Intentional Living: Part 1
It’s time for my very first blog series! I’m excited to share with you my list of goals or the “master plan of my life” if you will. Over the last year or so God has really spoken to me about living intentionally. We so often live our lives in a hurry, wishing the days away. I don’t want to wake up one day and realize that my daughter is grown, twenty years have passed, and I haven’t really done anything important with my life. I want to live my life to the fullest!
So what I want to share with you is my plan for living intentionally. I formed this plan after reading many books and blogs and spending time praying and reflecting on how God can use me in my life as a stay-at-home-mom. I have highlighted seven areas that we need to think about and will spend the next week sharing my specific goals in hopes that it will help you choose some goals of your own.
1. Intentional Faith - What are you doing on purpose to bring you closer to the Lord? How are you focusing on your relationship with Him? It’s important to set goals and make a plan for not only when you will spend time with Him but how you will spend that time. Tomorrow I will tell you the things I do that have enriched my walk with the Lord.
2. Intentional Marriage - My husband and I get along really well and don’t have a lot of arguments and we never get into heated fights. But is that enough? I want my marriage to go from good to GREAT! That requires some effort and creativity. What can I do to make my marriage even better?
3. Intentional Parenting - If God has blessed you with children then you know what a huge responsibility they are! The task of raising kids often seems daunting and our current culture tells you to just “go with the flow” and that “you’ll survive.” Is that good enough? Not for me and my daughter. I don’t want to survive her younger years, I want to give her the tools to flourish! No one is required to take a class before having children, but there is so much we need to learn if we want to parent our children the way they deserve.
4. Intentional Homemaking - We women are called by God to be keepers of our homes and help meets to our husbands. I was a working wife and mom for a time and felt overwhelmed by my responsibilities in the home. Even now I sometimes feel like I cannot keep up with everything! Again, planning is crucial to keeping things in order and avoiding the chaos that can build up so quickly. By setting daily and weekly goals the huge task of keeping your home in order and making it a haven for your family can become manageable.
5. Intentional Hospitality - This is an area I definitely struggle with. I am very sociable but very intimidated by the thought of inviting others into my home and feeding and entertaining them. I suppose I am insecure about my housekeeping and cooking abilities. But I have learned that I do my best cleaning and cooking when I am expecting company! As followers of God I think being hospitable is very important!
6. Intentional Stewardship - Of course the word budget is quite the buzzword these days. Being in a good place financially doesn’t happen by accident. We are to be good stewards of the things God has given us and that involves planning and (gulp) saving.
7. Intentional Health - I am the last person to give advice on being healthy and exercising. That being said, it is an area I desperately want to improve in! I have set easy goals that even I can reach that will help me become a healthier person which will not only benefit me but also my family. I’m more enjoyable when I’m healthy!
I hope you will join me over the next seven days as I delve deeper into my own personal plans and goals and that you will consider sitting down and writing your own goals in the near future. Let’s stop wishing our days away and live each day with purpose!
So what I want to share with you is my plan for living intentionally. I formed this plan after reading many books and blogs and spending time praying and reflecting on how God can use me in my life as a stay-at-home-mom. I have highlighted seven areas that we need to think about and will spend the next week sharing my specific goals in hopes that it will help you choose some goals of your own.
1. Intentional Faith - What are you doing on purpose to bring you closer to the Lord? How are you focusing on your relationship with Him? It’s important to set goals and make a plan for not only when you will spend time with Him but how you will spend that time. Tomorrow I will tell you the things I do that have enriched my walk with the Lord.
2. Intentional Marriage - My husband and I get along really well and don’t have a lot of arguments and we never get into heated fights. But is that enough? I want my marriage to go from good to GREAT! That requires some effort and creativity. What can I do to make my marriage even better?
3. Intentional Parenting - If God has blessed you with children then you know what a huge responsibility they are! The task of raising kids often seems daunting and our current culture tells you to just “go with the flow” and that “you’ll survive.” Is that good enough? Not for me and my daughter. I don’t want to survive her younger years, I want to give her the tools to flourish! No one is required to take a class before having children, but there is so much we need to learn if we want to parent our children the way they deserve.
4. Intentional Homemaking - We women are called by God to be keepers of our homes and help meets to our husbands. I was a working wife and mom for a time and felt overwhelmed by my responsibilities in the home. Even now I sometimes feel like I cannot keep up with everything! Again, planning is crucial to keeping things in order and avoiding the chaos that can build up so quickly. By setting daily and weekly goals the huge task of keeping your home in order and making it a haven for your family can become manageable.
5. Intentional Hospitality - This is an area I definitely struggle with. I am very sociable but very intimidated by the thought of inviting others into my home and feeding and entertaining them. I suppose I am insecure about my housekeeping and cooking abilities. But I have learned that I do my best cleaning and cooking when I am expecting company! As followers of God I think being hospitable is very important!
6. Intentional Stewardship - Of course the word budget is quite the buzzword these days. Being in a good place financially doesn’t happen by accident. We are to be good stewards of the things God has given us and that involves planning and (gulp) saving.
7. Intentional Health - I am the last person to give advice on being healthy and exercising. That being said, it is an area I desperately want to improve in! I have set easy goals that even I can reach that will help me become a healthier person which will not only benefit me but also my family. I’m more enjoyable when I’m healthy!
I hope you will join me over the next seven days as I delve deeper into my own personal plans and goals and that you will consider sitting down and writing your own goals in the near future. Let’s stop wishing our days away and live each day with purpose!
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