Women Living Well Blog

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Happy New Year!

Last night we made memories doing our New Years Eve Traditions!

First, my sisters and I made the Cabbage Rolls (on Thursday).

Then, last night Keith led us in prayer giving thanks for the food, our family and our blessings in 2010.

Then we served the "Pigs in the Blanket".

Then we passed around the 2010 time capsule and each person in the family shared and put their item in. (the capsule you see in the background is the one we opened this year from 2003. Opening the old capsule brought back many old memories - some sad and some heartwarming. I store the capsules in a bin in my basement).

I got a shot of everyone with their item for the capsule before we went around and put them in.

Then we played Apples to Apples and my husband won (sorry no picture of that).

Then we watched the ball drop, hugged and kissed everyone and headed to the kitchen for a toast with sparkling grape juice!

Cousins

Mom, Dad and Grandma (my grandma got on Facebook for the first time last night! My sister taught her all about it. She taught us how to make cabbage rolls - now we'll teach her Facebook lol!)

Being goofy!

I hope you have a wonderful New Year's Day!

***Coming up this week on Women Living Well, I am going to share with you gobs of ideas for studying your Bible! Let's start the new year off right - right with God!***

If you need accountability in your quiet times visit Good Morning Girls NOW because the winter session is kicking off RIGHT NOW! I have written a study for the Book of James that I will share with you as soon as it is ready - it will begin on Monday, January 17th and run for 12 weeks over on GoodMorningGirls.org. I hope some of you will join me!

Walk with the King!

*The second week in January, we'll be talking about weight loss!

Labels: Homemaking

20 Comments:

Jill said...: I love your time capsule idea! I will have to do that next year with my family. We tried to bury one once and dig it up 5 years later, but we never found it! ha! The basement is a MUCH better place to store them!
Happy 2011 to you!; January 1, 2011 at 5:28 PM
Brooke D said...: Happy New Year to you and your family! Glad you had a great time. Looking forward to a great year ahead! Again, thank you for your ministry.; January 1, 2011 at 5:29 PM
Gidget Girl Reading said...: what a fun new years eve :)

I will be joining you for sure on the bible study I have no good morning girls but hope that doesn't prevent me from joining in the bible study! is it just for the good morning girls group?; January 1, 2011 at 5:32 PM
becca banana said...: What a fun celebration!
I am looking forward to this week's Bible study tips and the James study. Thank you!; January 1, 2011 at 5:38 PM
Courtney (Women Living Well) said...: Butterfly - The Bible study is for anyone - you do not have to have a group to join us! I'd LOVE it if you joined us!!!
Courtney; January 1, 2011 at 5:44 PM
Angela said...: Ohhh Courtney I LOVED seeing all your pictures! Made me miss you even more! Wish I could have been in Ohio to have joined you all! You are so blessed with such a wonderful family! I saw that your sweet grandma got on Facebook.....to funny! It made me laugh!! :) She is beyond sweet...just like you! :) Love you sweet friend! Happy New Year!!! :) I can't wait to see what God has planned for us this year!; January 1, 2011 at 6:06 PM
The Nunnallys said...: Love seeing how you celebrated the New Year. We started the time capsule this year. So glad you shared what you do with the capsule. I just posted about doing our time capsule and asked what others did with theirs. We kept throwing ideas around last night about what we were going to do with it.; January 1, 2011 at 7:11 PM
cindy said...: Looks like y'all had a blast we stayed up and rang in the New Year playing games ALL night till 3:00AM LOL it was fun slept in today till 10:45 lol then made the Biscuits and Gravy from(Comfy in the Kitchen) yummo thanks Janelle another great recipe!!! God Bless you sister in Christ!!

AS we walk together with the King!!
Cindy; January 1, 2011 at 7:23 PM
Jaime @ Like a Bubbling Brook said...: Courtney, it looks like you had a wonderful night!

I just posted about Bible reading for 2011 on my blog, too, this past week.

I have such a burden to see mamas dig deep into the Word in 2011...I hope I was able to inspire a few of my readers :)

Happy new year! Looking forward to your upcoming posts!; January 1, 2011 at 8:24 PM
Journaling Gina said...: Love the idea of the time capsule! Thanks for sharing! Looking forward to your Bible Study ideas.; January 1, 2011 at 9:43 PM
Anonymous said...: Courtney, you seem to have such a perfect life.

