"Look carefully then how you walk..."

I'm not really a "new year's resolution" type of person; however, I am about making changes in my life or in the life of our family when I feel like God is leading that way.  The beginning of a new year does present a great opportunity to re-evaluate what we value, how we spend our time and money, how we take care of our bodies, etc.  Some of the areas we had already begun to make changes, so we are just going deeper into those new lifestyles.

Health changes we are working on this year: REAL food.  If it comes in a box or a can you better believe I am reading every ingredient and if it's something I don't recognize, can't pronounce, etc. it's not going in our bodies.  This is our "home" rule.  I am not going to be a crazy-food-vigilante. (like not letting my kids eat snacks at church, other people's homes, etc.)  If we want cookies we will make them ourselves.  They will have real butter, organic sugar, unbleached flour, etc. This is just a personal conviction of mine and a step away from "diets" and a step toward good, healthy living.

How we spend our time is another area that I want to tweak.  (and this relates to money as well)  We got rid of Direct TV.  The cost is outrageous and we don't need 5trillion channels.  I'm tired of commercials that are practically pornographic, consumerism being bombarded at my 3 year old (she will inevitably want every toy she sees in a commercial), and the temptation to turn on the TV at every lull in the day.  We have an apple TV now, with netflix on it and instead of background noise during the day we are listening to KLove through the radio app on the apple tv.  These are very positive changes in our home.

Nightly Family Bible Stories and songs is an area we are more committed to than ever.  I can think of nothing more important than Brandon leading our family in devotions and prayer.  We are making a point to do this as a family; reading from our Jesus Storybook Bible, sharing how we need God's help to learn from each story, sharing how we can pray for each other and praying for others.  We are ending our story time with singing together.  I am blessed to have almost 30 years of investment in my music archive.  I want to sing songs over my children that say true, great, and praiseworthy things about God.


Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
(Ephesians 5:15-21 ESV)