Hello Friends,

I want to thank all of you who participated in my reader survey last Monday! It was a huge help (and a big encouragement!) to hear your thoughts about More Radiance Blog! I was overwhelmed by the incredibly positive feedback, and oh so thankful for such a wonderful group of ladies who read and support this blog. I now have a much better idea of all your needs, as well as the things you would like to be seeing (and reading!) here. I will be taking everything into consideration and hopefully incorporating as many thoughts and suggestions as I can into future blog posts and resources!

If you haven’t yet taken the reader survey it’s not too late! Click here to fill out. Thanks a bunch! 🙂

Now onto today’s topic…

Can you believe it’s almost March? This means Spring is around the corner. For hubby and me it means saying goodbye to the cozy days of winter, and saying hello to a {hopefully} busy work season. It also means missions conference at church, celebrating hubby’s birthday, going on a family day trip, and (for me) learning to flourish here at home while hubby goes back to work. I’m looking forward to everything that March will hold!

Last month, I shared the first monthly to-do list… and it was a hit. Thanks to your input, I will be posting a new monthly to-do list the last Monday of every month (Note: I will be sharing my monthly book review posts on the first Monday of the month!) February’s To-Do List was all about love, with goal ideas to get you thinking about love, and celebrating the holiday of the month. I hope you all enjoyed the things you were able to accomplish from that list (I will share more about my month at the end!).

This month, I will be focusing a bit more on the home. The place where we spend most of our waking (and sleeping!) hours. Not every goal on this to-do list will be related to the home, but I’m sure you will find that many of them do. 🙂 Here we go…

March To-Do List {Monthly Goals}

1. Study the Book of James

The book of James has been referred to as the “Proverbs of the New Testament”. It’s a priceless little book filled with insights about prayer, trials and temptations, faith and works, the tongue, wisdom, and more. A very practical book, James is an excellent book of the Bible to read and study!

For the next several weeks, hubby and I are taking a class on the book of James. So, this is one of the reasons I will be studying this book at home – I want to get as much out of this priceless little book as I can!

Want to Join Me? Here are some ideas for studying the book of James:

• Read one chapter (or a small section) each day. James has only 5 chapters, so you should be able to read this book several times through in just one month!

• Use a Study Bible. After reading through the book at least once… it’s also helpful to use a good Study Bible for extra help in understanding the book. As I say so often, I use and love the KJV Life Application Study Bible.

• Read a commentary or devotional on the book of James. There are lots of great books out there on James. I’ve read and enjoyed several! Here are two that you might want to check out…

Be Mature: Growing Up in Christ by Warren Wiersbe

Growing in Wisdom and Faith: James by Elizabeth George

2. Pray Every Day

I don’t know about you…. but I keep being reminded of the importance of prayer – and the serious lack of it in my life! Consistent prayer has always been a struggle for me (it’s much easier for me to read and study my Bible!). Yet, prayer is the most powerful tool we have. We ought to be praying for others, praying for our family, our friends, missionaries, our homes… and on and on the list could go.

I’ve been convicted recently by reading my devotional book Deep Fire. It seems that so many of the daily readings are about prayer and the NEED to pray! This one especially spoke to me last week…

Did you catch that? In order to flourish spiritually we must be “in the closet” meaning our prayer closet! Prayer is essential! So, what can you and I do to cultivate a prayerful heart this coming month?

• Set aside time for prayer. I believe the best time is in the morning… but some time is better than no time. So, choose a time of day that fits your daily schedule for Bible reading and prayer!

• Use a journal during your devotions. This is a handy tool for prayer requests, answered prayers, and for writing out your prayers if you struggle to stay focused while praying (that’s me!). 😉

• Be specific. Make detailed requests to God. Don’t be vague. Ask God for things in a very specific manner. Then when He answers, you will have no doubts that God answered your request!

• Keep track of answered prayer. This is the best way to increase our faith, and seeing the answers to our prayers will give us an even greater desire to pray.

• Just pray. When we boil it all down… we just need to get on our knees and pray!

>>> Want to read a great book on prayer? I loved A Young Woman’s Call to Prayer by Elizabeth George (she also has a woman’s edition).

3. Plan Spring Cleaning

This is the first year I get to experience spring cleaning with a house of my own! However, back when I was living at home, I tried to take a day to Spring clean my bedroom. I remember how wonderful it felt to put in a full day of cleaning and have my bedroom in tip-top shape by the end of the day. Normally I was exhausted, but it was a satisfying kind of exhaustion!

This year I have no idea how I want to go about spring cleaning! But I will definitely start with a good plan. Whether you are married with a house of your own, or you’re still living at home… here are some things to consider when planning your spring cleaning:

• Choose a time frame. When will you clean? Will you set aside one weekend and try to get it done all at once? Or will you work a little bit each day for a couple of weeks?

• What rooms will you clean? Will you clean the whole house? Just your bedroom (if you still live at home)? Or only the “trouble areas” of the house?”

