I draw a vertical line to make up two columns.  Each column represents a sub-category.  One column is labeled “Physical” and the next “Spiritual”.  I ask myself (and the Lord) purposeful questions that will help me set goals in these areas, like:

• How is my health?
• How is my weight?  (Hey, I’m a girl!)
• Are there any habits I need to let go of/develop in order to be a healthier and more productive individual?
• How is my walk with the Lord?
• Am I growing as a Christian?

After pondering these sorts of questions for a while, I list all of the things I feel I need to work on.  Then, I move on to the next category.

The paper labeled “Relationships” is divided in two sub-categories:  “Family” and “Friends”.  I break down the first column into three sections:  “Ron” (my hubby’s name), “Kids” and “Relatives”.

I ponder on questions like: 

• How’s my marriage?  (honestly)
• Are there any areas in which my children need my help?
• How’s my relationship with my extended family?
• How’s my relationship with my neighbors?
• Am I dedicating too much/not enough time to my friends?

The third page is divided into two columns:  “Work” and “Ministry”.  The column dedicated to ministry is also divided into sub-sections:  “Church” and “Personal”— the first one reflects my involvement with my church and the second one, with other ministries.

Questions like these follow: 

• What do I need to do to improve my skills as an interpreter?  (my line of work)
• How am I doing with my responsibilities at church?
• What do I feel God is leading me to pursue in the areas of writing and Bible teaching?

Once I’m done listing all the things I feel I need to work on for the three main categories, I revisit each item on the lists with one question in mind:  What am I going to do to change/improve in this area?

Based on the answer, I pick two or three solid, attainable goals in each sub-category.  I write those down on a fresh piece of paper under the title of each category.  

Some of these goals look like this: 

• Schedule one monthly date night with Ron.
• Post twice a month in my blog
• Call one woman in my small group every week
• Go to the gym Monday, Wednesday and Friday
• Read my Bible every night

The last thing I do is lay my hand on these papers and commit those goals to the Lord, asking Him to give me the strength and the discipline to work on them during the upcoming year.

Ever since I adopted this practice, I have seen steady and concrete changes in my life accompanied by a sense of purpose and fulfillment.  There are so many aspects of living I cannot control; it is good to know that I’m doing my part to avoid just wandering through it.

May God bless and guide you as you embark on this task of setting new goals for the New Year!

Ana

http://anastinescorner.blogspot.com/

A broken promise can be devastating.  Someone promised to be faithful to you – but they aren’t.  Someone promises to pay you back – but they don’t. Someone promised to stop a sinful habit – but it continues.

 Unfortunately instead of being an unbreakable covenant from one person to another, a promise is more like a temporary commitment, until something easier or more attractive comes along – or until our willpower eases and selfish desired assume control.

 It would be easy, and somewhat satisfying, to list everyone who has broken a promise to me.  But to be honest, I’ve broken my share too.  There’s only One whose word is faultless, whose character is faithful and who keeps every promise, and that’s God.

This past week at Christmas, we celebrates the wonderful fulfillment of God’s promise to His beloved people:  the birth of Jesus.  We know that the Israelites had been waiting many years for a Messiah.  Although it wasn’t in the Israelite’s timing, God faithfully kept His promise.

 Today God still keeps His promises to us.  While those around us may disappoint, God never does.  This is the definition of faith:  choosing to believe what God says is true, and that He’ll do, what He says He’ll do.

 Here are a few we can believe in today:

We are not alone.  Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit (John 14:15-17) who will be our comforter and teach us truth.

Jesus loves us and comes to live in us.  (John 14:18-21)

Jesus is preparing a place for us to live with Him forever. (John 14:1-4)

God will never change.  (Malachi 3:6)

We are safe in the care of Jesus.  (John 10:27-29)

 God will provide financial blessings when we tithe.  (Malachi 3:10)

 Nothing can stop Jesus from loving us.  (Romans 8:38-39)

Many of us have had a very difficult year, and wonder if the coming New Year will be any better.  In difficult times, it’s easy to doubt that God’s promises are true.  We may think God has forgotten about us or that His promises apply only to “good” Christians.  But the truth about God is that His promises stand firm for those who love Him.  God’s promises aren’t based on our emotional status at any given moment.

Second Corinthians 1:20 reminds us that God loves to keep His promises and has given us Jesus as proof.  That scripture says, “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ. And so through him the ‘Amen’ is spoken by us to the glory of God.” 

