October is always a busy month for us! I've been busy writing out menu cards this last week, and planning for our special birthday meal next weekend. How quickly it has arrived! We're all looking forwards to it. Originally we had planned to have an indoor barbecue - this was when it was still warm and sunny, and the thought of cool weather was far from our minds. Now, however, it has really been very chilly here, especially the last few days, although it has also been sunny which has been very pleasant. The perfect sort of weather for going for a long walk! But this has also meant that we have decided to rethink what we want to eat for our birthday meal, and during the week, we finally settled upon a Mexican style meal, which is often our choice for special occasions. So that will be fun to prepare. I plan to use some of the new dishes that Papa Bear and the cubs gave me for my birthday, and the pretty autumn dinner service that I have. As you can see above, I've been looking through my recipe books and magazines for inspiration and ideas, and have put together some yummy dishes so far!
As it will be a new month on Monday, I've also made a plan to start another
30 day challenge. I like doing these! If you click on the link it will take you to the
30 Day Makeover challenge which is what I shall be working on this next month. These 30 day challenges are such a good way to really delve into our understanding of God's will for us, and into our intimacy with the Bible and its teachings. The ones I have done so far - some alone, some as a family - have made me rethink some of the aspects of Christian living which on a day-to-day basis it can be easy to get complacent about, and have made me strive to work harder at being the wife, mother and woman that God wants me to be.
The 30 day challenges are great whether you are a mature Christian or just beginning in your faith journey, and you can take them as far as you like, or just choose some key topics to focus on and work through during the month. The 30 Day Makeover is a little different from the other challenges I have done, as it is produced as blog posts that are intended to be read each day, looking at the ways in which women are represented in the Bible, and the ways in which we can apply these models to our own lives now. The topics for the posts cover many aspects of everyday life, and I am hoping that they will be real motivational prompts for helping me to find new ways to make the most of the gifts God has given me, and to use these to bless those around me.
Of course, that very famous role model, Proverbs 31 woman, will be featuring largely in the 30 day challenge! There are many different studies and examinations of the woman described in Proverbs 31, and plenty that can be read online. But if you do want to study this important Biblical role model in more depth, I can happily recommend Elizabeth George's book "A Woman After God's Own Heart" which is a detailled study of the Proverbs 31 woman which really encourages and inspires. I've read it twice and it is a great book to take this theme further, if you are looking for motivation or encouragement.
I'll be sharing my thoughts and ideas during the month as I embalk on this 30 day challenge - perhaps you'd like to try one too! There are several others to choose, and if you click on the Husband Encouragement link on the sidebar of our blog this will take you to the details of that challenge, which is a great one to start with.