I have been reading your blog a long time.

Unfortunately, I don't have a life like yours. :( I work fulltime, my house is usually a mess, I'm always tired and my husband & I haven't had sex in a year.

Forgive me, but sometimes I think that if I had your house, your husband, your looks, etc. it would be easier to have a better outlook.

No disrespect intended in this comment. It's just that we can't all "do it all". Do you ever fight with your husband? Do you ever doubt God? Do you ever stay in your pajamas all day?; January 1, 2011 at 10:14 PM
Becky said...: Anonymous -

I know I'm not Courtney but I feel for you. Sometimes it seems like people do have it easier than us but we can't see the whole picture and I'm sure Courtney's had her own share of struggles. It sounds like you are going through a very rough time. I'm praying for you right this second and I trust that God will help you through. We all have moments of great struggle and doubt. You aren't alone, God is with you.

God bless.
__________________
Dear Courtney -

Sorry to but in on your post but Anonymous's reply spoke to my heart! You do great ministry and I find your blog to be such a blessing. I don't have a group of Good Morning Girls and would love to follow along with your Bible study. Is there any chance it will be posted somewhere that I can see it if I don't have a group? Thanks for all you do!

God bless you in your ministry this year,
Becky; January 1, 2011 at 10:32 PM
Courtney (Women Living Well) said...: Anonymous - I'm sorry for the struggles you are facing today... my life is far from perfect...just this past week on Women Living Well's Facebook I've been sharing how I've had headaches for 6 days straight.

To be honest - I don't doubt God - not for a second. I'm more on the otherside - I'll defend him to the hilt till the day I die! I have seen his glorious power and his rich grace and mercy - and I KNOW that he lives and he loves me.

Do I wear pajamas all day - rarely - that's just my personality. I would never tell someone not too - I think Jesus loves me in my pjs too!

Do I fight with my husband - OH YES I DO! But I can't share that on here because that would completely disrespect him! Many of our big fights happened early on in marriage...and that is what has brought us to such a place of peace. We had to really wrestle things out, read books, pray and push through some very ugly times. I have said terrible things in the heat of the battle that I have regretted. But today I can say that following God's word - choosing to love, forgive, not be bitter, give grace, submit etc. has all put us on a path to peace.

I recognize that I am blessed...you mentioned my home...and this is something that has been said to me multiple times...what people don't know is that for the first 3 years of marriage I made $9.50 an hour working full time while my husband attended college. I still submitted to him, cleaned the apartment (I was very messy - we fought over that :-(, and submitted to him. After 3 years of working full time he landed a great job and I was ready to have babies and he was not...that was another tough time in our marriage.

I'm very tired...I have blogged many times over the years about being tired and how we women need to get our rest - including me!

I have blogged here and here about crying and hurting - please read these posts:

http://womenlivingwell-courtney.blogspot.com/2010/11/this-is-what-i-do-when-life-hurts.html

http://womenlivingwell-courtney.blogspot.com/2010/07/following-your-husbands-vision.html

I hurt, I bleed, my kids fight, talk back, make me angry, friends have hurt me, in-laws have made me sad, I have the messiest cupboards ever and if you walked into my laundry room right now it'd be at your own risk! lol! It's a wreck! The list goes on and on. I'm normal...and NO big house will ever fill a hungry aching struggling soul - it's Jesus.

I am a weak, flawed, sinful, struggling woman who leans hard on Jesus to help her everyday obey his word. I pray on my knees, I cry out to him for strength and I listen to him in his word. My life verse is Galatians 6:9 because I regularly am tempted to grow weary.

I am nothing without Jesus and if you see anything noteworthy on this blog it is ALL because of Jesus in my life. Anything good you see came from him and anything bad - I'll have to take credit for.

So do not grow weary, do not give up, push through these hard days...there is hope...hope in a new hour, new day and new year! Jesus loves you so much and he wants you to know him deeply and intimately to comfort all your hurts.

Turn to him, trust him, he gives us joy in the midst of trials...because that is the God we serve.

