21 Days To A More Disciplined Life: eBook Review

Self-discipline isn’t easy, at least for me! There are so many areas I need to be disciplined in – Bible studies, my health, time management, household chores, teaching the kids, the list goes on… Just when I think I have it all under control, something comes along (usually sickness or a holiday) and I fall off the wagon again. When Money Saving Mom did a blog series on discipline a few months back, I was hooked. So when she offered bloggers a chance to review her new ebook on the same topic, I was only too eager to do so.

One look at the table of contents and I knew this book was going to going to be deep and practical. I needed practical. What’s the point in reading all the good stuff and not putting it to work, right? Given that the author, Crystal Paine was my inspiration to start my very own A Habit A Month {Ahem.. the very one I’ve put off for more than a month. I think we’ve established the fact that I really need to put this book to good use.} I knew her book would be a blessing to you as well.

Going into the semantics of the book, it is meant to be read one chapter a day for 21 days. Each chapter includes one principle that we can incorporate in our lives to be more disciplined and a practical application of that principle. If you choose a major project and follow the steps outlined in the book, you will actually get the whole thing done in 21 days. I can think of several major projects I’ve been procrastinating :), can you?

Another thing I like about this book is the emphasis on goals. We all know we
can’t achieve something without having a target in mind. Again, it was this very author who inspired me to track my own monthly goals. After reading this book however, I realize I have to break them up into weekly goals so I can make better progress instead of being crunched up for time at the end of the month.

This book is about making simple, realistic changes in our lives and sticking with them for the long haul; rather than trying to incorporate too much too soon and ending with a burnout. The tone of the book is encouraging and uplifting; it motivates you to get going and make the most of your life.

Every principle outlined in this book is valuable and has the potential to help you live a more disciplined life. The book also contains links to several resources that have motivated the author in her own quest for discipline. I can already think of several areas in my life where I can apply the principles I’ve learnt from this book.

You can read more about the book and buy it here. If you are interested in applying the principles in this book in your own life, you can join the 21 day Self-Discipline challenge at Serving Joyfully starting November 1st.

Related links:

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Counting My Blessings: 595 to 615

“Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.” (Psalm 54:4)

3 Gifts Burning

595. The blazing afternoon sun.
596. Our stove.
597. Calories!

3 Gifts Ugly-Beautiful

598. Walls covered with crayon art.
599. An old house.
600. Dirty, wet, puppies.

A Gift Shared, Saved, Surrendered

601. A trip to the grocery store alone with the boys.
602. Leftover fried fish saved for dinner.
603. Tired eyes surrendering to sleep.

3 Gifts Unexpected

604. A 7 hour power outage yesterday.
605. The number of tweets at #fmfparty on Twitter.
606. A late morning.

3 Gifs Unconventional

607. My Jesus.
608. 14 hour powercuts.
609. A dog jumping onto a neighbor’s roof and losing its way.

3 Gifts Undervalued

610. God’s love.
611. Life experiences.
612. The price Jesus paid for my sins.

A Gift Silent, Still, Strong

613. The morning quiet, before the kids woke up.
614. The trees outside.
615. My husband’s resolve to get some work done during vacation.

Are you in the habit of counting your blessings? I mean, literally counting them 1, 2, 3… Would you consider joining me on this journey? Would you dare to live fully, right where you are?

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Five Minute Friday: Look

Five Minute Friday

Look

I look, but do not see. When there are 79 things pending on my to-do list, I am distracted. I hear a faint “Mama! Look here”… “Mama! See this!”

I look up and mumble something like “Yes, baby.. I saw. It’s nice!”… But did I really see? The other two sons chime along.. “Mama! See this! See what I’m doing.” Their cries louder now… Seeking attention, seeking a mother who’s there in the room but not fully present.

I look up again and I see three eager faces; waiting for their mother to participate in their lives. A mother who is not distracted with the mundane. A mother who’s intentionally involved in their activities.

I hear a gentle voice whisper, “Go on… you can always do this later.” Which is drowned by a louder thought, “But I still have so much left to be done today!”

I’m torn, but the sight of three eager faces looking up at me melts my heart. I close the laptop, bend down and really see what my boys are up to. I feel their enthusiasm as they all vie for my attention. I pull them close, cuddle them, tickle them. They squeal in laughter. My heart is full.

