Lara Casey's Blog, page 2

May Goals

If I could stay up late no doubt
I’d catch the buds just bursting out;
And up from every hidden root
Would jump a tiny slender shoot;
I wonder how seeds learn the way,
They always know the very day—
The pretty, happy first of May;
If I could stay up then, no doubt
I’d catch the buds just bursting out.

– “The First of May” by Annette Wynne

April was the fullest travel month I’ve ever had with trips to D.C., Miami with Ari, and Cambridge, Massachusets, to speak at Harvard last week—and yet these travels brought deep rest and connection. What a gift all of these adventures were.

The kids and I made memories in D.C. and enjoyed the Museum of the Bible’s production of Prince Caspian. It was stellar! We also enjoyed an unexpected hotel stay that wowed us, and I spent time with my friend, Maaden.

God led us to invest in our marriage in new ways this year. Miami was a highlight of our year—our first trip ever away from our kids on an airplane. We spent four days at the Carillon Wellness Resort and can’t wait to return. We learned the Argentine tango, biked many miles up and down Miami Beach, and enjoyed the expansive Carillon spa. My favorite was the crystal steam room! Most importantly, we had time together to dream and pray about the future and thank God for right now. This trip came on the heels of my finishing New Marriage, Same Couple, and we used the Vision questions from the book during our time together. It was wonderful!

The invitation to speak at Harvard’s Flourishing at Work Summit was a surprise in April. I almost said no, and the kids and Ari encouraged me to do it and see what happened. God used it to enliven me. He always has better plans than I can dream up on my own. I came away from my time there brimming with joy, new relationships, insights, and a desire to serve with my gifts through speaking. After over a decade of saying no to 99% of the requests I’ve gotten over the years, purely because my plate was full with the work of being a CEO and motherhood, I now have more time, energy, and knowledge to give. I have loved connecting with people during my travels and I loved meeting so many faith-driven leaders and researchers at Harvard! If you know of an organization or group that needs to be equipped and encouraged, invite them to fill out this form.

Also, we planted the garden in April, thanks to my mom’s visit. I always learn by watching her in the kitchen or out in the garden. This year, we sowed 12 varieties of tomato seeds, lots of herbs for cooking, four varieties of corn, giant sunflowers, and an entire bed of Erin’s zinnias. Everything is sprouting, and it’s so fun to watch with the kids!

Ahead in May: a trip to Florida with the whole family for my niece’s bat mitzvah, finishing the school year well (our end-of-the-year tradition is a “count the fruit” party with kid-friendly piña coladas and a fun fruit tasting with unique fruit from all over the world!), Father/Son Camp for Josh and Ari (Josh is pumped!), and celebrating Jessie’s life at a small service with her mom and friends. Her passing was so sudden that it was too much to do a service in December. I’m grateful we’ll get to gather and remember her with the flowers blooming now in May. It just seems right.

Also, in May: I loved hearing your thoughts about what you love to do to rest and…

I did something after 20+ years.

My May PowerSheets goals grew from my 2024 Goals here.

Your turn! What are some of your favorite ways to rest? What are you looking forward to this month? I’d love to hear!

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April Goals

Sang the sunrise on an amber morn —
‘Earth, be glad! An April day is born.
‘Winter’s done, and April’s in the skies,
Earth, look up with laughter in your eyes!’
Then, the sound of growing in the air
Rose to God a liturgy of prayer.
– “An April Liturgy” by Sir Charles George Douglas Roberts

March was miraculous: a much-needed marriage summit for our 18th wedding anniversary, a surprise proposal from Ari, strides in surgery recovery, and a soul-changing trip to Charleston for me. March 2023 was a month of healing from the Lord in many ways and areas. It was the month the first half of life officially broke off into the second. I’ve felt mired in the middle for the last year and a half, and this month brought the breakthrough. More to come as I process this second-half journey!

Also in March: finally getting our Garage Gym Makeover up for you, an energizing three days at Ethos, and the start of a spring break in D.C. with the kids – where I’m typing to you from now in our hotel. The marriage summit, in particular, was needed and a turning point for our marriage and family. I may write about it soon if that’s of interest.

This is a short update this month, as this mom needs a spring break, too—off to enjoy a quiet cup of tea and contemplative prayer while the kids settle in for bed.

My April PowerSheets goals grew from my 2024 Goals here.

Your turn! What habits are helping you so far this spring? Any new things you’re trying? I’d love to hear!

P.S. Looking for my favorite healthy things? I’ve gathered them all for you here.

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Our Garage Home Gym Makeover – Before and After

Ahhh, spring has sprung, and I’m excited to share one of my favorite home spaces with you today. You’ve been so patient as I’ve taken time to heal from surgery (that story is coming soon, too) and emerge from winter hibernation.

