Our Inspired Journey

Happy New Year INSPIRED readers!

I hope you all had a meaningful Christmas, refreshing New Year and are ready for the beginning of something good!  We have been SO grateful for a little time off as a family and for the blogging break I so graciously gave myself as we soaked up some intentional time together, away from it all.  What a gift!  Now you'll have to excuse the very out of order but still-oh-so-precious updates that will be following this post as I recap a few more 2012 memories in this beautiful, brand new year.

As you'll gather from the following post, I'm not at all sorry for posting "late" or getting things a bit out of order at all this year, because that is what I feel God calling me to as a theme for my 2013...

Live FULLY in the unique, one-of-a-kind, never going to happen again moment I've given you NOW.

If that means dishes wait a bit, or blog posts are days, weeks or even months late...then so be it!  That will be evidence of me keeping the main thing, the main thing.

This blog is a place to capture snippets of life happening and to declare the goodness of God along the way...this blog is not my LIFE.  I have 5 people who will most certainly hold me to that promise!  SO welcome to a brand new year at Our Inspired Journey.  I don't know all of what I'll be posting yet...my blogging calendar unfolds as the life around me does, and not a second before!  Trust me...that's a good thing!

I do know however, that you can expect to see...

• Gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, egg-free recipes as we attempt to feed our girl with newly discovered food-allergies
• More DIY recipes for around the home as I further our efforts to save money, have fun while keeping clean!
• a Giveaway here and there...
• Homeschooling tid-bits as I share with you what we've found that works for our family, 5 months into our journey with our 2nd grader, Kindergartener and preschoolers.
• Lots of journeying through motherhood and marriage :)
• and TONS of pictures and videos of our kids growing up for their grandparents and anyone else who want to see how fast kids grow!

So as I welcome you back to a New Year, here's a a little piece of my heart from where I sit poised at the beginning of 2013...


There is something so refreshing about a fresh start.  We all love it.

With the flip of the calendar we all feel a deep sigh of relief like all of our inconsistencies of the last year magically melt away with the flip of the page.  True?  Not really.  The added pounds don't disappear and the unread pages aren't miraculously read as the year trades in one number for another, yet we are SO excited about all that a fresh start offers us.

I have to admit, I've gotten wrapped up it it all too in past years...but this one is different.  I've changed, and I think, for the better.

We just returned from a weekend away at Family Camp up at Hume Lake.  It's been a tradition of our family for the past 18 years, to start each New Year together - away from it all.  This year, the speakers were Kirk and Chelsea Cameron.  Though you may remember them from Growing Pains years ago, their focus this past weekend was far from Hollywood, and instead on growing a Godly family, at any cost, for the sake of the Kingdom.  John and I were so blessed by the stories and encouragement they shared.

One thing Kirk shared has resonated with me since I returned.  He encouraged us to not get wrapped up in the "insanity" New Years Day brings.

insanity: continuing to do the same thing over and over again while expecting a different result  

Isn't that what so many of us do?  Each New Year we pledge to change habits, lose weight, read more, eat less, etc. but then we fail one time and throw in the towel until the next "fresh start" comes along.

I'm wondering if there anyone else out there who needs this word as much as I do each day...


Lamentations 3:22-23 say...

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.

They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness!

I don't know about you, but I can't wait for a "once-a-year" fresh start.  I need the daily heart cleanse that my Savior promises me...





Whatever desires I have for this year, I pray they come out of my love for Him...drawing me closer to His ways, His heart and giving me a more courage to love others the way He does.

I leave you with these final thoughts as we welcome in 2013...

"Jesus has a wonderful way of restoring us when we fail him. He doesn't humiliate us. He doesn't criticize us. He doesn't asked to make a resolution to try harder. Rather He takes us aside and asks us to reaffirm our love for Him. 

- Henry T. Blackaby

In all your well-intended resolutions for this year, have you taken time to renew your vows to Jesus as your Lord, Savior and never failing friend? He is the only one who will last the whole year through with you even after resolutions are broken and weariness sets in. "Commit your ways to the Lord and your plans (the ones He gives you out of His love for you) will succeed."

Blessings to you friends. I pray that out of all the pounds you want to lose, all the debt you want to pay off and all the accomplishments you are vowing to make happen, you find Jesus in the victories and losses...then and only then will it all have been worth it. A life, a neighborhood, a country, a world reconciled to the One who came for them...that's what I want to see in 2013...lets pray!