Make 2019 the Year of Doing What Matters

I’m a planner at heart. It just comes naturally for me. I’m by no means perfect at it…but I love the feeling of having a map for my days, weeks, months and ultimately the year. It gives me focus and clarity and helps me choose activities that keep me headed in the right direction.

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To say I’m excited about using Powersheets for the first time is an understatement. This goal planner is not only beautiful aesthetically, it shows me how to get to the heart of my goals.

It’s one thing just to slap down some goals but it’s another thing to really connect with those goals and really own your purpose. These Powersheets not only help you work through your thoughts and ideas, but they truly help you get to the heart of your goals.

When we talk about focusing on what matters, it goes beyond just a mere to-do list. The Powersheets don’t just have space for you to jot down goals. It has space for your “why”. It has space for letting things go and helping you clear clutter from your life. It offers so many ideas and examples to get your creativity flowing.

Sometimes we need to clear clutter from our own minds in order to see what our goals truly are in order to map them out effectively.

For me, 2019 is going to be a year of growth.

“Cultivated goals are about growing what you’ve been given well. A little intentional forethought goes a long way.” #Powersheets

The only way growth can take place is by pruning some good things so the best things have space to blossom. Powersheets help you do just that and so much more!

My approach to setting goals in the past has been with the attitude of: “Yeah, I would love to do these things if I can get around to them.”

Sure, I did alright working toward some goals this year but I needed to let go of some things to fully reach my potential.

I’m so excited to use Powersheets to help walk me through that process. I will be sharing my journey of preparing myself for 2019 through the Powersheets as well as setting my goals. You can follow this journey on Instagram, but I will also share some here on the blog as well.

If any of this resonates with you and you want to make a change that will have an impact on, not only the next year, but on your life, I invite you to grab the 2019 Powersheets for yourself. You can choose the cover that best suits your hearts desire. Own it and make it yours!

Cultivate What Matters also has some wonderful accessories you can get to help you get the full use of the Powersheets.

Let’s flourish in 2019! Dreams become decisions when you cultivate them!
~Cultivate What Matters

For His Glory,

Christin Slade

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A Few of My Favorite Things | A Gift Guide for Your Girlfriends

One thing I love about Christmas is the ability to bless people with sweet gifts and watch their faces light up. The Christmas season really enhances the giving spirit. But sometimes we're at a loss on what to give.

I am not one to buy items just because they are a good deal. I tend to lean towards gifts that are both inspiring and practical. Though I may stretch the practical just a bit. But buying trinkets or nicknacks or cheap items just to give someone something to open isn't really my style. I like gifts to be meaningful.

I hope this guide will offer you some direction -- either help you get started or finish up -- shopping for those special gals in your life.

 

FitBit

I think a Fitbit is a great idea for a friend who's been talking about wanting to get healthy, but just hasn't made it happen yet. Or for one who has made mention of wanting one or wanting an upgrade.  Check it out here {there are more colors and sizes to choose from}--> FitBit

Powersheets

This is a super powerful goal planner that will help you focus on what matters in 2019 and let go of what is only getting in the way of the most important things.

Mugs

Here are just a few of the beautiful mugs DaySpring is offering at buy one get one free. That makes some of them $5 each!! Including those pictured above.

I have the Jesus and Shine mugs and I LOVE them. These make wonderful gifts! Get them here---> Coffee/tea mugs.

Gift Sets

These gift sets are only $12 at DaySpring right now, and this only represents a few of them. Click here to see more---> Gift Sets

There are some great options here, many of them over 50% off!

Gracelaced Devotion

This isn't only a beautifully written devotional, it's also beautifully and illustrated by the author herself. This makes a gorgeous gift!! Get yours here---> Gracelaced Devotional

She Reads Truth Bible

I have the She Reads Truth Bible and I really love it. It has beautiful, inspiring graphics throughout, devotions, and Bible reading plans. It's a great Bible to keep at home for studying or long term goals for reading through the Bible. Pair it with a journal, and you have a great combination!

Give Thanks--Wooden Caddy

Right now, this Wooden Caddy is only $10!!! It's normally $30!! 

I use it for homeschooling--housing pencils, markers, and colored pencils in it. We use it every day!

Grab yours here--->Wooden Caddy

I hope you at least get a few ideas from these awesome things I love--many of them on fantastic sales right now!

This post contains affiliate links. Please see full disclosure here.

When You Just Need Space to Breathe

Mothering can be overwhelming, exhausting, and at times, guilt-ridden. Do you ever feel like you just need space to breathe?

Have you ever been in a place when you don't feel like you could be a mother that day? When the covers and the bed felt safer than getting up and doing something you feel like you're failing at? When the fatigue is overpowering your willpower to "just do it"?