This week between Christmas and New Year, let’s remember the promises of God and His unchanging character as we celebrate the birth of Jesus.  Let a resounding “Amen” sound across the land as we bring glory to God through our lives and faith.

In His Love,

Glynnis

www.GlynnisWhitwer.com

Where is Baby Jesus?

 For Christmas, we have three nativity sets up at our house.  (I hope to add more as the years go by.)

 At first glance, they look very normal.  However, what is a bit unusual about these nativity sets, is that the Baby Jesus is missing.  My daughter, Zoe, really wants to find them and keeps asking me where they are.  she has looked and looked.   I won’t tell her though, because they will appear on Christmas morning.

 With the commercialization of our society, I have tried to look for ways to keep Christmas about what it should be.  We are “looking forward” to the coming of Jesus in this way during the Christmas season.

 I am excited as we begin this tradition and recognize Jesus coming and the real meaning of Christmas!

 May God bless your day as you look forward to the coming of Jesus.

Have a wonderfully merry  Christmas which is full of the wonder of Christ!

Tale time to enjoy the simple things!

 Blessings,

Thora

 ¹ Arise, shine, for your light has come,
       and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.

 ² See, darkness covers the earth
       and thick darkness is over the peoples,
       but the LORD rises upon you
       and his glory appears over you. (Isaiah 60)

With these two verses, Isaiah began a letter of exhortation and encouragement to the people of Israel.  Bogged by slavery and exile, the prophet offered his nation a promise of hope for a brighter future.

My heart is moved as I read through this chapter, thinking about the many people around me who still live in great darkness, while I delight in the Light.  It’s so easy to forget, when you’re heart is brimming with joy, that so many are filled with sadness and despair – especially at this time of the year.

Engrossed with the bliss and busyness of the Season, I tend to miss the opportunities it brings to share “this little light of mine” with neighbors and co-workers who don’t know the Lord.

But Isaiah’s exhortation is a compelling reminder to shine with God’s light and to share of His glory.  For this is indeed a glorious time!  A time of celebration and remembrance:  Christ, the Light of the World, came to Earth as a little baby, to bring hope and joy, peace and salvation, healing and life – life that is new, abundant, eternal.

It is my Christmas wish and my prayer that this year all of us who know the Light of the World will take time and seize every opportunity to share this message of hope, these tidings of great joy with those around us. 

May God’s love and light fill our hearts to overflow.  May our lives and deeds bring glory to our Lord and Savior as we join with the angels singing, “Hosanna! Glory to God in the highest!”

Merry Christmas!

Ana

http://anastinescorner.blogspot.com/

NOTE:  To support our efforts to spread the light of Jesus, our church has printed invitations to our Christmas Eve services, which are available at the Information Desk, at the foyer.  I encourage you to take advantage of this easy tool to invite people to church.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! My house is decorated with Christmas favorites, the lights are twinkling and presents are appearing under the tree. My day at work is interrupted by thoughts of being in my kitchen listening to Christmas music and baking the Christmas goodies I loved as a kid.

Everything about Christmas stirs up memories of childhood: tinsel on the tree, stockings hung by the fireplace, cookies and candies all over the kitchen, colorful packages waiting to be shaken, and those wonderful Christmas movies. Remember when we had to wait for December to enjoy them? BEFORE VHS or DVD!

 My children are grown now (almost). Jennifer is 25, Bryan 22 and Eric 17. But still, our family sticks to the same traditions we all enjoyed when the kids were young. Now, with two married kids, I get to welcome another daughter and son into those wonderful traditions.

 We girls, Jen, Cari and I, will get together to bake the Christmas goodies while we share our favorite Christmas music and recipes with one another.

 The boys (Bud, Bryan, Michael and Eric) will attempt to beat the girls in our annual gingerbread house competition. I will admit that the boys’ addition of the hot tub – complete with a gingerbread man basking in hot chocolate – was quite brilliant last year!

As you enjoy your family this season, why not re-live your childhood Christmas traditions or create some new ones to add to your family’s “memory box” for the years to come.

 Here are a few ideas that have been gathered from others just like you who want to proclaim the good news of the birth of Jesus Christ, and to celebrate and enjoy this precious season with family and friends.

• Mold a nativity scene from clay (or play dough) and display in a prominent place. Tell the story of Jesus’ birth while you do this.
• Plan a night for everyone to bundle up and take a drive to enjoy the many houses that are lit up for the season. Talk about how the lights add so much joy to a neighborhood and then discuss how the light of Christ adds joy to your home and family.
• Pick out a children’s Christmas book and read together.  A few of my favorites: “B is for Bethlehem,” “The Crippled Lamb,” or “Santa, Are You For Real?”
• If you have small children – make an “edible” tree! String Cheerios and Fruit loops for garland; bake gingerbread cookies and hang with licorice strings for ornaments; make popcorn balls (adding red and green food coloring) and hang in place of breakables.