As you know, we’ve had a bit of a health transformation over the last year. Ari and I were experiencing chronic health challenges and discovered new ways to care for our bodies. This has transformed our minds, bodies, souls, and our relationship. We now have more energy to do the things we’ve always wanted to do.

Affiliate links are used in this post – enjoy!

A year ago this week, Ari and I made a big decision together. We wanted to find a piece of wild land for several years and build a little house in the woods. Such a piece of land came up down the street from where we live. We went to hike it and fell in love. God works in mysterious ways. Despite our love of the land, direction appeared all around us in this season of discernment: growing friendships between our kids and our new cul-de-sac neighbors, fully realizing I was in my midlife moment, new insight about our youngest’s needs with an Autism diagnosis, and knowing—after all the change of last couple years—we needed rest. Moving and building a house would take us in the opposite direction to a stressful transition. We decided to stay here, right where we are, with all the broken pipes and things that fall apart. And with wonderful neighbors and trust in God‘s plans. I read somewhere that unmade decisions are one of the most detrimental things to our health—they clutter your mind and keep you from being present. Every day since making this decision has felt sweeter and sweeter right here where we are.

So, we chose to make the most of this space we have, starting with our garage!

This garage, y’all. It has seen some unique seasons. Let’s start with its first use as the Southern Weddings/Cultivate What Matters Shipping Department, complete with official signage. We pushed pallets of magazines and thousands of products up this driveway. Bless my neighbors.

How many days has an actual car been in here? Four. Four days. It did not last long.

After the business outgrew our garage Shipping Department, we attempted to clean her up for more domestic use: gardening, workshopping, kid things, bikes, and the like. We eventually even added a couple of windows and redid the storage.

But, her most dramatic transformation happened out of a desire to have a wellness space for the whole family after a challenging few years. I had spent the previous decade working out at home, walking around the neighborhood, with no gym membership in sight. I slowly added a few small free weights in 2022, but I knew I needed more. I was ready to get back to the gym like my personal training days long ago and attempt to heal my body after a stressful season. As we crept into our mid-40s, Ari and I wanted to invest in our long-term health, and I wanted the kids to be able to get the most out of the space, too. Turning our garage into a wellness space seemed daunting at first. It would be a big transformation, but we knew it would bring rewards in the long term.

I set out with a mission on Pinterest and spent hours measuring, researching, and sending our carpenter questions. I wanted the space to have room for the kids to play, for Sarah to do her OT exercises, and for Ari and me to work out and recover well.

There was also the puzzle of what to do with all the things in our garage—you know, garage-y things. Where would the ladder and all the tools go? What about the bikes? The leaf blower? The 20-lb bag of organic fruit tree fertilizer??

As we began taking everything to prep for construction, the answer turned out to be two-fold:
1. We had to be selective. We donated most of what was in the garage. This was big and so freeing. We decided what we could realistically borrow from neighbors (ladders) and what we absolutely needed to keep (the kids’ bikes). Not having every tool leads to more connection with neighbors, too—a major bonus of downsizing.
2. We had to be smart about storage locations. We evaluated the spaces in our entire home and chose the best locations for the items we needed to keep on-site. Some things left the garage and went into indoor closets, and some things we realized we needed less of. For instance, large paint cans saved for future touch-ups went into small mason jars. This forced us to see what we really need and keep only the essentials.

The process of reorganizing and downsizing was hard work, and I needed a bit of a rest from it all. So, instead of selling some of the larger items we decided to part with, we put them all on our list-serve—free for the taking! This was SO fun to see how it blessed so many people. A single dad needed a ladder, a mom took several items for her daughter’s first apartment, and a newlywed couple had some of our storage racks on their registry. This energized me to keep going!

Now that we had space and room to dream, we chose these 6 main items to invest in:

— A cable machine/squat rack combo with bumper plates. We debated between the Titan and the Ritfit Power Cage, ultimately going with the latter because of the number of features included for the price. It was a beast to assemble, but worth it in the end. I love this thing.

— An infrared sauna was our largest investment in the space, and we use it daily. The health benefits are extraordinary; we’ve seen marked gains in recovery speed, reduced inflammation, and far better nighttime sleep. For me, it’s been especially instrumental in detoxing after surgery. If you order one, mention my name for a discount.

— A red light therapy panel – another daily game-changer for all of these reasons.
— Therapy swings, a punching bag, and ropes for the kids. I had no idea how much this would help them each day – they are always in here.

— Neutral linen covers for our Nugget Play Couches, which turned out to be the best part of the space. The cover color gave these kids’ couches a modern, functional feel. They serve as exercise mats for me, which are easy on my joints and back.

— Exercise thingy-things! It’s the small things that can make a big impact on our daily wellness routines. Find all of my favorites from our home gym here. Our space was completed with free weights, a yoga mat, a wooden box, an exercise ball, and foam rollers. We already had the Octane elliptical, so we just had to pay a technician to move it into the space and give it a good tune-up.