Oh, friend, I have been there. It's a tough place to be, but sometimes it's even tougher to admit it. Sarah Mae, my sweet friend, has done the hard part. She has stepped out and admitted her struggles with raw honesty in her book, "Desperate: Hope for the Mom Who Needs to Breathe."

I have gone through (and at times still do!) what Sarah Mae talks about in Chapter 3 "Formulas Don't Always Work."

She says,

"Formulas don't create guilt, but failing to get the desired result from following formulas most certainly can lead to horrible feelings of inadequacy and guilt: 'I must not be doing it enough.' 'I must not be doing it right.' 'What am I doing wrong?'"

I am struggling even now with things I learned early on as a mother. My mind needs to "unlearn" all the things I was taught about formulas because children are not all the same. Many parenting books are well-meaning and based off either the author's own experience as a parent or as a child psychologist, basing much of their formula's from their own research.

The problem is, there is no magic formula for perfect parenting--because there is no perfect parenting!

This is the beauty of motherhood. It's realizing our children are unique individuals who will not all respond the same way.

Sally says in this same chapter,

"It is vitally important for women to learn how to think biblically for themselves instead of being enslaved to other people's thoughts and opinions. To truly follow God with everything in our lives, we must learn to develop discernment."

Discernment is simply knowing what Truth is and knowing what is false. We learn this by knowing His Word. The Holy Spirit is our guide and He offers us individual instruction for our individual children.

Sally goes on to say that each family is its own unique unit with its own dynamic.

"If you do not have a plan or a philosophy, then you will try to fit your life into other people's plans."

Sally closes this chapter with some sweet words of advice and encouragement:

"Be yourself; be the best and most excellent and most righteous self you can be, but live in the freedom of God's call and design on your life."

This beautiful book is packed with encouraging words of wisdom, honesty, truth, and encouragement.

One of my favorite elements of this book is reading the short letters exchanged between Sarah Mae and Sally at the beginning of each chapter. It's a glimpse into a mentoring relationship between a Titus 2 woman and a young mother and it is absolutely beautiful. The peek offers so much insight and gives a great example of what this book represents outside of itself: a community of older women teaching and encouraging young moms.

If you don't yet have a copy of Desperate, you can get your copy here: Desperate: Hope for the Mom Who Needs to Breathe, Kindle copy here: Desperate for Kindle.

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For His Glory,

Christin

The Songs of Jesus: A Journey Through the Psalms

Our culture is in a Truth war. We are in a battle for God's truth versus man's truth, and unfortunately the vast majority cry in favor of man's truth. Even scholars and pastors and big time Christian leaders.

The only way we can win the battle of Truth is to see to it we read God's truth every day. I know for moms it can be super hard to find time to dig into the Word. Especially when we just don't know where to start, or we only have 5 or 10 minutes before someone comes looking for you!

I was so thrilled to stumble upon this packed little devotional by Timothy Keller called: The Songs of Jesus: a Year of Daily Devotions in the Psalms.

Now, there is something you should know about me...if you don't already. I am very, very selective when it comes to devotional books. I do not like fluff and I do not like biblical truth lacking in a devotional (yes, they do exist!)

So when I recommend a devotional, you can be sure you are not going to get something to tickle the ears or lead you astray from God's truth.

Timothy Keller does an excellent job with breaking down the Psalms into bit sized readings and helping the average reader understand it at a deeper level.

The October 28th entry begins with reading Psalm 118:1-9 (and each Psalm selection is written right inside the book to make it easy).

This passage addresses God's goodness and His love enduring forever. It furthers states it is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans.

Timothy had this to say:

"Don't trust in man. What does it mean to "trust in humans" (verse 8)? It is to build your life on the approval of others. You may feel good about yourself only if someone is romantically in love with you, or if you are being praised and complimented on your looks, intellect, or talent. But this will make you too needy of both affirmation and sexual intimacy, too devastated by criticism, too starry-eyed about celebrity. What is it to "trust in princes" (verse 9)? It is to make an idol out of power, to want too much to have influential friends, to need too much to be in charge yourself. This will leave you increasingly lonely as time goes on, for the essence of love is humble service (Romans 15:2). Take refuge in God."

My thoughts:

With his assessment, I would even add that to trust in princes also means to trust those in power. Whether in government, Christian leadership, or Christian authors. We should always seek God first. Everything that is said, especially from other Christians, needs to be lined up with God's word FIRST.

This is how this devotional challenges me. It helps me think about how this applies to me now, today. It reminds me to press in further to God and less into man.

If you are in need of a biblically solid devotional that packs a punch, I recommend The Songs of Jesus. There is one entry for each day of the year. You can start it at any time.

*This post contains affiliate links. Please read my full disclosure here.