Earlier this year I proclaimed My One Word focus …

It started with a determination to believe in myself, to believe I could finish what I’d set out to accomplish. I believed I would finish the 90 day fitness challenge I started with friends. I believed I would increase my income from work to a certain level. I believed God would direct my steps as I tried to apply the principles of His Word to daily living. Some of those things have happened, but…

What God does often looks different than what I expect.

The beauty of the My One Word challenge is that it takes my focus from the tasks of a goal list and moves that focus to the One directing my steps. Psalm 37:23 is the verse I had embroidered onto my office organizer.

The steps of a man are established by the Lord,
    when he delights in his way.

As I catch my breath in what I can hardly believe is the middle of March, I want to remember the purpose behind My One Word. I’m asking God for wisdom for this life, I’m believing in Him. It isn’t just about finishing tasks on a list, but about seeing Him in my life more with each goal accomplished.

“But when he asks {for wisdom}, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.” James 1:6

March 3 in 30 goals…

Healthy Habit Weekly

I did great with my fitness challenge for the first 6 weeks of the 90 days…then I started working and…well, I need a reboot to say the least. I want to focus on one specific habit each week, getting back into the healthy routine we were living.

There is no excuse here, simply a lack of discipline. Yes, my time is more limited. Yes, I am capable of making time for what is really important to me. I did not work out. We did follow my meal plan loosely though, maybe I am just a week behind my goals? Seriously, three workouts this week. New strategy is to practice yoga before work 3 times.

Read and Write Weekly

This will be similar to my January goal of blogging 2-3 times per week but I want it to go beyond that. Yes, I’d like to get back in the routine with blogging. This goal is more about bringing words into my daily life after the change to my schedule. Reading some of the 20 books on my 2013 list and writing in journals will also count towards the goal.

I am still working through Thou Shall Prosper. It is slow going but well worth it. I just can’t rush all the wisdom in this book!  I also began offering our free e-b00k for my email subscribers {so subscribe for your copy!}. I plan to post my review of the book Thursday. I am continuing reading through Galatians verse-by-verse during my devotional time. I only blogged twice this last week but I did figure out some of the technical side of scheduling and email subscription.

• Marriage Mondays {Pitching In}
• Meal Planning Secret Weapon

Office Systems

I plan to purge some files, update our household & finance binders, and finish organizing the space. I was really inspired by some of the photos over at Sam’s Noggin. {We even have the same inbox} This might be the extent of the Spring Cleaning I do this year, too.

I cleared a stack of receipts, zero’d the inbox, and filed/purged a ton of business material. Honestly though, the desk barely looks different than the photo I took for my ‘before’ picture. SkipperClan’s Honey-Do list for his break from school includes putting a shelf in the closet so I can move several items from the office floor to the closet. That will make a huge difference in the room!

Where do you work on paying bills and managing your home? Is it a pretty space?

There seems to be no discrimination against women by the clock…

That five o’clock dinner hour approaches relentlessly every. single. day. I’ve used menu planning succesfully for many years. Sometimes it involved having a rough idea of our meals for an entire month and sometimes it involved a plan for eating out with coupons because of a crazy schedule. I can’t say I’ve been successfully meal planning the last few weeks, but I have been reminded of the ultimate secret weapon in meal planning.

The emergency meal.

I try to always have at least one emergency meal on hand. Ideally, 2-3 at a time. This might be enchiladas I prepared and put in the freezer. It could be as simple as two frozen pizzas. Cereal. Pancakes.

Anything that is pretty basic and for which I almost always have ingredients on hand. It must take less than 15 minutes of kitchen time. It must be able to be prepared by everyone in the family (we have teenagers here).

Whether you have a 9-5, a day full of toddler adventures, or the flexibility of an empty nest, I’m sure you have a tried-and-true trick for bringing dinner together when the unexpected happens.

Share your favorite go-to dinner ideas in the comments with us?

One of the great things about moving close to family for the first time since SkipperClan joined the Air Force, is that we can see family in just a few short hours. That was exactly what happened Sunday when his parents called to say they were headed over to visit.

You may panic at the idea of your inlaws appearing suddenly, but I really love mine, so we were looking forward to having the afternoon together.

That also meant I couldn’t spend the rest of the morning lounging around if I was going to accomplish the tasks I had planned for the day. Adjusting to working full time took a few weeks and I didn’t want to feel ‘behind’ when they left, so I got to work.

Our master bathroom and bedroom got the once-over, the living room was vaccumed, laundry was started, dogs brushed, porch swept of leaves, and the groceries put away. I could’ve done it by myself but the whole family pitched in to help.

That help isn’t always given so willingly from two teenagers and a busy husband, so the question I often hear is how do I get them to help?

First, I don’t always get the help I want. Second, I often get the help I want because SkipperClan and I are aware of what is important to each other.

• We want to honor our time with our parents
• He does not want me distracted by the {many} lists running through my head
• I want to have certain things done to rest well {clear surfaces, empty sink, etc}
• He needed to be able to go back to his coursework after the visit was over
• We do our best to care for the resources we’ve been given

Understanding what is important to your spouse and making even the littlest of sacrifices to help accomplish those priorities is foundational in working together as a team.

Can you remember a time you and your spouse worked together seamlessly? Share with us the experience and why you think it worked so well.

Everything didn’t go according to plan this week, but sometimes that’s a good thing. Thursday was KitKat’s first tennis match and I did not expect to be able to leave work to attend. However, when my boss found out what was going on, he quickly sent me out the door saying, “They’re only kids once!” I don’t plan to take off for every single game, but it’s great knowing your boss understands your priorities. Isn’t she adorable?