• Make your list. Write up a detailed list of all the tasks that need to be done. Use a large sheet of paper or make a pretty list on the computer, print it out, and post it where you will see it. When the day arrives…

• Get cleaning!

Even if you decide to wait until April to actually do your Spring cleaning… it’s soon time to figure out your plan and choose the cleaning date!

4. Read a Book on the Home

Next week, I will be sharing a list of great books on the home… from being happy at home, to being a good home manager, there will be great reads for everyone – single or married. Our homes are such a wonderful and special place. It’s where we eat, spend time with family, relax, rest, and recoup. Our home is to be a nourishing place for all who enter it’s doors. Whether you are the Queen of your home, or just a teen girl still living with your family… we each have a responsibility to do our part in nourishing our home. If you already have a favorite book on the home, pull it out and read it… if not, come back next week for a long list of great book suggestions!

>>> I’ve been reading (and loving!) this one.

5. Celebrate the First Day of Spring

This year the first day of Spring is on Tuesday, March 20^th. Just for fun… why not celebrate this day? Go outside for a walk (if the weather is suitable), bake a special treat just for the occasion, send someone a “Happy Spring!” card, or get out some cheery spring decorations for the house or your bedroom. Whatever you do, just have fun… and celebrate the fact that Spring has arrived!

>>> Check out these adorable spring note cards!

6. Invite Someone Into Your Home

I believe it’s important for us to share our homes… with family, friends, fellow church members, missionaries, or even a struggling family that would benefit from a good meal and Christian fellowship. This month, find a way to share you home with someone else.

Growing up, I loved having friends over on Sunday afternoons. My mom always made spaghetti on Sundays because it was a quick and easy meal to make after church. I have a lot of fun memories of having a friend over on Sunday afternoon to enjoy lunch with us… then we would play games, do a craft, or spend time just chatting.

Now that I have my own home, my husband and I have been inviting some friends over from church to have dinner with us. I am still new at being a hostess… but I’m learning to keep things simple and focus on having a nice time with our guests.

Not sure how to share your home with others? Here are some more ideas!

• Host a game night. Invite close friends, coworkers, teens from church, or new acquaintances that you would like to get to know better. Serve party style foods and play your favorite group games (such as Apples to Apples, Catchphrase, or Buzzword).

• Have a Bible Study. Invite some teen girls or other women your age for a Saturday morning Bible study. Serve fruit, breakfast foods, and coffee. Share something you’ve learned from the Word, or ask someone to come and teach on a specific subject.

• Just do desserts. If you don’t feel comfortable cooking a full meal – just have someone over for coffee and dessert! This is especially great for a Sunday evening after church.

• Invite a friend for coffee/tea. Is there a girl you would like to get to know better? Ask her over for tea or coffee -whichever you prefer.

There are so many ways to open up your home for others. Get creative, make it a family affair, and have fun!

7. Make A New Meal

This month, try something new in the kitchen. If you’re like me… you’ve got lots of cookbooks in the house… might as well use them! Even if you aren’t the main cook in your house… ask for at least one night this month where supper’s on you!

I learned to cook because my mom made me cook supper twice a week before getting married. Sometimes, it felt like an extra hassle… but I’m so glad I had those opportunities, now cooking is a breeze!

>>> Need some new cooking ideas? I love my Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook, as well as my Amish cookbook, Table for Two.

8. Flourish at Home

Whether you’re still living at home, or out on your own… this month, let’s choose to flourish at home. Maybe that means investing time to clean and organize your home (or your bedroom!), or learning how to share it with others… we must nourish our homes (and ourselves) in order to flourish.

Nurture your heart by spending time each day with the Lord in Bible reading and prayer. And nurture your home by doing your part… whether that means managing your home better, or simply doing your chores.“The grass is green where you water it.” So nurture, nourish, and “feed” your home. As a result you… and your home will flourish!

Looking Back…

How did you do with last month’s to-do list?

I loved studying the book of Ruth, and the book, Ruth: A Romance of Redemption was a helpful guide during my study. Hubby and I also enjoyed watching this movie about Ruth. Valentine’s Day was a special day for the two of us as well ♥ Especially since it was our first Valentine’s Day since we got marred. This month, I managed to get some more special photos… including this new favorite of mine in our matching Sunday outfits!

I am still enjoying and finishing up some of the books I planned to read this month… I especially enjoyed The Sea Before us by Sarah Sundin! Adam and I enjoyed a healthier sweet treat from Chocolate Covered Katie, and we got outside for some more walks with the weather being so nice!

How did the February to-do list go for you? Did you…

• Study the book of Ruth?
• Memorize a love-themed Bible verse?
• Read a sweet book about love?
• Write a love letter?
• What else? 🙂

I can’t wait to hear how your month went! Please share it with us in the comments! I would also love to hear what you are looking forward to doing in March… and which goals you are excited to accomplish from the March to-do list!

Be sure to share this post with your friends, and invite them to work on this March to-do list with you! See you Thursday!