Photo Credit: Ben Avery

This past week as I was listening to Ann Voskamp talk in a podcast, I was reminded of an article I had read by her earlier this year that had really touched my heart. You can read the entire article here.

Ann Voskamp is the author of One Thousand Gifts Devotional – which I love by the way! It’s simply a lovely book. She is also the author of A Holy Experience blog. Her writing is, in a word, poignant.

Here’s a quote:

I lay my hand on the page, on a duck breast puffed, mother plunging beak in deep, and I say it out loud: “How else did you think nests were lined?”

With leftovers.

That’s what I thought.

With feathers discarded, the molted, the not-so-necessary feathers.

I thought mother ducks picked feathers up from what was laying about, scraps, lining nests with what simply could be mustered after the fact.

But no. No, a mother duck plucks each feather out from the heart of her bosom.

She lines the nest with bits of herself — the best of herself.

A mother cups her brood not with leftovers — but with her own sacrifice.

Isn’t that beautiful?

I thought so, too.

I want to encourage you (and myself) to give your family the very best of yourself. Pluck feathers from your breast, instead of giving them the leftovers – give them the best you have to offer. One of my favorite songs is Lead Me by Sanctus Real. I love the line that says,

“I’ll show them I’m willing to fight
And give them the best of my life
So we can call this our home
Lead me, ’cause I can’t do this alone.”

With a new year approaching, I thought it would be nice to really focus on ways I can bless my home and family with the best of myself by setting reasonable goals. Really, more often than not, life’s best moments are found in the little details. And that’s where I want to start.

I’ve been really sick since Thanksgiving and I’m behind on a lot of household things. So, this week I’ll be spending time getting things in order and really ready for Christmas. I’m still sick, my head is in a fog, but I’m feeling somewhat better.I’m hoping that this week I’ll recover fully and have some energy to get things done!

Would you join me? How are you blessing your home this week?

Goals for this week:

1. Put away autumn decorations and finish decorating for Christmas
2. Simmer Aroma Punch on the stove everyday
3. Make an apple recipe everyday – I need to use up our fresh apples!
4. Catch up on Laundry – two loads a day
5. Finish reading 24/6: A Prescription for a Happier, Healthier Life by Matthew Sleeth

Menus and Recipes:

Apples:

• Fried Apples
• Baked Apples
• Applesauce
• Apple Salad
• Apple Cobbler
• Apple Pie

Suppers:

• Vegetable Fajitas, Re-fried Beans
• Stuffed Peppers
• Crock Pot Potato Soup
• Sweet Potato Black Bean nchiladas
• Vegetable Soup and Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
• Oatmeal Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, and Peas
• Chili and Baked Potatoes

Other recipes to try:

• Crockpot Hot Chocolate
• Krispy Kreme Doughnut Copycat recipe
• Roasted Carrots
• No Knead Peasant Bread

Christmas Treats:

• Cheese Crackers
• Date Balls
• Snowball Cookies
• Pretzel Kisses

My Daily Chore List:

Monday: Carpets and Floors

Tuesday: Bathrooms

Wednesday: Kitchen/Baking Bread

Thursday: Sheets and Bedding

Friday: Sabbath Preparation

About the Giveaway:

A few days ago, I received this sweet little gift book titled The God Box by Mary Lou Quinlan, a New York Times Best Seller.

From the Introduction:

Last fall, I wrote an essay about a discovery my family made after losing my mom. We found her God Box, in which she had stowed dozens of tiny handwritten messages to God on our behalf. My father, brother and I always knew Mom loved us and knew that she placed petitions for us in her God Box, but it wasn’t until we found this treasure that we truly realized how deeply she cared for so many years.

From the Cover:

Poignantly written and beautifully designed, The God Box is a gift for every mother, every daughter, every person who, regardless of beliefs, trusts in the permanence of love and the power of family.

After reading through the sweet and tearful story, my first thought was how this mother preserved a legacy of faith in her daughter and that it was a perfect giveaway, here just before Christmas.

Copy and Paste the Code Below:

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I hope you’ll link up with your goals and share with the rest of us! Here are the rules:

• I’ll feature my favorite post next week!
• Link to your blog post – not your main blog page.
• Link back here. You can use the button above if you like.
• You can link up with any post related to your homemaking activities/goals this week
• Even if you don’t have a blog, share with us in the comments!

How are you blessing your home this week?