Joyful Heart

I have listed quite a few goals for spiritual change in 2012. I am not one to typically make New Year’s resolutions, but this year, I really felt God was challenging me to work on several specific areas. I shared those goals in my last post, ‘What If…?’ .

Today, I want to share the practical side to a few of these goals. (And, perhaps, some of you with similar goals might join me!)

1) Being filled more with gratitude than complaining

My dear sister in law bought 1000 Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are for me this Christmas. With the break in school and some uncommon free time, I devoured the book!

Here are some of my favorite quotes from Ann Voskamp’s book – so poignant -

…how else do we accept His free gift of salvation if not with thanksgiving? Thanksgiving is the evidence of our acceptance of whatever He gives. Thanksgiving is the manifestation of our Yes! to His grace. Thanksgiving is inherent to a true salvation experience; thanksgiving is necessary to live the well, whole, fullest life.  (p. 39)

…that habit of discontentment can only be driven out by hammering in one iron sharper. The sleek pin of gratitude.   (p. 50)

To name a thing is to manifest the meaning and value God gave it, to know it as coming from God and to know its place and function within the cosmos created by God. To name a thing, in other words, is to bless God for it and in it.     (p. 53)

God gives gifts and I give thanks and I unwrap the gift given: joy.   (p. 57)

So, with my pen and gratitude journal in hand, I am taking the challenge to write down and name 1000 gifts from God this year!  Want to join me?  Over at Ann’s website, A Holy Experience, she is kicking off the year with a challenge to us all- The Joy Dare: Count 1000 Gifts in 2012 (and a giveaway!).

2) That I pray more diligently

Again, my sister in law shared with me a link to Praying Proverbs 31: Prayers For a Daughter’s Virtue.  It is a book written by Tracy Glockle that contains prayers for our daughters that stem from Proverbs 31.  Over the course of 10 weeks, I plan to pray for each of our three girls – focused prayers on virtue, purity, vision, service, etc. After completing this, I hope to pray for our sons using Warrior Prayers: Praying the Word for Boys in the Areas They Need It Most by Brooke McGlothlin.   I also want to regularly pray through the related Scriptures that accompanied each of my goals.  Intentional, focused prayers that offer me one way to pray more diligently in the new year!  

3) That my children witness me growing in Christ-likeness

I can only grow if I am studying His Word! I already read the Bible daily, but I want to have a plan to dig deeper. After growing and being challenged in the Good Morning Girls’ Ministry of Motherhood Book Study last summer and then taking the fall study off due to WAY TOO MUCH on my plate, I am now ready to dive back into the online winter study. For the next three months, I hope to study, verse by verse, the book of Ephesians. Good Morning Girls has made it so easy to start!  I just need to print the schedule and S.O.A.P study sheets out, place everything in a binder, and prayerfully work through the verses each morning.

4) That I fully trust God for all the unknowns

I will have many opportunities this year to trust Him for the unknowns! With our involvement with Wycliffe alone there are a myriad of unknowns – What is the timing of us being fully supported and able to be released for our assignment?  When do we place our home on the market and how do we find time to prep the house for sale and continue to have time for day to day duties and homeschool?  How long will it take to sell?  Where will we be living at the end of this year?  What are the logistics for taking the required linguistics courses?  I could continue to ramble on with questions, but that is not productive. I must turn to Christ and trust Him fully for the timing and details… and rest secure in His loving hand. I plan to reread and reflect frequently on His past faithfulness and on my growing compilation of 1000 gifts.  Being able to remember Christ’s past faithfulness will help me to not be anxious about the future.

He is the potter and I am the clay. May Christ mold me-
my heart, my mind, my actions
– to be what He desires for me to be.
Through His strength.  For His glory.

What if 2012 is the year…

that I delight more in God and His Word than in falling prey to the fear of man?

Fear of man will prove to be a snare,
but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.
Proverbs 29:25

that I fully trust God for all of the unknowns?

Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5-6

that I learn how to love others more deeply?

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Philippians 2:1-4

that I am filled more with gratitude than with complaining?

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.  Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.
Colossians 3:15-16

that I allow Christ to subdue my tongue and I become skilled at speaking in a manner that builds up rather than tears down?

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
Proverbs 15:1

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths,
but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs,
that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
Ephesians 4:28-30

that my children witness me growing in Christ-likeness?

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
2 Peter 3:18a

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Galatians 5:22-23a

that I pray more diligently?

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
Colossians 4:2

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances,
for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Dear Lord, through Christ and Your Holy Spirit, may it be so!  For in that, in You, it would truly be a great year.  Center my life on You.  Prepare my heart and mind for what You have in store for my family and I this coming year.

In December, as Christmas day draws nearer, there is an anticipation.

Each December, we enjoy our activity countdown to Christmas- sometimes on a countdown chain, sometimes tucked inside our advent nativity calendar. 

We look forward to crafts…

an annual family game…

singing carols…

completing our nightly star chart…

and making yummy Christmas treats!

Is our family simply looking forward to the gifts, the special holiday treats, sights of Christmas lights strung from the housetops and on trees, a time off from regular school work, enjoyable activities and crafts as a family, a chance to be with family and friends? 

Those are all good things.  And so, from the outside one might say, ‘Yes. They are just making memories!’  We do pray that these young minds and hearts are developing precious memories to carry with them as they age, but also SO MUCH MORE.  We desire for there to be depth to our childrens’ memories – looking past the actual crafts with the shimmering glitter and splattered paint, through the yummy Christmas treat experiments, around the daily countdown, over the gifts that begin to appear beneath the tree ….. and straight to the cross.

