Getting Started

Okay...well, here goes! I'm so excited about starting this blog. It's something I've thought about for several months now, but just kept going, "what would I blog about?" I was laying in bed and thought..."okay, I'm going to do it and this is how I'm going to do it, and why I'm going to do it..." and I got real excited about it and jumped out of bed and fired up the laptop (brand new one for Christmas...thanks mom!) So here I am...nearly 2am, typing away with ideas bouncing around in my head.

First off, I want to explain the title of this blog. The Clear Message. It is in reference to the great Michael Jackson song, "Man In The Mirror."  (No message could have been any clearer). Listen to the song when you get a chance...that's how I've been feeling for a while now. My kids and I sing it in the car all the time from the Joyful Noise soundtrack and I often make reference to it on my facebook page...I just love the lyrics! Anyway. That's where the name came from.

Second, I should explain what the blog will be about. Of course it's a new year and so many people make resolutions. I've never really gotten into that...not that I have a problem with committment, but I just think life throws us so many curve balls, why stick to ONE resolution, when you can make a new one everyday! This year, I guess because I'm getting older, I thought maybe I should sit down and not really make a resolution, but just set some goals for the year. I didn't write these goals down, I just expressed them to my friends and then to the hubby. As I was talking about it all with him tonight I started getting a little overwhelmed. That's when my wheels started turning. I've been wanting to write, or journal, or blog anyway, so why not take the opportunity to share this journey through 2013 with a blog?!? I can set my goals, share my experiences with friends, and maybe if I feel like even just one person is reading this it would feel sorta like I was being held accountable. I can talk about good times, bad times, and set new goals and hopefully get a little feedback. I think it's going to be fun! I'm a little nervous too!

So, I guess this is how I will do this. I will set out some goals, and then daily, I hope, write about that day and figure out if I'm moving in the right direction. So...here are some of the goals I talked about tonight with my hubby. These are qualities that I hope to master throughout the year. They affect the kind of wife, mother, daughter, teacher, and friend I hope to be.

1. I want to get my butt in gear! Ask any of my close friends and they'll tell you, I could sleep 24 hours a day if I could. I don't know why...I've always been that way. I just like my bed and my pillow! I'm not depressed, I'm not sick, I just like to sleep. So, ultimately I would LOVE to get up super early, COOK breakfast for my kids and husband (except those days he goes to work at 6am lol), shower, get dressed, put on make up, fix my hair and be ready to face my day by the time LJ goes to school. Think I can do it?

2. As a spin off of #1 I would like to get into a work out regimen. They say when you exercise you gain energy and that's what I need. I know a lot of people say they like working out in the morning the best, so maybe that needs to be added to my schedule before the whole cooking breakfast thing...

3. I want to be THAT mom. You know what I mean? The one who is so on top of things and brings the cutest little projects to the class parties. I want my children to be so proud to call me mom and just as happy as can be. I don't want to want to pull my hair out by the end of the day.

4. I want to be THAT wife. I want my husband to ADORE me. I want him to sit and think, "How does she do it? She's wonderful, and beautiful..." Okay, maybe I can't control what he thinks, but I can sure step it up in that department...ahem.

5. I want to be crafty. I have great ideas, I just don't know when, where or how I would ever get them done. I want to give crafty gifts, I want to have a space in my "office" where I can do things like that. I want to have time alotted to things like that.

6. I want to GIVE. I want to give money, I want to give time, I want to give cards, I want to give gifts. I don't want to sit back and say, "Oh, I should have sent them flowers..."

7. I want to keep my home organized and clean. When I clean I CLEAN, but it only lasts for about 3-4 days before it's totally out of control again and I have CLEAN again...it's the maintainance thing that I fall behind on...I'm just tired...ugh!

8. I want to be frugal. I've tried before and did okay, but I quit. I need to coupon, I need to shop for the best deal, I need to upcycle, I need to diy.

9. I want to stick to a devotional. When I took the position at the church I knew that I would miss out on alot of my women's class and devotional, so I bought the book they were starting and told myself I would do it at home...yeah...it's sitting on my dresser with dust on it.

10. I want to pray about a specific cause daily. Whether it be an individual person or just something weighing heavy on our hearts, I want my family to talk about that particular thing each day and pray together about it.

11. I want to have a weekly date night with my husband. Too often my find myself totally behind on what's going on in his world and covered up with what's going on in my or the kids. We need that alone time ever now and then....so I'll be looking for babysitters!

12. I want to be inspirational. There are two girls right now that I would call my inspiration. One is Rachel Miller, my pastor's wife and good friend. She just seems to always be so on top of things. I'm sure her life behind closed doors is just as crazy as anyone else's (she says it is), but you wouldn't know it to look at her. She's beautiful, she has a happy husband, happy, beautiful children, she's crafty, she gets stuff done, she's everywhere she needs to be on time, she throws the cutest baby showers, and she's always there for you when you need her. She's like superwoman. The other one is my Super Star Director, Allison Dalke. She blogged for an entire year last year and in reading that I felt like I got to know her as a friend. She probably couldn't pick me out of crowd, but she inspires me. I highly suggest you check out her blog too.

Okay, there ya have it. 12 goals. I separated them out into 12 thinking maybe I could work on one each month...not neccessarily in the order i listed them, but there, they're in type, they are stored forever in this blog, and people will read it, they will watch me, they will read about my days, they will hold me accountable, and hopefully lift me up when I get down. I sure hope nobody gets on here and pokes fun, bullys or makes fun...oh gosh, now I'm getting nervous. Nah...all is good, I will be praying about this blog and praying though it. I know that God has great plans for me, but I have to put in the work to be the best me I can be. Proverbs 31 will probably be mentioned alot in this blog and I intend on finding lots of other scripture to guide me through this too. If I do all of what I've mentioned I think my home will be a happy one, my business will be a successful one, and my legacy will be a lovely one...those are my hopes anyway!