The transformation of the space itself was so fun to watch! It was a challenge, too, though, as I wanted to bring in as few VOCs as possible. This took research (and wasn’t always perfect), but our AirDoctor 5500 definitely did some heavy lifting in construction and after.

Okay, I know you’re wondering, so let’s talk about the garage door. Where did it go, you ask? It’s still there but skillfully hidden behind a wall. Our construction crew said they do this for model homes. They remove the garage door tracks and machinery, store them away in the attic if you ever want to put it back to sell the house, and build a removable wall around the existing door with insulation. I looked at allllll the options here: an insulated garage door ($$$), removing the garage door entirely (not HOA friendly), and this was by far the best option for cost and logistics.

— So, we covered the garage door and stored the tracks in the attic!
— We put in an eco-friendly floor
— We used zero-VOC paint throughout and natural wood – I’ll list paint colors in the comments!
— The wood trim through the space really made it sing – I’m grateful we went with this
— We installed a small but mighty HVAC unit through a friend of a friend. It’s energy-efficient and quiet.
— I chose natural sisal rugs instead of rubber – I did not want the fumes from traditional gym flooring

The decor was super fun for me. I love transforming a space.

— The light fixtures gave it an upscale library look
— Natural water hyacinth baskets made for great storage
— A cost-saving move: I chose these Roman shades in lieu of cabinetry doors. They are so simple, and all of our gardening supplies, towels for the sauna, bike helmets, and various tools are tucked behind them on peg boards. I’ll try to get a video of this for you to see – this system is WONDERFUL!
— These mirrors saved us a ton of money compared to getting a sizeable commercial gym mirror
— I loved this inspiration and went with board and batten with peg hangers. I love them together, and they have been so practical for hanging towels and placing art
— I decided on a warm botanical theme with citrus fruit in honor of my dad, who loved all things citrus and health. Many of these are free public domain prints I downloaded and framed.
— The exercise bench and rattan storage benches look fantastic and are both great quality for the price
— The Nuggets – again, a huge hit, and they get used multiple times a day for workouts for me and Ari or kids’ playtime

These photos were taken last September, and we’ve made some small newer additions since then.

I’ve gathered all of our home gym favorites for you here and here.

There you have it: our favorite space in the house! It’s where I start my day with training and end my day before bed with redlight and sauna. We’ve been in this space for almost a year, and it consistently gets used multiple times daily in every season.

We’re so glad we made this space our own instead of moving. It has blessed us all—and many friends we’ve invited for sauna and playtime.

While a lot has changed at our house over the last year (I’ll share a few more before and after posts soon!), the Shipping Department sign will forever remain – a reminder of the beautiful seasons that brought us here to our Garage Wellness Space.

Many thanks to my sweet friend, Traci Huffman, for the photographs!

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March Goals

In the snowing and the blowing,
In the cruel sleet,
Little flowers begin their growing
Far beneath our feet.
– “March” by Mary Mapes Dodge

A thin carpet of green catkins covers the pear tree outside my window as I write to you: spring is here. My daffodils and great-grandmother’s jonquils are blooming, the bluebirds have returned, and the smell of mulch is better than any Parisian perfume. I love this season of new growth!

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February highlights:

– A trip to NYC with my friend, Shunta! We saw my long-time CMU friend, Leslie, in Purlie Victorious on Broadway, and it was incredible. I was so grateful to have this special time with Shunta! Highly recommend from this trip: The Equinox Hotel. See a video of our trip.

– After reading My Side of the Mountain five or six times through with the kids (clearly a family favorite!), I’ve long dreamed of taking the kids to Hawk Manor Falconry. It was one of the coolest things we’ve ever done! Highly recommend. Chip was so knowledgeable and kind. The kids loved it!

– Josh started violin lessons.
– Grace started our seeds!
– Sarah started a new school. This was the biggest update of our year—perhaps the last 8 years—friends. After years and years of praying for the right education for her long-term growth and trying literally everything (public, homeschool, private, forest school – some of which were wonderful), God finally showed us his beautiful plan for her. It’s a small school for exceptional kiddos, and aside from the learning methods and support for her needs, they have chickens, a garden, morning hikes, and… two therapy cats! She is the happiest camper, and so are we. After all these years of my nervous system being ramped up, trying to help her to feel safe each day, we’ve all taken a big deep breath. I’m just two weeks in and I can’t tell you how much this has done for all us. PDA and Autism can be complicated in a school environment. Now, Sarah is in a place that celebrates her and builds her up as a leader. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
– I made some progress writing the books. I’ve almost completed a rough draft of one of them.
– Loving this month: breakfast. As of late, I’ve enjoyed eggs, peppers, sauerkraut, avocado, and a big shake each morning. 1 scoop of Equip Chocolate Prime Protein, 1 scoop of Equip Chocolate Collagen, water, ice, and some chia seeds. It’s so good! It tastes like dessert. Use code LARA for 15% off.