For, in the midst of all the activity, we try to focus on the ‘why’ of the season. 
Why do we celebrate Christmas? 
Why is there so much fuss over the coming of one certain day each year? 

Because in the midst of a dark world, God chose to send His Son to bring us Light
– to BE the Light.
While we were darkened and trapped by our rebellion and sins,
God sent His One and Only Son into the world to redeem us
– to save us from our sins.

No, the Bible doesn’t tell us that Jesus was born on December 25.  But, we take this time to reflect on the humble birth of our heavenly King, the LIGHT of the world.  He is the GIFT, the PROMISE that everyone in the Jewish world was anticipating, and the HOPE that our hearts and souls desperately need. 

The Light for a dark world…

1 John 1:9
The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.

 
May we set our hearts on Him.

Isaiah 60:1-3

Arise, shine, for your light has come,
   and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth
   and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the LORD rises upon you
   and his glory appears over you.
Nations will come to your light,
   and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

Wow!  Thanks for all the positive comments about Your Turn – Kid Timer! 

I know there are some random generators out there for blog giveaways, but seeing as this is our first ever giveaway, we simply had our darling children draw names the old fashioned way.  5 kids and 5 winners!

So, without further ado, here are our winners….

Andi Hogan
Alicia
Joshua H.
Nina Jones
Stephen Schiller

Congratulations!!!

We will be emailing the winners their codes so you can have access to your free app – Your Turn – Kid Timer!  After you try it out, my hubby would love additional feedback over at the Apple App Store =)  And, for those of you whose names were not drawn, Your Turn – Kid Timer is still available in the Apple App Store – on sale for $1.99 through January 31, 2012.   Thanks to all who participated!!

As a busy mom with five little ones, four of whom enjoy playing games on our iPad, I was tired of hearing, “Whose turn is it?  How long can I play for?  She had it longer than me!   It’s MY turn now!”   With all the arguing and bickering created over using the iPad, I wasn’t certain all those cool games, whether educational or not, were really worth the hassle and stress. (And you somehow thought our family might be different?  LOL!)   

Then, my knight in shining armor (aka my software loving husband) said, “I could make an app for that.”   So, after teaming up with a great designer (William Larsen), devoting countless hours, and using our all too willing kids as testers, there IS now an app for that!

I’m excited to share with you an app that makes sharing any iOS device less stressful for parents…
Your Turn – Kid Timer!

So, how does it work?

It is pretty simple, actually!

As your child plays, Your Turn counts down the minutes until the next child’s turn. When time is up, Your Turn signals to both kids that it’s time to switch. With the tap of a button, the new child’s turn begins. It’s super easy and kid friendly.

FEATURES
* Add any number of players
* Set playing time per player
* Disable a player who isn’t playing without having to delete
        (The animal will look as though it is asleep!  Super cute!)
* Choose one of six different fun farm animals (pig, horse, donkey, dog, cow, or chicken)
* Plays a warning sound (the sound of the animal that is next) one minute before the timer expires
* Plays an alarm sound (and shows an alert when timer expires
      (This is longer than the warning sound and plays background music with the next player’s animal sound – very fitting for the theme!)
* Plays sound of next player so that they can listen for their sound
* Sounds match player’s farm animal
* Start next player from the alert
* Can be used without an internet connection
* Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 4.1 or later.

SCENARIOS
Scenario 1: "I want my older child to have a bit more time to play than my younger one."   No problem—Your Turn allows parents to set individual time allotments for each child. These time settings are saved and do not have to be set each time.

Scenario 2: "I have assigned each of my kids to a farm animal sound but one of them isn’t going to be playing right now."  Simple, click a button and Your Turn will remove that child from being timed until their animal is turned back on by you.

Scenario 3: "I only have one child but I want to keep track of the time he is using my iPhone."  Of course, just assign yourself one of the farm animals and when you hear your animal sound it’s time for junior to hand the phone back.

Free yourself up from officiating whose turn it is and help your kids learn to share with the help of Your Turn.

When Your Turn – Kid Timer was released in the Apple App Store, we had a family ‘release party’ of sorts!  The cupcakes are based on two of the fun barn animal characters kids can choose from.

Do you want to WIN IT?
Come celebrate with us!  No, I can’t offer you one of the tasty cupcakes, but I can offer you a free app!  As a special promotion, my hubby has given me promotion codes to give away to 5 lucky readers! 

The first and mandatory entry is to leave a comment on this blog post letting us know what you are most looking forward to in using the Your Turn – Kid Timer app with your kids, making sure to leave your email so I can contact you. 

You can have a second (optional) entry by ‘liking’ Your Turn iPhone App on Facebook and then leaving a comment here letting me know that you did.

The giveaway ends at midnight on Friday, December 16th!   Winners will be randomly selected.  I will share the winner’s names online and notify through email as well.  So, please be sure to leave a way for me to contact you in case you win!

Update:  This giveaway is officially closed.  Please see the winners, above.

You can also BUY IT!
If you don’t think your family can wait to start using Your Turn – Kid Timer, please know that it IS available for purchase in the Apple App Store!  Between now and January 31, 2012, Your Turn – Kid Timer is on sale for $1.99!  (Shameless plug, I know.) 

Now, instead of hearing bickering, I hear, “It’s your turn!”

Ahhh….some peace and quiet….just in time for Christmas =)