However you celebrate, may you and your family experience the gift of Jesus Christ who brings the true joy of Christmas to our hearts. I wish you a very Merry Christmas!

 Blessings,

Jody Kingsto 

* For more Christmas family traditions and ideas, pick up a VCNP Family Activity Calendar in the Vineyard Kids lobby.

My two easiest, quickest Christmas ideas…..

Christmas can become too much hustle and bustle.  I try to keep the day as simple as possible and am on the lookout for easy things to try.

 My first idea is a simple centerpiece.  All you need is a glass bowl, a bag of cranberries and a few floating candles.  You fill the bowl halfway with water, pour in enough cranberries to make a layer on top and then float the candles.  It looks really festive and is totally easy.

 My second idea is an appetizer my mother-in-law used to make.  Here is what you need:  a package of cream cheese, a box of wheat thins and a jar of either red pepper jelly (which is red in color) or jalapeño jelly (which is green in color).  All you do is put the cream cheese on a nice plate; spread the jelly over the top of it and surround it with Wheat Thins (or the cracker of your choice).  It is simple and really delicious and can be either red or green depending on the jelly you purchase.  (Do realize if you use the jalapeño, it will have a bit of a bite to it.)

 If you have a totally simple, easy Christmas idea the rest of us would be able to implement, please post it!

 May the wonder of Christmas be yours this Christmas!!

Blessings,

Thora

What is your favorite part of Christmas?

 Most would say the lights, presents, or family gathering together. If you asked the members of your household, what would their answer be?

 As a child I watched my family celebrate Christmas by spending lots of money on gifts, food and beer. We never took time to acknowledge the birth of Christ or to bless others less fortunate then us.

 As an adult I found myself celebrating Christmas the same way!

 Until one year my brother brought a friend over to join our family for Christmas. His friend had 3 young children and he was a single dad.

 I remember running to the store to purchase a few gifts for these children because dad had no money to buy them anything and I did not want them to watch everyone else opening gifts around them.

 It was time…the time everyone had been waiting for…time to open gifts!

 We went around the room and watched each person open their gift as we do every year. Then it was his turn, our little guest who was about 6yrs old. He began to open a gift given to him by a complete stranger. I watched as he unwrapped this simple gift that only took me a minute to pick out.

 His eyes opened wide… He began to jump up and down so full of joy! It was a remote control car. He began to shout Jesus heard my prayer!! He turned and said to his dad “this year I prayed for my gift because Santa never listens, and look Jesus heard me”.

 My heart was touched that Christmas in a way that I can never explain. I decided that moment that Christmas would never be the same for my household.

 I wanted Jesus to always receive the spot light and be the star of the night just as He was that Christmas! So I began to think of ways I can remind my family that Jesus is the reason for the season.

 For the past 8yrs we celebrate Christmas by making a Birthday Party for Jesus. Each person is given a cupcake with a candle as I read the Christmas story about our Savior being born. After the story is finished we light the candles and sing Happy Birthday to Jesus.

 I love to see the dark room lit up by all these little cupcakes. It’s so cool to hear all the voices singing to Happy Birthday to our Lord!

We also take time to add a few special ornaments to our little tree after we sing and we explain how each ornament reminds us of Jesus. For example I hang a vine of grapes as my ornament and I explain that without Him my life will never bear fruit.

 The tree is full of crazy ornaments in the end but it looks really cool!

 The Star of the Holiday is Jesus, but many times we get so caught up in the gifts, guest, or other things. Time flies and before you know it Christmas is over!

 Don’t let Christmas be just another holiday. Take time to acknowledge the real reason for the season… JESUS!!

 How do you keep Jesus the center of the Holiday? Please share ideas we would love to hear them!

 Eva

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled.”  John 14:27a (NIV)

Christmas time… A time of joy, harmony, and peace.  Or is it?

Years ago, instead of peace my home was filled with stress, rush, and fatigue. There never seemed to be enough time, money or energy to fulfill my expectations for a “picture-perfect” celebration.

I remember one year in particular; I’d thought that since my children were no longer toddlers we could kick our family celebrations up a notch. I envisioned all the wonderful things we would do.