What I read in February:
— Good Inside. This was an intentionally focused month. I gained so much from this read that I decided to go through it twice. I wanted to be sure I implemented all the strategies she shared, and I benefitted immensely from a second read. This took most of my reading time in February.
— The Common Prayer Daily podcast.
— I also took time to read over my 2024 Goals and mark my next action steps. Reading my goals and seeing how much progress has added up from small steps forward was so encouraging. Little by little adds up. Praise the Lord!

What I’m looking forward to in March:
– Planting seeds!
– A trip to Charleston for a women’s retreat
– Our 18th wedding anniversary
– Starting the new Gratitude Journal. I also got Grace a copy and hope to start a daily rhythm with her.
– Planning our Passover Seder with friends.

My March PowerSheets goals grew from my 2024 Goals here.

Your turn! What habits are helping you so far this year? Any new things you’re trying? I’d love to hear!

P.S. Looking for my favorite healthy things? I’ve gathered them all for you here.

The post March Goals appeared first on Lara Casey.

February Goals

The birds have been singing to-day
And saying: “The spring is near!
The sun is as warm as in May,
And the deep blue heavens are clear.
– “In February” by John Addington Symonds

We are inching closer and closer to spring—I can feel it. February brings glimpses of life below the surface: bulbs pushing through the frozen ground, catkins forming on the trees, and new bird sounds from migrating flocks returning home. I love this month! I’m ready to cozy up with hot tea in the sun, do some garden dreaming, embroider my Valentine’s gifts, and enjoy this time with the people in my life. After winter always comes spring.

Art inspired by this month’s Bookling Society read – more below!

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I’m grateful for new rhythms and adventures to start the new year. My new systems are helping me so much each day to focus on small steps forward. I use this weekly setup for big-picture planning, marking weekly habits, rhythms, and goal-centered action items. The daily setup includes the kid’s schedules, household to-dos, and meal prep. My PowerSheets remain the home base for tending to my goals little by little. I have a spot in our living room that has become “Cultivate Command Central” with my planners, pens, and card-sending supplies. This is mommy’s zone, and I’m grateful it’s helping me each day! : ) Use code LARA for a discount.

I am also grateful for YOU. Dear readers and friends, you have the best ideas. I took many of your recommendations and ran with them this month: books, tips, and helpful links. I love this community of long-time and new readers here on the blog. I’ve been writing here consistently for 15+ years and couldn’t be more grateful for you!

Making a focaccia “garden” with Grace – so fun and delicious!

January highlights:

– We have a new consistent rhythm of lighting Shabbat candles and closing the Sabbath with Havdalah candles and blessings. Thank you to reader Shayna for recommending this liturgy for Havdalah. I printed it and put it on the fridge, and we have enjoyed reading it each Saturday evening!
– A very kind neighbor came over to teach the kids how to knit, and Josh finished his first scarf in January. He is so proud, and I’m impressed with his nightly diligence. We all enjoy knitting now as we read books aloud before bed.
– One of the best changes this year is getting up to work out before the kids are awake. This has opened up my day to focus on the kids first thing, get more housework done before I drive the kids to various places, and enjoy the quiet of the mornings by myself. Ari gets up earlier now, too, to work out and start his day well. I started this right after Jessie died. I needed total silence in the dark of the starlight to process my thoughts each morning. This new rhythm, as grand as this may sound, has been one of the most significant habit changes I’ve made in life. It’s allowed me to have more time with the Lord and listen to audiobooks while I get my strength training done. I get more focused time with the kids now. I call this “Jessie’s gift to me.” She loved our kiddos, and she would love this new rhythm in my life. I miss her terribly.
– I completed five years of photo albums with Chatbooks’ . It felt so good finally to check this off my list.
– I landed myself in urgent care after stepping on a set of Ari’s military ribbons – I.e., three giant spikes that went into my foot. I’m fine now, praise the Lord, but it was certainly a family memory for the books.
– Thanks to inspiration from 365 Thank You’s, a book recommended by reader Dawn (thank you!), I started writing cards each day. I have loved this practice, and I loved the book.
– We attempted gluten-free sourdough, failed thrice, and decided to seek expert advice. I am a long-time Cannelle et Vanille fan, and I can’t wait for her cookbook to come in the mail!
– I began writing the books (more to come on this) – this was huge for me! Sometimes, starting is the hardest part. I’m excited to continue digging in this month.
– I needed a major gut and hormone reset to aid my healing from surgery, so I read Fast Like a Girl and did the 30-day reset. This was a challenge, but worth it. I’ll try this for a couple more months to see how it regulates my system.
– We made a tentative school plan for next year, praise the Lord. I often forget January is the month when all the school decisions happen for the following year. It sneaks up on me! I’m adding a reminder to my perpetual calendar, though, now: the third week of January is school go-time. We let the Lord lead us each year for the individual needs of each kiddo. We do a mix of Charlotte Mason homeschool, private lessons, forest school, and a “homeschool school” where our kids do group classroom lessons. Some years, we do summer lessons, and some years, we take the whole summer off. I’m grateful for where He has led us for 2024-2025. More on this in a future post. I promised you a peek into how we homeschool, and I haven’t forgotten!
– Loving this month: LMNT Chocolate, served hot. It’s my mid-afternoon pick-me-up.