Thank you Jesus, for boys who teach me to be present when it really matters.

What comes to your mind, when you think of the word “Look” ?

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Top 3 Thursday – Edition #9

A lot of blogs out there are doing a 31 day challenge, where they blog about a particular topic every day in October. Here are some of those “31 days” series I found inspiring. Would you click through and check out these lovely blogs?

1. 31 Days to Intimacy with God @ Fit Homeschool Mom

2. 31 Days to a Gentle Answer @ Joyful Mothering

3. 31 Days of Family Ties @ Home With The Boys

Did you read or write an encouraging blog post during the week? Share the link in the comments below, I’d love to check it out!

If you’d prefer to have new blog posts delivered directly to your inbox, you can sign up to receive new blog posts by email, or in a reader.

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Counting My Blessings: 562 to 594

“And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.” (I Corinthians 2:12)

3 Gifts Returned

562. The boys putting away their toys before school.
563. Getting back to my morning routine.
564. Sons returning home after school.

3 Gifts Redeemed

565. Time.
566. My past.
567. Our internet connection.

A Gift Baked, Stirred, Eaten

568. A chocolate banana cake.
569. My morning coffee.
570. Lunch at a restaurant.

3 Gifts Prayed For

571. Health of loved ones.
572. Friends seeking a suitable life partner.
573. Women aching to hold their own babies.

3 Gifts Praised For

574. Good health.
575. The kids’ behavior.
576. My husband’s cooking.

3 Hard Eucharisteo

577. Hearing the kids whine.
578. Sore muscles.
579. Unexpected expenses.

3 Gifts of Change

580. Waking up at 5.30am.
581. Running again after several weeks.
582. Attempting to make an Indian sweet.

A Gift Small, Smaller, Smallest

583. 3 small stuffed lions.
584. The group gathered for prayer today.
585. The kids toenails.

3 Gifts Read

586. This Bible passage during fasting prayer.
587. Lyrics of songs projected in church.
588. The names of doctors in a hospital.

3 Gifts Said

589. The confessions in church.
590. The parable of the sower, read aloud in church.
591. Jason praying for the food, while we had an early dinner with friends at a restaurant.

3 Gifts Re-Read

592. Checking this blog post for errors.
593. My to-do list.
594. My first “Counting My Blessings” post.

Are you in the habit of counting your blessings? I mean, literally counting them 1, 2, 3… Would you consider joining me on this journey? Would you dare to live fully, right where you are?

To have new blog posts delivered directly to your inbox, you can sign up to receive new blog posts by email, or in a reader.

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Top 3 Thursday – Edition #8

Here are some posts that have inspired me over the past week. Would you click through and check out these lovely blogs?

1. The Power of Praying Scripture @ Lisa Whittle {Given my own experience, I agree that praying scripture truly does help us conquer fear}

2. Finding Contentment with the Girl in the Mirror @ The Better Mom {Read about how we can battle discontentment when we’re caught in a comparison trap}

3. The Pomodoro Parenting Technique @ Family Your Way {Check out how a productivity tool can help us be intentional with our children}

Did you read or write an encouraging blog post during the week? Share the link in the comments below, I’d love to check it out!

If you’d prefer to have new blog posts delivered directly to your inbox, you can sign up to receive new blog posts by email, or in a reader.

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Chocolate Banana Cake Recipe

We came back from our trip last week, armed with delicious chocolate cake baked by my cousin. The only problem was that it got over all too soon, and left the boys craving for more. I remembered some over-ripe bananas I had frozen sometime back and decided to make this chocolate banana bread.

Well, it’s a pretty easy recipe to follow, except I didn’t have enough white flour or chocolate chips. So, I modified the recipe a bit and decided to make my own version instead. It turned out surprisingly well (even if I do say so myself) ;). Here’s the recipe.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup white flour
  • 3/4 cup wheat flour
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup softened butter
  • 3 bananas
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

  1. Mash the bananas with a fork and keep aside.
  2. Dump all the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix them together. I used a whisk to mix the 2 types of flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together until they were well combined.
  3. Mix the wet ingredients together in another bowl. I used a hand mixer to combine the eggs, butter, mashed bananas and vanilla extract.
  4. Add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients and combine until you get a thick batter.
  5. Preheat the oven to 220 degrees (centigrade).
  6. Prepare a baking pan by greasing it with butter and sprinkling a little flour over it.
  7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40-50 minutes.
  8. The cake is ready when a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

There you have it – a simple dessert or evening snack made in little over an hour. If you do try out this recipe, let me know how it turns out!

