Genesis 4:7 ~ If you do well, will you not be accepted?  And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door.  And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.

A portion of this verse has been often quoted in our home, as an encouragement to resist temptation to sin.  But this week the verse as a whole spoke quietly to me, “Here is a wonderful reason to pursue the establishment of good habits.”

Pondering this, I asked myself, “how does one do well?”  Getting past the “Sunday School” answers, words like cheerfulness, punctuality, attentiveness, orderliness, kindness, diligence came to mind, reminding me once again of another common phrase.    “Laying down the rails,”   By continuing to pursue good habits, rails are laid down that keep one moving along the track of a life well lived.

Good habits make it easy to move forward each day, despite the circumstances.  And the opposite, bad habits open the door to temptation, sin.

A fresh encouragement to press on with habit training in our home, in my own life.

Genesis 6:8  “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.”

Grace in the eyes of the Lord.

Grace in the Old Testament!

In January of 2011 I set out to read the Bible in a year.  It took 2 years and 8 days, it was wonderful, but not enough.  Now I’ve set out to read it again, this year and I’m seeing things in Genesis that I haven’t seen before.  Like “GRACE” in the eyes of the Lord.

And how did Noah find grace in the eyes of God?  The next verse says “Noah was a just man, perfect in his generation.  Noah walked with God.”  Genesis 6:9

Last week I wrote about establishing habits to “do well.”  And here I find the first habit.

Walk with God.

It is nearly the middle of January and this blog has been quiet during the online community conversations about the New Year and goals.  We did mark the turning of the year, but even that we didn’t do on the actual day.  Life happened without regard to the days marked on the calendar, and so I find myself with a head cold on this chilly Sunday in mid January, posting my 2013 goals.

This new year has a different feel than ever before.  While I have pondered simplicity and decluttering of my life many times over past years, the landscape ahead of us now insists on the letting go of many things while we embrace what lies ahead.

Just before Christmas we said earthly good bye to Builder’s and my paternal grandmothers.  As the New Year dawned, we saw the diagnosis of early dementia in my mother, and began assisting my step father in her care.  In just a few weeks our first granddaughter is due to be born, and will be living with her momma (our 2nd oldest daughter) in our home.

Life ending, life beginning and so much in between.

Here are my 2013 goals, in simple style.

Read through the Bible, again, this time in 1 year
Memorize Psalm 91 and Colossians or the Sermon on the Mount
Read 24 books
Listen to 12 audio books
Learn to follow my husband
Learn about 5 new birds, and their calls
Learn about 5 trees in my local area, and observe them through the 4 seasons of this year
Become a peacemaker
Replace current products with items better suiting my changing skin care needs
Continue my fitness habits of strength training and cardio activity

It’s the 11 o’ clock hour just a little more time until 2013.
It’s a whole new year full of laughter and fun! With mysteries
To solve and challenges each day. We can’t wait for 2013 it’s
Fast on it’s way! We had wonderful times in 2012
We’ll say goodbye to the old year and hello to the new with
A toast to the new year and some silly fun!

Activity: get out the noise makers and special glasses.  Have a toast. ~ bubbly fruit drinks


So tell us, how do you ring in the New Year?

 

Thanksgiving week was filled with all sorts of good things, family, friends, great food and The Nutcracker.

This year’s production of The Nutcracker was a blast, even when at the last moment our sweet Party Girl was told she was needed as a Party BOY for two of the shows.  A prettier boy we’ve never seen and this momma was very proud and blessed as I watched our girl.

 She took the surprise and nerves and handed them over to the ONE who can calm fears and empower us to do what we are not able to do on our own.  Miss Mae had only rehearsed this part as a step in earlier in the rehearsal season.



And here she is in her Party Girl costume

Here is Mae in the Party Boy costume

She did well (Momma was given backstage viewing on opening night) and went on to thoroughly enjoy her Party Girl role in the last two programs.

As we reflect on the last 3 months of rehearsals and getting to know other cast members, we are excited to see what the future holds for Colton West, the Nutcracker Prince.  What a delight to see the talent of local youth.

linking with Amanda

A little of this and of that, a peak into daily life here at home.

Aound the house ~  Books everywhere…the signs of the busy late yesterday

Outside the window ~ sunny and windy, the snow on the mountain is just about all gone

Looking forward ~  Builder’s arrival home on Saturday, my parents arrival next week to celebrate Thanksgiving with us

Reading ~ “The Hour that Changes the World”, “graceful” and “Harry Potter book 1”

Memorizing ~ Psalm 91, II Peter 1

Praying for ~ the children in our community, the Compassion Bloggers who are in Peru this week.

Creative activities ~ A sweet recieving blanket is finished, a quilt is ready for binding and another is in the works.  I picked up my crocheting again yesterday…had a little time of just waiting in a room too noisy to read in.

A Picture or more:

linking up with Michelle