March 3 in 30 goals…

Healthy Habit Weekly

I did great with my fitness challenge for the first 6 weeks of the 90 days…then I started working and…well, I need a reboot to say the least. I want to focus on one specific habit each week, getting back into the healthy routine we were living.

My goal for this week was meal planning and I have to say: fail. I did choose healthier options for my meals more often this week but we did not stick to the meal plan at all. Today is Saturday and I have plans for the weekend’s meals. This coming week’s healthy goal is to workout at least three times. {I was doing 5-6 per week for the first six weeks of this year.}

Read and Write Weekly

This will be similar to my January goal of blogging 2-3 times per week but I want it to go beyond that. Yes, I’d like to get back in the routine with blogging. This goal is more about bringing words into my daily life after the change to my schedule. Reading some of the 20 books on my 2013 list and writing in journals will also count towards the goal.

I finished reading The Duck Commander Family this week and made progress in Thou Shall Prosper. I also finished a new eBook which I’ll be offering free for my email subscribers in the coming week. I have also been reading through Galatians verse-by-verse during my devotional time. This week even held a few blog posts.

• Marriage Mondays {Welcome}
• Getting Enough Sleep
• Home {Where My Heart Is}

Office Systems

I plan to purge some files, update our household & finance binders, and finish organizing the space. I was really inspired by some of the photos over at Sam’s Noggin. {We even have the same inbox} This might be the extent of the Spring Cleaning I do this year, too.

SkipperClan is wrapping up the last few days of the current quarter for his Master’s degree and we share an office in this house. I have tried to give him solitude to focus, so I did not make a lot of progress in the actual room. However, I tackled several to-do items involving paper that have been lingering for weeks. When my man starts his three week break, I’m hoping he’ll tackle a few of my honey-do items to help complete this project in March.

What is on your menu this weekend?

18 years, 11 months, 13 days ago: he said good-bye to his home. He held up his hand, swore an oath, and left for Texas. They shaved his head, gave him a schedule, and started directing his work.

We both thought we would live this military life for about four years, then decide what would come next.

What came next was a chubby baby boy, a petite little girl, and the need for the consistent benefits of a military paycheck…even if that paycheck was so small we were eligible for food stamps and WIC.

When the next re-enlistment date drew near, we were tired of the separations and unknowns, but through prayer and opportunities, made the commitment to a full twenty years of service and a plan for retirement.

Eight years later, October came and surprisingly we were able to move back home {close enough anyway} and still be in this family we call the Air Force.

Home has been Oklahoma, South Korea, Italy, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Georgia….and the sandy soil of Florida we left at the same time. As we think toward the future and make decisions related to second careers before we have even seen 40 on our birthday cakes, I can’t help but think…home will always be wherever he is.

How can you be home with your loved ones this weekend?

I joked tonight {with a tweet} that I love both all of my email subscribers. I’m working on the background stuff to help give you a free ebook later this week and in the process found the list of current subscribers.

The truth is that anyone who chooses to take a few minutes of the 24 hours allotted to them on any given day reading these words, deserves some of my attention.

I write for my own therapy and I write because I don’t know how to not write. I missed the consistency in February which I’d achieved the prior month. This weekend I took some time to really pray and consider what was on my heart for this little corner of the www.

What is the point of blogging 2-3 times each week if I’m not seeking God’s direction?

Then he laid it down for me. The ink would not flow from my pen as fast as the ideas were coming to me. He cooked up a recipe for me and I’m going to follow it to the best of my ability. I believe there will be adjustments to the plan for the blog just like there is when you realize you have run out of a spice.

This is what brings me to Marriage Mondays.

Our marriage is far from perfect. Just the thought of blogging about it makes me think I’m opening it up to attack from the enemy. The harsh reality is that I have far fewer friends who are living confidently in their marriages than those who are struggling. Our experience won’t help everyone. That is part of why I was so excited to partner with the contributors at A Biblical Marriage. It is a great resource with a variety of perspectives.

But I can no longer ignore the tugging on my heart to share our story. I don’t know exactly what this will look like, I just pray it is an encouragement. I want to share little things we do that stop arguments before they start. I want to share stories about how we overcame disagreements when there seemed to be no middle ground. I want to tell you romantic things SkipperClan does for me. I do not want to spend time complaining or belittling anyone, least of all my own husband.

So I will add a disclaimer right here, right now: my husband is not perfect but I will never share something negative about him without his permission.

If you see me do it, comment – email – call – send a messenger pigeon, whatever it takes. Let’s encourage each other and let’s ask the hard questions. For now, here are some previous posts you might enjoy.

My Better Half

3 Marriage Essentials

What I Was Thinking On My Wedding Day

Motorcycles as Marriage Builders

Give and Take

and our goal… 40 Blessings from 40 Years of Marriage

What topics would you like to see in the series?

SkipperClanJr is a senior in high school and his baby sister is only a year behind him. We would like to make plans for an enjoyable spring break this year and create memories the kids will take with them. There are work and financial challenges we will need to overcome in order to make this happen.

One of the great things about moving means we are closer to the beach. One of the bad things is that we are closer to the beach. It seems like everything is four times as expensive during Spring Break because of it. I’ve spent hours researching options and so far I have not found a good option. I will continue to work on this goal in the coming week.

Photography

I want to improve my skills in using my lovely new camera and this is going to take intentional planning. I have a photo challenge to help get the creative juices flowing and about one hundred pins to tutorials saved on Pinterest. Time to start using them.

One of the advantages to carrying my camera more often is that I am finding more tricks to make it easier to pull it out for an impromptu photo. I am really drawn to textures and patterns. I had lots of compliments on the photo in last week’s post, and even requests that I *not* tell what it was a photo of…the mystery is part of the appeal. I agree. What do you think of this week’s favorites?

What is your most memorable vacation?