What I read in January:
This was a great reading month! Some I did via Audible, and then I discovered that most of my TBR list is included with my Spotify Premium membership in the Audiobooks section. They have a great catalog, which is cheaper than Audible.

— 365 Thank You’s: Thank you again, Dawn, for recommending this true story of a lawyer who finds revival in the art of the handwritten thank-you note. A book after my own heart. I loved the audio read by the author. I especially loved the appendix, where he shares tips on how to write a great thank-you note. After reading the book and his story, inspired me to action. I cleared out a storage bench in our living room full of kids’ winter wear and turned it into my “stationery station,” complete with stamps and pens, so I’m equipped to send notes easily!
— Fast Like a Girl: As mentioned in my recap above, I needed a hormone and gut reset. Surgery really messed up my system. I don’t love some of this book’s ethos, but the science makes perfect sense. Essentially, this is a book about balancing your blood sugar, which in turn affects your hormones throughout different periods of your cycle. The 30-day reset has been a challenge, and I’m digging in again for a second month to see what happens.
— Made for People: Five gold stars! This book came right on time in my life. I began reading it when Jessie went into hospice and couldn’t put it down. It spoke to my own personal need for covenant connection and gave me practical ideas and clarity on how to go about it. This gospel-centered book is one I plan to read again.
— Patina Farm: A coffee-table book about a beautiful home in Ojai, near where Ari and I used to live in California. I love the style and gardens—a fun peek into a beautifully intentional design. I love how they thought of their animals and specific plants in the planning.
— Let it Go: This is more of a manual for downsizing later in life, but it helped me know what I don’t want at that point: STUFF.
— The Martha Manual: A great library find, this robust guide really does teach you almost everything. From how to knit to how to clean an oil stain and how to host a brunch, Martha knows. I’m gifting this to a couple of friends this month.
— The Bears of Blue River: This is on our Ambleside reading list, and we all loved it. It’s a little intense in portions, but the writing is fantastic, and our whole family couldn’t get enough of these bear-hunting tales. Great storytelling.
— Unbound: The Life and Art of Judith Scott: Okay, you guys. I do not want to spoil this one. It’s one of the most heartbreaking and simultaneously inspiring children’s books we’ve read. It came in our first month’s shipment from the Booking Society and is a forever favorite. There are some books we read that are funny or inspire a good conversation. And, then, some move you and ignite character change – this is one of them.
— Be Thou My Vision: We just finished this one last night, and what a treasure this nightly’ liturgy has been for our family! It’s so well-crafted. We thoroughly enjoyed the Advent edition, and I ordered the Passover to Pentecost volume for us to read next.

A new tradition: making “Winter Berry” jam in January from frozen berries, lemon, and honey. It is sooooo good!

What I’m looking forward to in February:
– My friend Erin’s seed launch! Many years ago, I had a conversation with her about starting her own seed shop, and it all seemed overwhelming at the time—where does one even begin? She had a vision and passion to see it through. After many years of breeding, learning, and growing, this will be Floret’s first “All Floret Originals” seed launch. I couldn’t be more proud of Erin and excited to grow them in my garden this year!
– A trip to NYC with my friend, Shunta! We’ll see my long-time CMU friend, Leslie, in Purlie Victorious on Broadway, and I am counting the minutes. I haven’t taken a trip without the whole family, much less with a friend, in I don’t know how long. As a special-needs parent, it’s a big undertaking for me to go away for a night, but Ari was so encouraging. I’m grateful to have this special time with friends!
– A birthday celebration for my mom and Sarah.
– Quiltcon I am so excited to go to this quilting event with Grace!
– Our 18th engagement anniversary (Valentine’s Day), soon followed by our 18th wedding anniversary in March (we had a very short engagement!).
– I love Valentine’s Day and have many gifts and cards to create this month.
– I’m gifting the new Gratitude Journal to Grace and got a copy for myself as well. I look forward to starting this with her in February.
– Planning our Passover Seder with friends.
– Whatever else the Lord has for us this month!

My February PowerSheets goals grew from my 2024 Goals here.

Your turn! What habits are helping you so far this year? Any new things you’re trying? I’d love to hear!

P.S. Looking for my favorite healthy things to start your year? I’ve gathered them all for you here.

The post February Goals appeared first on Lara Casey.