It's ironic that the James Bible study I am about to introduce starts in chapter one talking about trials, joy and doubting God...so I invite you to join me in my new study when I unveil it next week!

And Becky - yes, you can join without being in a good morning girls group!

Anonymous - if my blog EVER discourages you, makes you feel jealous, bitter, annoyed etc...please click the x in the corner - that is not why I blog. I want to encourage and build you up and if my blog is not for you - I'm okay with that...but I will say that I hope you can see through the posts to my heart and know that I love God, I love you and I simply want to encourage you to walk with the King.
Much Love,
Courtney; January 1, 2011 at 11:39 PM
Unknown said...: I just loved reading about your family time, what a blessing.

This year we had made plans for NYE, but there was some changes that God orchestrated. And it was just a precious time. God is soo good.

I squealed with delight when I read you were going to post about bible study time. Because I have been praying about that for the past couple of weeks. And this is an answer to pray.

Also, with the James study, God has been having me read in James these past couple of weeks as well {He is preparing me}. And my 2011 verse for the year is James 4:8, not even realizing that this is what He has for me. My word was "Closer" for 2011 and the James 4:8 came to mind right away. God knows he is already going before me and preparing my path. I just love it when He reveals to me what His plans are for me.

God Bless you sis!
Love,
Adrienne; January 2, 2011 at 2:07 AM
Anonymous said...: Courtney - it's me - anonymous.

You're right. I am hurting. I was looking at your "perfect life" and what I see on other blogs wishing it were "that easy" for me.

Thank you for taking the time to respond to my rash comment. I appreciate it more than you know. I guess I was looking for just what you gave me.

God bless you and thank you for responding kindly to my words. I am sorry if I hurt you. I shouldn't have posted what I did. I'll be checking out that study on James that you post. I think I need it. :/

I will pray that your headaches get better.

Sorry for the "Sour Sister" post. Much, much love....; January 2, 2011 at 7:50 AM
Katja said...: Dear Courtney

I am so much looking forward to the James Bible study. I was thinking of getting a German Good Morning Girls Group together but I am not sure if I can trust myself to be able to committ to it as much as I want to, so I am keeping myself in the back at the moment (but I guess it would be easy to convince me). However I will join into the James Bible study for sure!

Thanks for blogging the past year and encouraging women all over the world so much! Just a few days ago my husband told me that our marriage got so much better - and I give you some credit for it - lol. You inspired me to a few little changes in my mind and in my behaviour that I made and the outcome was just so big!

Looking forward to follow your blog in 2011 - and translate it from time to time :-).

Yours Katja; January 2, 2011 at 11:03 AM
Shonda said...: I'm so excited to join GMG for the first time and do the study of James. I also look forward to what you have to share about studying the Bible. Thanks for being a light in a dark world and inspiring women to live well for Christ!; January 2, 2011 at 1:52 PM
Lisa said...: Oh I'm so excited to start a James study. Thanks so much for what you do. I treasure your upbeat, positive, God-soaked ministry. May God continue to bless you in 2011. Hugs and love.; January 2, 2011 at 5:47 PM
Tracy said...: Happy New Year. You have a beautiful family. I like the time capsule idea. Very fun.

I would love to see more pics of your home & table decorations throughout the year. I learned a lot when you posted your friend's porch decorations for autumn and I love your table decorations for New Year's Eve. I never would have thought to use that sparkly filler and a new year's eve crown as table decoration.; January 2, 2011 at 11:39 PM
Darlene Schacht said...: Looks like such a fun time. Love all of the smiles. Happy new year, sweet friend.; January 3, 2011 at 2:31 PM

Women Living Well Blog

: Name: Courtney (Women Living Well); Location: Ohio, United States

I am a stay-at-home home schooling mom of 2, a son (age 8) and a daughter (6). I have been married to Keith, my high school sweet heart, for 13 years. My passion to know God and share him with others led me to the Moody Bible Institute where I graduated with a degree in Evangelism and Discipleship. Last year, I appeared on the Rachael Ray Show as a 1950's Housewife. To learn more about me visit my "About Me" page.

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Women Living Well Blog

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Happy New Year!

20 Comments:

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