Then you list the items that you will do each day with God’s help. My list consists of:

1.      Have a quiet time every day: including prayer journal, reading my bible, a devotional, and my First Place 4 Health bible study.

2.      Do some type of exercise each day.

3.      Track my food intake.

4.      Write a blog post each day and promote my blog in some way.

5.      Plan out my day.

6.      Spend 15 minutes organizing something.

7.      No computer games until my list is done!

 

What will be “your part” in the New Year? What will you do each day with God’s help in order to meet your goals? 

After prayer and consideration, here is my list. These are all items that I know I can only do if I fully rely on God to guide me and listen to Him.

1.      Live a healthy lifestyle that is balanced emotionally, spiritually, mentally, and physically.

2.      Lose 50 pounds in 2015.

3.      Have the courage to share Jesus with others.

4.      Be more organized.

5.      Develop my side business (blog, teaching, etc.).

What are the deep desires of your heart that only God can accomplish in the next year? 

I know that making “New Year’s Resolutions” is very cliché, but that does not mean it is a bad idea. If we don’t set goals, then we don’t make progress and make positive changes. Carole Lewis says in the First Place 4 Health hardback book that change is inevitable, whether it is for good or bad is up to us.

Yesterday I started reading Carole’s book: Give God a Year; Change your life forever. I have read it before, but now I am purposely reading it at the start of a new year in order to mark my progress throughout the year. I will be sharing my goals and progress with you as I go and hope that you will all be my accountability partners. If you are interested, you are welcome to join me in making positive changes in your own life. You can share your goals in the comment section or on my Facebook page.

Tune in tomorrow when I share more about my goals for the New Year!

This recipe is so simple and it's one of Tom's favorites. I got it from my favorite cookbook: Dining on a Dime, from Living on a Dime. She cooks it in the oven, but I like to cook it in the crock-pot!




You just need:

1-2 pounds chicken (I use boneless, skinless breasts)

1 cup salsa

shredded cheese (optional)




Spray your crock-pot or slow cooker with cooking spray. Place the chicken in the bottom and pour the salsa over the top. I cook it on high for about an hour, then turn it down to low. I can start this around 11:00 or noon and it will be ready in plenty of time for supper. Simple and healthy and did I mention yummy????

My husband Tom sent me this article on the importance of children being active and I thought it was worth sharing with everyone. 

Why does physical activity during childhood matter? 

This is a guest post from my friend Christina over at Little Sprouts Learning. 

How to Get Your Kids to at Least TRY Healthy Food

We are all faced with the dilemma of wanting kids to eat healthy but not knowing how to inspire them to want to.  I have a home daycare and believe me, I face this struggle.  I serve lots of raw and cooked fruits and veggies but many of my kids come to Little Sprouts with the taste for Mickey D’s and not carrot sticks.  So what do I do?

The first thing you need to remember is that a food is new until you have served it at least 11 times.  Don’t GIVE UP!  Keep on offering those tasty nutritious foods until the kids are used to seeing them.  You’ll be surprised how many kids just decide one day to try something after rejecting it multiple times.

Secondly, are you modeling good eating habits?  You won’t be able to convince little Johnny to drink water when you are having Dr. Pepper.  Little Johnny wants to be just like YOU!  So make lots of healthy foods that you like to eat and soon little Johnny will want to try what you’re having.  One big way I get kids to ask to try something is to nibble on it a bit in front of them while I’m prepping lunch.  They see that I’m having fun and want to join in.  It’s a great inspiration.

Do you have trouble wanting healthy foods too?  I can understand that, I used to hate everything but corn.  But now I can’t imagine eating like that when there is so much tasty goodness to be had.  I just learned that if you don’t like a certain food, you haven’t tried it the right way yet.  You can boil, steam, mash, fry, sauté, and roast a veggie and it tastes different each way.  Keep trying it until you have exhausted all avenues of flavor.  Roasted vegetables are really delicious.  I just cut them up, toss a tablespoon or so of olive oil, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper and roast them in the oven until they are lightly browned.  I love broccoli, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, kale, cabbage, onions, potatoes, sweet potatoes, summer and winter squashes, asparagus, and many other veggies prepared this way.  Amazing!  Be patient with yourself, you will be surprised at how your tastes can change as well.

Another important thing to mention is that kids, just like us, eat with our eyes first.  So make sure the healthy stuff looks inviting.  Serve some raw and some cooked, some hot and some cold, some crunchy and some soft, and some different colors on the plate for the most appealing meal possible. 

Kids LOVE to eat things they helped prepare.  If you let the kids lend and helping hand making lunch, they will be excited to get to lunch time.  I have seen child after child shun a food and then be eager to try it after they get to help cut it up or mix up a recipe.  It works, trust me.  

As you are shopping for your kids this Christmas, I would like to encourage you to look for open ended toys that have more than one use. These help children expand their imagination and grow their brains. And books! Lots of books! I am of the opinion that people cannot have too many books!

What are some examples of open-ended toys? Blocks, big buckets of Legos (try to avoid buying only the Lego kits-if you do buy them, make sure the child has just loose Legos also), baby dolls, dramatic play materials, toy cars, train tracks that children can put together themselves, and just about anything without a battery! I am not saying battery operated toys are bad in anyway, just that they tend to be “one hit wonders” and children can get bored with them easily.

A simple idea to assemble for any child are dramatic play boxes. Your imagination is the limit and these items can often be gathered up for little to no cost for those on a tight budget. For example, a grocery store box could consist of clean, empty food containers, paper sacks, coupons, old grocery store circulars, and fake money.  Children can even create their own fake money using paper! 

We are entering a time of year that seems to be characterized by “too much”: too much food, too much stuff, and too much to do. So how do you maintain a healthy lifestyle in the midst of the holiday season?

1.      Plan! Plan! Plan! Being organized and planning ahead is important all year long, but essential during the holiday season. If you don’t plan ahead, you will more than likely fall into old eating habits.

2.      Just as important as planning ahead is doing your best to stick to that plan! This past weekend when my youngest daughter was home for several days and my oldest daughter was here with her family, I planned meals and stuck to them Thursday and Friday. But Tuesday and Wednesday night, we ended up having my husband bring food home.

3.      What about your favorites during the holiday season? Plan for that too! Does your mom or grandma make a favorite dish that you do not want to miss out on this year? That is okay, just plan ahead! For example, my grandmother makes the best peanut butter balls! If I want to have one or two, that will be fine, I just need to truly savor those and stop there! My usual pattern is to eat way too many of them.

4.      Plan to have healthy treats available too. God has created many wonderful and tasty foods that are healthy too. It bothers me when I hear people say that food only tastes good if it is bad for you. Start looking now for some healthy recipes to try out during the holiday season. Maybe you will find a new favorite!

5.      As much as possible, stick to a routine. During the holidays, let’s face it, that is not always going to happen. But doing your best to stay on routine will help you maintain your healthy lifestyle.

6.      Plan to take a walk! After enjoying a big meal, get the family together and go take a walk and enjoy God’s creation before dessert.

7.      Lastly, prior to attending a gathering where you know there will be a lot of food, plan what you want to eat before you go or before you fix your plate. Only take small amounts of your favorites and truly enjoy them.

8.      Most importantly, remember to be thankful for all that you have and all that you are blessed with!