Wondering what Mommy Homework is???
Each week you will have an “assignment” here to share in our comments here on this site. You will love this-both sharing AND enjoying answers by others. Some of them, I compile into an ebook (contributors can resell as a product of their own–be sure to submit your email and full name when you register so I can credit you appropriately!).
The result is AWESOME! 
We get to know each other…we are encouraged in our journey…and we glean super ideas from other great moms!
Ready for this week’s MH? This is going to be a really good one!
This past two weeks, our topic for our blog has been “Is Your Year on Track???” Each day, we have looked at the keys that have helped me to keep my year on track toward my goals, resolutions, and dreams. These keys have really helped me to get things done–well, the things that really matter to me. I hope that you have enjoyed each of these. If you have missed any so far, here are the links to go back and read them:
1. SET YOUR PACE
2. LIVE!
3. BALANCE!
4. OVERCOME OBSTACLES
5. WORK WITH MOMENTUM!!
6. Stay Motivated!
For Mommy Homework this week, I would love for you to share 3 takeaways from this series. What are you going to takeaway from the series? What has God impressed upon your heart? How are you going to implement your takeaways? How are you going to take action?
I can’t wait to dig into these ideas. Just jump in and share today! OH! And, don’t forget to come back and enjoy all of the other mom-to-mom ideas and plans for action! I think this is going to be GOOD!
Love ya!
Cindy
PS! Please remember to use your real name if you want credit for your Mommy Homework Credit. 
PPS! You CAN just share and not participate in Mommy Homework, BUT I would LOVE for you to get some goodies along the way!
PPSS! Want to check your credit? Here is the newest update: http://www.talk-a-latte.com/ebooks/MommyHomeworkCredits.pdf
PPPSS! If you are new, all you do to share your MH is first register (see the link on the bottom of the page–scroll all the way to the very bottom), then log in with your name and password that you select. Share away!
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Deadline–Friday at midnight CST.
Oh Cindy, these are such good lessons! Obstacles are my biggie right now. As a homeschooling mom of six sweeties I hit a lot of obstacles. And unfortunately I let them take me out sometimes. Last time we all got sick, yep, I lost the exercise routine. I really need to be in prayer about persisting through and around the inevitable obstacles that arise. And on the biggie of exercise I will be making a plan of simple and quick exercises to ease back into when I hit the next obstacle. It should make it easier to jump back in if I have a plan of how to start again. With the littler ones I’ll remember to take the first step and then go from there.
Running at our own personal pace is a tough one. I struggle with this on and off when it comes to homeschooling. There are soooo many methods, curriculum’s, etc. and EVERYONE has an opinion. As I thought about what you wrote about our own pace I realized that as long as my husband and I are satisfied that the route we’re on is the one God has planned for our family I really don’t need to keep checking out every new method or idea I hear about. God will highlight something if we miss it on the map as long as we’re seeking His path.
I loved what you wrote about bunny trails. Guilty here! Oh my, the bunny trails we went down just today with some spring cleaning. I really need to work on this for my sake as well as setting a good example for the kids. I’m going to start a list and brain dump like you recommended so I don’t forget it later but don’t lose my focus on the task at hand. Thanks for that idea!
Keep Your Year On Track! Well that is what I need really, really need bad right now. All good plans have a way of flying out the window it times or it seems like it.
1- Cindy you said to set your pace, ok, but my pace has always been fast. Now something has happened I think it is called age. Now in my 70’s I just can not get all done I think I should. Using Cindy’s ideal of running a race at my pace, has helped me to rethink how fast I need to go. This really hit home a couple weeks ago. I finally started feeling better after months of not being able to do much of anything. So I started walking, was doing great, even started to loose some weight and eating healthier. Then it happened, I did something to my knee. No more walking, no weight loss, eating wasn’t doing so good either. Then there came a couple of dark, cloudy, rainy days that really did me in. Today the sun is bright, I got back to Cindy and now getting back on pace. A few more days and I think I can go back to walking. That was my extra time for talking with the Lord for an hour as I walked, out side by myself, it was great. Now some other things in my life need to get on pace also.
2- Second as I set my pace I need also to get my dreams and goals in order
to make it a lifestyle for me as Cindy says. I see where I need to think
big and dream big if I am ever going anywhere. I need to get on track
and get balanced in my life. As Lois keeps telling me not to be going
off on rabbit trails, that is why I can not get things done.
3-Third there is all the obstacles that get in my way, from things not
planned for, getting me off track. This is where I will have to find my
passion that I want to run with, set my pace and GO! Next my biggest
thing will be the motivation. I find it fairly easy to make plans but…
Now I really need to get my goals down, set my pace, even to deadlines
to keep me on track. I know I can do it with pray, God’s leading and
the great helps from Cindy.