First, we would make our own Christmas cards, which would include a lovely family portrait. Next we would wrap our presents in style, and surely we would win the “best decorated house” neighborhood contest. We would make crafts, and bake and decorate cookies to share with our friends and neighbors. Our home, a mini version of Christmas Central, would be filled with all the sounds and all the aromas of the Season. Peace, joy, and love would ooze from within…

Maybe the celebration would have gone a little better if I would’ve spent more time planning for it and less time daydreaming about it, or if I would have picked a few kid-friendly activities to enjoy instead of overwhelming my family with projects.  And if my husband wouldn’t have lost his job right before Christmas!

I learned then that reality seldom matches my expectations, especially during the Holidays. How can I be joyous, harmonious, peaceful, or even nice to my family during this busy and hectic season? I learned the hard way that by simply doing a little homework before the “big test” comes you could preserve the true meaning of the Season.

Let me share with you some practical pointers I’ve learned over the years, so that you and your family can enjoy – not dread – the Holidays:

Let go – Stuff in a big imaginary box all of your unrealistic, unattainable expectations for the Holidays, and throw that box away!

Make a list - Gather your family to discuss the things you all would like to do this year.  After all, it’s their Holiday too.

Check it twice - Calendar in hand, decide together what can be done and jot it down. 

Seek peace - Actively and diligently pursue those things that will guard the peace of your heart and home. Don’t allow yourself or your family to be so busy that you don’t have time to go to church, pray, or read your Bible during this time.

Remember - ‘tis the Season to celebrate! God the Father gave us the best gift ever:  His Son.  Let us strive not to forget what the most wonderful time of the year is all about.

Have a merry Christmas!

Ana

http://anastinescorner.blogspot.com/

After reading Thora’s post on Monday, I was challenged to consider all the little decisions I make throughout the day.  I make decisions about what I’m going to do, how I’ll spend my money, what I’m going to say – and what I’m NOT going to do, spend or say.

One of the biggest challenges I face right now has to do with what I eat.  You see, I’m on Weight Watchers.  For the past 18 years, I’ve battled to be at a healthy weight.  Coincidentally, my oldest child is 18.  Not that I’m blaming him … but, I’m just saying …

My first week on the program I had a respectable loss of 1.5 pounds.  The second week on the program, I lost nothing.  I was shocked.  It seemed to me that I had exercised more and sacrificed more that past week than ever before.  But the scale told the truth.  

The kind lady at the reception desk tried to help me think it through.  “Maybe you aren’t eating enough,” she said.  No, that wasn’t the problem.  “Are you drinking enough water?” she continued.   Yes, so that’s not the problem.

Then it hit me.  I knew what the problem was.  It wasn’t what I was eating when I sat down for a meal, it was all the bites that led up to that meal.  It was the French fry here, and the extra bite of casserole as I put away the leftoevers.  It was the nibble of my son’s double cheeseburger, and the extra scoop of dip with my carrots.  Let’s not even talk about my trip to Costco.  It wasn’t the big decision that hurt my weight loss, it was all the little decisions. 

Unfortunately, I had minized the damage of all those little bites.  And they added up over time to derail me from my goal of having a weight loss when I stepped on the scale that Friday morning.

The next week I took control of those BLTs  (bites, licks and tastes) and had a nice loss recorded in my book.

As I’ve pondered this reality, I’ve applied it to other areas of my life.  I know I have a tendency to minimize the damage of daily decisions.  They aren’t sin issues, so I can dismiss them as unimportant.  However, when added up, they have a big impact on me achieving some of my personal goals. 

On the surface it can seem like I’m doing all the right things, only I’m sabotaging myself with the some of the everyday choices I make. 

If you find yourself treading water and not advancing in a certain area of your life, perhaps this truth  can apply to you as well.  You may be making all the right big decisions, but the little ones are having a cumulative negative impact on you.

Not only that, but I believe God desires to do amazing things through us and is continually testing us to see if we can handle bigger responsibilities.  It’s in the arena of little responsibilities that our true character is revealed. 

The reality is that those little decisions that seem minor, and inconsequential, really do matter.  They matter to me as I pursue some personal goals, and they matter to God. 

My challenge today – and just for today – is to make every decision count. And ask myself, “Is this decision going to get me closer to my goal, or further away from it?”  “Is this decision going to show God I can be trusted with the little things?”

Sometimes I ask this question every hour.  Which is why I’m eating a plate of steamed vegetables for dinner, and my family had Chipotle burritos.  Not that it’s Thursday night and I’m weighing in Friday morning or anything. 

In His Love,

Glynnis