Re-Evaluating Your Life & Making Change

So, I know I’ve been MIA this past week. I’m so sorry! Life has just been super stressful. Last Tuesday we ended up in the emergency room with Sarah, after I had called the doctor because of a new pain she was having in her abdomen. It turned out to be nothing and they didn’t keep her, but it made for an exhausting day.

Thursday we went to see the surgeon and while that was the only thing we did that day, it took us all day to drive there, see the doctor and come home. And since Wednesdays around here are always physically exhausting, Thursday night was even more so because of the emotions involved. Sarah’s scheduled for surgery this coming Friday, January 22, and she’ll be in the hospital for several days.

I did manage to get more rest on Friday and Saturday so Sunday I felt better. I’ve been so worried about Sarah and stressed over the magnitude of everything, it’s just been hard. I spent Sunday cleaning my house, but there’s still a lot to be done!

In other news, last week while at Costco I purchased something I’ve been wanting for a really, really long time. Years. I’ve been saving my money and when I saw it was $300.00 off… well, I couldn’t resist. I bought a Canon T6i Camera. I know next to nothing about cameras. Nothing. So I have a lot to learn and no time to do it. But I’m hoping with practice it’ll just get easier. So, in today’s posts, and in future posts you’ll see some of my photography as I practice. And if you know of a great place where I could learn how to use better, let me know in the comments!

Today I practiced taking a few photos of two of our cats – Milo and Quill. They were sleeping on my bed in the sunshine and seemed like an easy target.

Re-Evaluating Your Life

It’s never too late to re-evaluate your life and make a change for the better.

I’m a big believer in re-evaluating your life throughout the year. I do it fairly often – and not necessarily on a schedule. It’s just something I do.

It’s kind of like goal setting. I ask myself questions and change my direction as needed.

• What are my present goals in life?
• Am I taking care of priorities the way I need to?
• Am I headed toward my goals?
• What changes do I need to make in order to reach my goals for this season?

Without goals, you are basically just drifting through life instead of living with intention.

Even in homemaking, you need to set goals for yourself, your home, and your family. Thoughtful homemaking requires you to spend time thinking about what it is you need to change, ideas you have for making home special for your family, mealtime ideas, how to help a family member through a tough time. Planning for your week, month, and the year will help you stay on track with your goals.

The Ministry of Homemaking

Sometimes we realize that we aren’t headed in the direction we’d like to be going. Maybe you set a goal to cook healthier meals for your family but you got overwhelmed with knowing where to start. Instead of deciding it’s useless to try, make actionable goals to work toward.

• I will cook one new healthy recipe each week.
• As I find new recipes my family loves, I will begin to incorporate them into our weekly meal plan.
• Old favorites that bring comfort to my family will be saved for special occasions or Friday night.

It’s also okay to change your course in the middle. I can’t count the times over the past 17 years of homeschooling my kids that we’ve changed curriculum in the middle of the school year. Thankfully that doesn’t happen every year, but it’s happened several times! If something isn’t working the way you imagined, switch gears.

Regardless of the change you need to make, realize that change takes time to settle in and become comfortable. It’s all part of the learning and growing process. Also, realize that change isn’t always easy – even when it’s good. So give yourself grace for the moment and press on toward the finish line!

Home Work

Answers these questions below in a journal or notebook. Or, download my journaling page here.

• Look up these verses and write them down in your journal: Philippians 3:14, Psalm 37:4
• What changes would you like to make regarding your life, home, and family?
• What are some actionable goals you can make to help those changes take place?
• What kind of life do you dream of living?
• How does your life right now match up to that dream?
• Are there reasonable changes you can make to reach those goals?