Planning for the New Year

One of the many books we got for Christmas this year is quickly becoming one of our favorites!  It's Organized Simplicity by Tsh (pronounced "Tish") Oxenreider, & it's not just about getting your house in order (although it is that) - it's about getting your whole life in order.  Your life's purpose, your time, your money, & your home - getting all of these under control & simplified & (most importantly) getting all of these to work together toward a common goal.  Keeping what's truly important, chucking what's not.  All of this, as she says, doesn't happen naturally; you have to plan for it & then live out that plan.  It makes perfect sense & is really resonating with both Michael & me.  We've already gone to her website & printed off a lot of her downloads (which we highly recommend), & we're already using the Daily Docket to create more productive days.  Her "20 Questions" & "Goal-Setting Questions" have spurred a lot of discussion in our home, as well.  And, to be perfectly honest, we're both rather intrigued by her whole "'poo-free" practice!  We might be giving that a try this coming year - after all, we're already big proponents of fluoride-free toothpaste & eschewing antiperspirant for chemical-free deodorant!

Last evening, in the spirit of planning a simpler life - & in keeping with my newly filled-out Daily Docket - I came up with a month's worth of meal plans, including an alternate 5th week, for us to rotate through.  I have tried spending time each week to come up with a new meal plan, but I get overwhelmed trying to wrack my brain for something new all the time.  So!  We now have 5 weeks worth of meals already planned out that we can simply switch out at the start of each week & be on our way!  Breakfasts & snacks stay the same each week, & supper is leftovers from lunch.  The only thing that changes from week to week is the lunchtime meal.  So much easier!

Then, this morning, I open up my email to see that Beth has sent me a New Year's post from my favorite preacher (John Piper, in case you're new here), & what is he talking about?  Yep!  Planning!  His post took me through the Proverbs to show examples of planning & wise ways to plan.  He showed me how Paul, God the Father, & Jesus all planned (present tense for the Father & the Son) & set out to accomplish those plans.  His conclusion was that we should look to the Scriptures as our guide, that we should plan for the most important aspects of our lives - especially including our spiritual lives - & that we should do so not just once at the start of the year, but regularly.  As usual, it's an excellent post that I highly recommend everyone reading & putting into practice.  And, when you do read it, notice the date that it was actually written!  My immediate thought was that God's Word is truly timeless & always applicable to our lives!