Top Ten Goals for a Stay at Home Mom that Blogs Full Time.

 

This year has been full of changes, adjustments, new beginnings, heartbreak, difficulties, but has also been full of growth, joy, prosperity, hopefulness, and plenty to be thankful for.

 

We literally began 2016 with our three month old son on a journey of a several surgeries, procedure after procedure, month’s full of in and out of the hospital, fears that overwhelmed us, moments of the unknown, and weaknesses revealing in us that we never realized we had.

It was a time of vulnerability and raw wounds being exposed.

 

But we also come into the middle of the year with victory, growth, new insight, and with an undefeated attitude. Although our greatest victory was our youngest son defeating all the medical diagnoses and coming home healthy; us as a family conquering this with grace and unity was a true blessing.

Our older three children took on roles that they never had to before. They all learned to bear through the season of little attention from their parents. Their extent of loneliness was the same as us. When I felt lonely in the hospital room for weeks on, they felt that same loneliness at home without me. As I woke up desiring to see their faces, they felt the same emptiness I did.

Related Posts about Blogging:

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For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up. Ecclesiastes 4:10

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Later in the year came thankfulness for having family and for all the strength that was given unto us from the Lord.

I now acknowledge with thanksgiving everyday the healthy family, the fullness of our home, and for the place of peace we have.

This year my husband and I purchased our first home together, my father became free from cancer, our children adjusted to a big move, became grounded in their schools and ministry of volunteering, and our marriage developed a new level of communication. On top of all of that, Blogging has became a passion and an absolute blessing to me. It has taught me so much and has given me a new accountability unto the Lord that I have not experienced before.

We are blessed and prosperous in many ways that does not regard to monetary but to the spiritual richness we live in.

 

Although the past twelve months has triumphed with greatness, there are a few outcomes I have reflected back on throughout all the changes and it has brought me to these 10 Things I want to do differently.

 

I believe by following through, each one of these things will increase me, my marriage, children, and blogging journey.

 

Top Ten Goals to set as a Mom Blogger:

 

1. To Not Be Afraid Of My Calling.

I struggle greatly with this. Sadly, the more I choose to not receive my calling to the fullest capacity, the harder the struggle becomes. Even with acting in obedience unto what the Lord requests from me, there is still a void because I am not proclaiming the calling the Lord has given me. I need to do more than just act upon what He requests from me. I need to believe in it and have faith as I walk through each request.  By accepting this in my life, I will be able to achieve in all the other areas in my life that I want to do differently.

 

2. Lay Down on the Floor with My Children More Often.

I love laying on the floor with my children with the intentions of reading a book and playing with them. I believe this to be one of the most important things you can do with your children. When I lay on the floor with them, they get so excited. They feel like I am on their level and it gives them pride. When I take time to do this with my children, it makes me feel better because I made them feel good. I hope to take the initiative to make more time to lay down on the floor with my children.

 

3. Become More Vulnerable on the Blog.

This is an area that I know the Lord is requesting from me. When I write about encouraging new bloggers in Christian blogging, I feel I am transparent about my blogging journey and confident about my research, the usage of my experience in the post, and with the leading of God in this area of blogging; however lately, when I write about motherhood and marriage, I been feeling like the Lord is requesting more vulnerability from me. I know it’s because there are testimonies to be shared. This will be a area in need of prayer and a great deal of submission.

 

4. Journal More.

This is something I miss. I use to journal once to twice a week. I would write to my children or write words that the Lord would give me.  Journaling has become therapeutic to me over the years. I no longer want to slack in this area.

 

5. More Surprises for My Husband

When my husband and I first started dating, surprising each other was the core excitement in our relationship. We would surprise each other with gifts, an unforgettable date night, love notes, surprise visits, and much more. My husband and I still keep this going in our marriage but with all that has became a priority this past year, the surprises become less frequent. I hope to increase in this area this again.

 

6. Increase Faith by the Hearing of the Word.

Praise and worship is constantly playing in our home. The first thing my two youngest children do every morning is hand me the remote to put on our playlist. They know this is our morning routine and I love that! I am now hoping to add more teachings, preaching, and ministries being played in our home. Last month, I did this for 7 days and felt a big difference in the atmosphere. I truly believe, hearing the word in the home increases the faith in the home. Besides regular Church service or having family bible studies, I want my children to know the word of God is in the home at all times.

 

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As for me and my home, we will serve the Lord.

Joshua 24:15

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7. Cry More

I consider myself to be an emotional person. It’s not something I want to be as much as I am but over the years I have learned to be ok with it. I now know it is part of me. It is part of my gift. I experience a lot of emotion because with the calling that is upon my life. I feel the heartbreaks and burdens that lead me to weep for God’s people; which leads me to pray with boldness and authority. There is a greater understanding as the middle person when you are in the spirit and willing to feel what the Lord wants you to feel. But because of my fear of my calling I began to deviate from this.

Selfishly, I came to a place that I didn’t want to feel the hurts and burdens anymore. I felt I wasn’t good enough for the calling which then became a bitterness that stopped me from crying. Even when the tears were at the rim of my eye I forced my mind to change and fight for no tears.

The other day I heard someone praying and they said, “God is calling for you to express it, relieve it, to call it out by name but some of you are fighting it back so much that it becomes numb and you no longer knows when the soul needs it. You have pushed it so deep down that it’s no longer a surface issue but an internal issue. God wants his people to be free to weep and receive the anointing of healing.” This convicted me and led me to the truth about myself which is; I want to be free and I do want the anointing for the glory of God. I want to cry more, it’s what God called me to do.

 

8. Stick to My Plans.

I enjoy time blocking for when I work on the blog or for any other tasks in the home. It helps me stay focused and on track for my daily goals and routines. My issue is getting myself to start on my plans and not get distracted the first five minutes from the task at hand.

I wake up, tell myself to get a cup of coffee, plug my phone in, and get laptop ready to work for 1 hour before kids wake up. Before I even get to my coffee, I have picked up a toy that was left out the night before, wiped down the counters from the older kids breakfast, checked doors to make sure they were locked from kids leaving to school, pushed the dog outside, and turned on my music. This is usually about the time I now only have 20 minutes. I am hoping to getting better at this so I can save a lot of time and feel more productive.

 

9. Find Mentorship

This is something I have been desiring. I believe the yearning is there because this is something the Lord desires for us to have.

The word of God is full of examples of the elders teaching the young; for the older women to train the younger women. I am a firm believer to take heed to the words of the elders. They have encountered much more than us younger ones and a wisdom that only comes from experience.

I am very blessed by many of the women in the church I attend. Although I receive mentorship on many things on different types of levels all the time; I feel my heart is leading me to pray and seek the Lord for a ‘Naomi and Ruth’ relationship. Where the commitment of training is inseparable. I feel like there is so much for me to learn and I humbly desire a godly women to train me up in the direction of the Lord.

 

10.  Get More Involved

This is a area I choose to grow in every year. Each year I strive to increase the amount of time I give in volunteer, ministry, and fellowship time. These are things I love doing and want to enjoy more and more every year.

 

What are you wanting to do differently? What have you experienced this recent year that has given you new perceptive on things?