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Counting My Blessings: 532 to 561

It’s been a crazy awesome couple of weeks here! Thanking God for healing, an awesome family reunion, a safe road trip, a working washing machine, and these…

3 Gifts Finished

532. A birthday party.
533. My husband’s break from football.
534. The kids’ homework.

3 Gifts Flourishing

535. Weeds in our layout.
536. A litter of puppies.
537. The kids’ appetite.

A Gift Unexpected, Uneven, Unpopular

538. Rain.
539. The path outside our home.
540. An early bed time for the kids.

3 Gifts Shy

541. The sun at dawn.
542. A bride’s smile.
543. Sons who were surprisingly not shy when they met dozens of relatives.

3 Gifts Shelved

544. Jewelry.
545. Makeup.
546. Footwear.

3 Gifts Shining

547. The blazing sun.
548. Lights in my grandfather’s church.
549. A blue night light.

3 Gifts Orange

550. My grandmother’s outfit.
551. The wheels of 3 toy cars.
552. A packet of laundry detergent.

3 Gifts Falling

553. The temperature as we approached our city.
554. Gravel from the truck ahead of us.
555. Showers of blessing – every single day.

A Gift Caught, Let Go, Mid-Way

556. Time alone with God.
557. The boys as they boarded their school bus.
558. A stern lecture during study time.

3 Gifts Reaped

559. An early morning, after going to bed on time.
560. Several answered prayers.
561. Stronger faith and patience, reaped through struggles.

Are you in the habit of counting your blessings? I mean, literally counting them 1, 2, 3… Would you consider joining me on this journey? Would you dare to live fully, right where you are?

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Top 3 Thursday – Edition #7

Here are some posts that have inspired me over the past week. Would you click through and check out these lovely blogs?

1. Craving Conquerors @ Peak313 Fitness {How to fight the battle in our minds when we crave something that isn’t beneficial to us}

2. How To Be Your Husband’s Girlfriend @ Mark Merrill {Five simple ways to rekindle the spark in our marriages}

3. When The Days Are Long @ Joyful Mothering {A few things we mothers can do, to refocus and refresh our mothering goals}

Did you read or write an encouraging blog post during the week? Share the link in the comments below, I’d love to check it out!

If you’d prefer to have new blog posts delivered directly to your inbox, you can sign up to receive new blog posts by email, or in a reader.

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Monthly Goals: October

Hello October! At the beginning of each month, I share my goals for the month ahead and track my progress on the previous month’s goals.

My goals for the month of September were:

  1. Start the Good Morning Girls Colossians Bible Study. — Done
  2. Read through the book of Romans in the Bible. — Incomplete {I’ve still got a few chapters left}
  3. Finish reading The Power of a Praying Wife. — Done
  4. Read The Sensational Scent of Prayer. — Done
  5. Read Smooth Easy Days. — Done
  6. Teach the kids to memorize Psalm 121:1-2. — Done
  7. Read at least 10 new Kindle books to the kids. — Done
  8. Simplify/downsize my wardrobe. — Done
  9. Complete the last 2 weeks of the Couch to 5K training plan. — Incomplete {I have 5 days of training left}
  10. Memorize Psalm 8. — Done

My goals for the month of October are:

  1. Stay on track with the Good Morning Girls Colossians Bible Study.
  2. Stay on track with the Hello Mornings I Peter Bible Study.
  3. Finish reading Romans and read through the book of I Corinthians.
  4. Read the first 10 chapters of The Excellent Wife.
  5. Start reading Everything.
  6. Read True Christian Motherhood.
  7. Teach the kids to memorize Psalm 121:3-4.
  8. Read at least 10 new Kindle books to the kids.
  9. Complete the Couch to 5K training plan.
  10. Memorize I Corinthians 13.

“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

Are you in the habit of setting weekly/monthly goals? If you do, how did you do last month? If you don’t, how do you keep track of things you need to get done?

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