January Goals

January is
A clean white sheet, newly-ironed
An empty page:
A field of freshly-fallen snow
Waiting to be mapped
By our footsteps.
– John Foster

Hello, mid-January! As mentioned, I’ve taken these first days of the year to set new rhythms. All of January (and likely part of February as well!) is my “January 1st.” I love these first days of the year and the opportunity to be made new through new habits and intentional choices. It’s fun to try new things!

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One change I can report as we’ve started 2024: I am officially a paper planner person. Grace asked me yesterday, “Mommy, why do you have three planners?” To everything, there is a season, and my command center (below) is a necessity in this season. I use the weekly setup for big-picture planning, marking weekly habits, rhythms, and goal-centered action items. The daily setup includes the kid’s schedules, household to-dos, and meal prep. My PowerSheets remain the home base for tending to my goals little by little. I took my time easing into the year and just finished making my January Tending List. A rare mid-month look at my PowerSheets…

January has mostly been filled with small steps, with the exception of one. The most surprising goal progress of the year so far (maybe even of the last few years!?): I finished four years (!) of family photo albums last Saturday. And, I did it all from my phone, using Chatbooks‘ Yearbook feature. It was so easy and I am thrilled to have this done finally! Chatbooks is smart: they break your photos down by month, allowing you only to choose photos from one month at a time. This simple separation helped me avoid the overwhelm of selecting photos. Within a couple of hours, I was DONE. This has lingered on my goal list for years, friends.

I had two rules that helped me get this done:
1. I only chose photos that jumped at me and made me feel something, not necessarily the “prettiest” photos—photos that brought a family memory or story to life.
2. I did not edit photos. I just went with it.

The results were wonderful, casual albums our kids have already loved pouring through. I plan to hand-write captions for them as my next step. I love them!

Your turn! What habits are helping you so far this year? Any new things you’re trying? I’d love to hear!

P.S. Looking for my favorite healthy things to start your year? I’ve gathered them all for you here.

The post January Goals appeared first on Lara Casey.

My 2024 Goals and Word of the Year

“New Year’s Day is a good time to fix one’s eyes on the only One who knows what the year is to hold.” — Elisabeth Elliot

Like my friend Erin, I, too, feel like I’m tiptoeing into 2024, taking it slow and carefully considering each step. You, too? December was full: a month of loss, continuing to recover from surgery, doing the holidays with as much meaningful intention as I could muster, and hosting family. I didn’t have my usual stretch of time or energy to reflect on the year, but these first days of January have given me some quiet time to think and consider my steps. I’m thankful for clarity and a slower start to 2024. The entirety of January is my “January 1″—a time to try new things and get set up for the year.

A special treat this year has been doing my PowerSheets alongside Grace. What a full-circle experience after creating them when she was tiny. She has enjoyed the process (and the stickers!), and I love that we get to do this together. We’re chipping away at each page little by little together and hope to make our January Tending Lists this weekend (January Goals post forthcoming). Affiliate links are used in the post.

Tools I’m using for 2024:

— One-Year PowerSheets in jade green for me
— One-Year PowerSheets in crocus for Grace
— The Gratitude Journal
— The blue Reading Journal for me
— Grace has the original Reading Journal she has been filling up with favorite books
— A Season by Season Weekly Planner for me
— A Season by Season Daily Planner in the kitchen for the family
— Alllll the sticker books
Use code LARA for 10% off your order at the links above if that’s helpful. Enjoy!

What are you using? I went back and forth on planners, having failed miserably using a paper planner for several years. Life was too tumultuous to stop and write things down. To everything, there is a season, and this is finally my season for pen and paper. The weekly setup will keep several of my goals top-of-mind. My 2024 stack below with a few books we’re reading.

After the year I just lived, God led me to take a different approach to writing my goals. I finished my PowerSheets prep work, penned a rough draft, and felt restless for days. In the middle of the night, verses came to mind to replace my own words and summarize each goal. My six scripture-inspired goals will allow me to focus on God’s Word and creatively bring it to life through small steps. I’ve listed action ideas under each that I’ll consider with each month and season—some are specific to-do’s, and some are general habits I want to solidify over time. I’m sure I’ll return to this post and add, edit, and fill things in as I go. For now, I’m grateful for this new beginning and to try new things. May these six goals help me love God and others in NEW ways this year:

1. Allow God to establish my steps (not me) (Proverbs 16:9)

Inspiration and encouragement:

– Seek God with my whole heart. (Jeremiah 29:13)
– Love God with my mind, heart, soul, strength, and mind. (Matthew 22:37)
– Remain connected to God. (John 15:5)
– Seek God first. (Matthew 6:33)
– Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
– But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with Him. (1 Corinthians 6:17)
– Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art
Thou my best thought, by day or by night
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light

Habits and action items:

— SOLITUDE – enjoy silence and quiet
— Go to a service at Duke Chapel
— Light Shabbat candles and do Havdalah each week
— Enjoy the Jewish holidays; host our Passover seder for friends
— Practice contemplative prayer – understand this with God‘s help
— Go to quiet places in nature—open fields, hikes, the beach, gardens—to listen to God
— Take three spiritual retreat days this year
— Embroider my newly-covered Bible
— List my spiritual habits in order of priority – make a list
— Cultivate gratitude in my journal daily
— Calm my nervous system through the whole of 2024 – guard my heart and mind by letting Him have more of my time than any other thing, worry, anxiety, or unexpressed tension/needs
— Unschedule and let myself rest – 2023 was full and it’s time to rest and process all that happened
— Use my planner to take sermon notes and plan all of the above

More action ideas to come on all of these as I pray and process more in these first days of the new year.

2. Number my days (Psalm 90:12)

Inspiration and encouragement:

– Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. (James 4:14)
– Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow. (Psalm 144:4)
– “O Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am! (Psalm 39:4)

Habits and action items – I had to make categories for this one to help me organize my thoughts:

Home
— Generously give 20-30% of the things in our house
— Enjoy the space and time this gives us back; make my version of minimalism – let God be our vision at home
— Do Sweedish death cleaning; get professional guidance with this from a local organizer I found
— Get better at cleaning the house – already started, but I am soaking up new cleaning techniques and rhythms
— Consider getting rid of our grass and replacing it with a lavender garden – our HOA may flip, but I think this is totally possible
— Consider renovating parts of our kitchen to love our kids in the future – bigger island area, fridge space, vent hood that actually vents to the outdoors
— Get a ‘slow children at play’ sign approved for our cul-de-sac

Family
— Enjoy our nightly family liturgy and character reading to plant seeds of faith and legacy in all of us – you’ll see this pop up under several goals
— Finally finish the photo albums for the kids
— Finally finish the family movies and have a big movie viewing night in the spring with popcorn and movie tickets!
— Help the kids memorize scripture together and love good words

Grief
— Take time for my grief – noted above about grief retreats, but also take time on various grief milestones
— Take the final step to begin hospice volunteering
— Make my project idea – just for myself at first and maybe to share with others

Health and Wellness
— Do the good habits I know I need to do each day to have energy for the family and continue to heal: red light, infrared sauna, brisk walking outside, breathing, music, weights, and SLEEP
— Focus on longevity with Ari in our health and wellness – begin trading ideas
— Grow in strength – begin my strength training again on January 15th (hopefully getting the doc’s clearance next week)
— Finish Why We Sleep and Outlive with Ari – gifted to him for Christmas
— Make this the year of SLEEP to continue to heal – morning sunlight, afternoon sunlight, in bed by 7:30, lights off in the house after dark, gratitude journal at night to close the day worshipping God
— Heal my gut again after antibiotics – this will take the majority of 2024
— Grow more herbs to cook with – I loved this last year and want to grow more!
— Refresh my skincare routine for my age

3. Love others as I have been loved (John 13:34)

Inspiration and encouragement:

– And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:24-25)
– And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, … (Acts 2:42-47)
– For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; … (Romans 12:3-13)
– Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. (James 5:16)

Habits and action items:
— Finish Made for People
— Get to know people at our new church
— Grow in covenant friendship
— Organize our Memorial Day BBQ with neighbors
— Pray with friends regularly – on the phone or in person on prayer walks

4. Renew my mind (Romans 12:2)

Inspiration and encouragement:

– Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2)
– Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4)
– But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (John 7:24)
– I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Praise be to you, LORD; teach me your decrees. With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth. (Psalms 119:11)

Habits and action items:
— Read the Word – we just started the whole Bible in 3 years again
— Hide God’s Word in my heart – memorize the book of Ephesians
— Study my Word of the Year (at the end of this post!) in the Bible
— Read wisdom to be discipled by others – two chapters / day
— Become a better reader by practicing – read the Kindle in dark mode for my eyes
— Get my eyes tested for vision therapy needs
— Read poetry to the kids, and for me
— Enjoy our nightly liturgy and character readings

5. Be generous; live the life that is truly life (1 Timothy 6:17-19)

Inspiration and encouragement:

– As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace (1 Peter 4:10)
– In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:16)
– As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life. (1 Timothy 6:17-19)
– And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:38-40)

Habits and Action Items:
— Delight people : ) : )
— Have a gift closet
— Cook for fun to delight the family and worship the Lord : )
— Plan the spring garden party with Em
— Write children’s books for others
— Be generous!