Nancy Lewis
Hi Cindy,
How in the world can I only get only 3 takeaways from all this great motivation!! I typed out a few notes to myself as I read through the posts. When I look at them on paper they seem so simple but putting them into practice is going to take daily determination. Here’s what I got:
-Stop looking around-run my race! It’s o.k. if I don’t do things just like everyone else and it’s o.k. if it doesn’t all get done today!!
-Make a “vision sticky” and put it at my quite time spot. Be sure to include the fleur-de-leis. (Always remember the Saints 2009-2010 season!! I am a Louisiana gal who loves her football 🙂
-Get rid of the stuff!!! Literally! Stop wading through clutter-it’s such a waste of time. Stop wasting time!! Watching TV alone is such a waste of time! Mulling over all the “to-do’s” is a waste of time. Write it down then get busy doing what is on the list.
-Obstacles aren’t new and they aren’t going away! Get over it!
-Push On! Don’t quit! Keeping working for what I want! Be intentional about how I spend my time. It’s only a little minute but eternity is in it. The ticking of the clock will be my reminder. I will never get this time with my children back. If it won’t matter 100 years from now is it really that important today? I have only one life and God doesn’t want me to waste my “present” that He bought and paid for with His blood.
Hopefully I can remember to read those notes to my self every day!
Thank you Cindy for all your wonderful words of encouragement!! 🙂
Set your pace- I am so bad about feeling guilty because I can not keep up or because I am not doing what so and so does for their family. I need to stop comparing myself to others and trust God for my pace.
Balance- I struggle at putting things off that shouldn’t be and taking on too much. This school year I was hit face to face with that. I had to call and apologize and ask to let out of a few commitments. It was neat in a couple of those to be able to say that I had not prayed and asked God before I added that to my plate and now I knew I needed to step back. It was a good conversation starter, although I know one woman thought I was crazy. Also the no wasting time thing. I did not even read on for a bit because I was shocked. That has come up a couple places lately. I need to think on this one a bit more and do some re-evaluating.
Overcome obstacles- I am battling the weight loss thing. I hit a plateau and can’t get past it. I know I need to make more changes but it is fear that is my hurdle. I need to keep my eyes on Jesus.
Stay Motivated- Love the picture with the “im” crossed out. Need to get rid of that word in my vocabulary and my girls too. Need to learn to give myself realistic deadlines. Need to get a buddy in my weightloss journey to hold me accountable, would like it to be my husband. I need to learn to do the brain dump thing on a more regular basis. I hate to shake things up. I think that I thrive on routines. I know that I run on fumes way too often but I do not realize it until I am totally done in. Getting away and investing in myself are 2 really hard things for me to do. My husband has been forcing me to do those things in the last few years. Yes forcing and still forcing but I am a little more willing than I used to be.
God is really at work on me this year so far.
Heather Wilson
Thanks, Cindy, for the wonderful blog posts. I had to print them out and read them carefully. I am thankful for Mommy Homework–I’ve seen it before and am so glad that you are bringing it back. It helps me to really think and exercise my mind as well as develop my spirit and heart for the Lord.
My three takeaways God is impressing on me:
1) I need to take time to get away, specifically to gain the Lord’s vision for me personally, my family and the work He has for me to do. I think they are all inter-related. I hope to be able to work out some time during our upcoming spring break from homeschooling to get away for a couple days. I used your post to come up with a list of questions to sit with the Lord and listen over. My prayer is that this time will help me to keep my eyes focused on Jesus instead of looking at what others are doing and becoming sidetracked or discouraged.
2) Taking the first step: this is a big one for me. I tend to be a visionary, big-picture person. It’s hard to get the nitty-gritty details down. Therefore, what I tend to have is a big picture but no little steps to start working towards those goals. Depending on how much time I have for my getaway, I hope the Lord will also provide one step to take in each of the priorities I believe He has for my life.
3) Make time to cultivate supportive friendships. The picture of the lion picking off the isolated really hit home for me. The Lord has blessed me with good friends, but I am not very good at taking time to invest in building these friendships deeply. Part of it is just being too busy, as everyone else is, but when I really think about it, if they are really values, I can make time for it. I’ll just need to get rid of something else that’s not that important. =) I guess that’s part of the getaway too! Learning to get rid of things that don’t help.
This has been a great question and I love being able to verbalize the takeaways–even if no one else knows, I know that I have taken my first step.
Vera Christian
I’m so excited! I did the brain dump idea for spring cleaning and wrote it all out on a list that I left out to check daily. Lo and behold my kids started doing tasks and checking them off! 🙂 Is that great or what?!? 🙂