6. Let all I do be done in love (1 Corinthians 16:14)

Inspiration and encouragement:

– This goal is centered on our family. Grow in relationship with our children and Ari. Take less offense in tension—see each person’s need before my own. Love others out of God’s love for me.
– A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35)
– Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. (1 Peter 3:8)
– Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32)

Habits and action items:
— Grow in relationship with other families at church
— Dig into therapy with Ari – we just started sessions with a therapist who specializes in helping special needs families
— Grow our marriage frienship and fun – take 3 small trips together this year, set a date night every week, and encourage each other daily
— Test out a different vacation plan this year, focusing more on individual time with each child and fewer big group trips that are hard for one of our kiddos
— Embroider the kids’ Easter gifts again – new sweatshirts
— Set two weeks for homeschool planning in June instead of July; start school on August 1
— Enjoy our family liturgy reading time at night in the living room: knit, talk, connect, pray and relax
— Do more fun and simple weekend things here locally and at home
— Set up more play dates with friends
— Make gluten-free sourdough each week for the kids – any advice for this beginning baker? I just started my starter today!
— Make a life-giving school plan for next year, syncing everyone up instead of everyone going to various locations for out-of-the-house lessons

There you have it! I’ll return and add to these action ideas as the month continues. I’m so thankful for this new start. My 2024 Vision Board brings so much of this to life visually for me and is my favorite from all the years I’ve made them! Find more on my Pinterest.

For my Word of the Year, I wrestled with the words ‘abundance,’ ‘peaceful,’ and ‘formation.’ I want to experience spiritual formation, maturity, and connectedness with God and community like no other year before. I want to be transformed by the renewing of my mind. Then I landed on one little question in the PowerSheets: “What does success look like at the end of 2024?” My answer: evidence of the fruit of the Spirit in my life for others to enjoy. Instead of fretting, joy. Instead of rushing, patience. In place of control, gentleness. I reframed my thoughts and asked, “What needs to grow in my character this year? What do I want to be more of by the end of 2024?” I want to enjoy God abundantly and be made new—walking in the newness of life with our family. This will take doing new things, resting in what’s already been made new, and enjoying His Word and presence with anew each day.

My word for 2024:

NEW

Happy NEW year, friends. I’m grateful for you and His wisdom to direct our steps.

Your turn! What are you focusing on in 2024? What is your word for the year? Any favorite goals? I’d love to hear.

The post My 2024 Goals and Word of the Year appeared first on Lara Casey.

2024 Goal Setting: 2023 Year in Review

‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.’ Yes, indeed.

2023 was the year I grieved my Dad through all the first anniversaries (the anniversary of his baptism, Father’s Day, his birthday, the anniversary of his death, etc.), the year we renovated our health, my first year as a full-time homemaker, and—among many other significant experiences—the year my best friend breathed her last. This year was the hardest, and it was, at the same time, the most fruitful for my faith.

This was the year my second-half journey began. As I have learned, we don’t choose when this new journey begins; God does it unto us. It was, in every way, a year of profound change. It felt like I lived a decade in these 365 days. To attempt to summarize my experience is to leave out many of the things of the Spirit: the things that changed my character, opened my soul, and shaped our future.

My Vision Board for 2023

I began the year with clarity on my goals and grief to process—both about my dad and this new phase of life after letting go of a company I love. Getting through all the first-year milestones, up to the anniversary of my dad’s homecoming in August, was challenging and formative. It reset my internal calendar to pull toward that date. It feels a little weird to be here at another “new year,” as I already experienced this. But God has had a lot to teach me and grow in me since then. In 2023, I learned how to grieve. As many of you know all too well, this is not innate or taught. Our culture doesn’t know what to do with loss or how to honor these sacred days. God walked me through it, day by day. When my best friend, Jessie, passed away this month, I was surprised at how accepting I was at each stage of grief compared to before. Did it make it easier? No, but it made it more expected. I knew what that deeper-than-deep pain was: a hole left by love. There has been a lot of growth in all this grief, by God’s love and compassion. My word for 2023 was “Healed” and I have experienced healing in more ways than I ever could have expected this year—spiritually, emotionally, and physically. I’ve come to know that healing is less about fixing what is broken and more about being knit together with the source of healing Himself.

The early days of grief for me brought a wave of intense frustration at the stuff in our home. After clearing out my dad’s belongings with my brother in Dad’s final days, a switch flipped in my heart. I didn’t want my kids to have to do that for me, and I also didn’t want to spend time cleaning the house when I could spend it with the people who live there. More stuff = more time to manage the stuff. It was time for an overhaul, and in this new year ahead, I feel the need to go even further. More on that in the next post.

I experienced several waves of grief in missing my job and the rhythms I knew there for almost 20 years. 2023 was my first year living out my second-half journey here as a homemaker and mom. I took on my daily schedule with humility, failing a lot and learning daily.

With our health journey beginning and various nutritional needs in the house, I cooked far more than I used to. I learned, and I’ve had fun getting creative for family meals.

Birdie, the cat, adopted us.

We celebrated 17 years of marriage in March and made a significant decision. After considering land and more space, God made it clear that we were not supposed to move from our home. It had been a tumultuous few years with a lot of change, and moving or building a new house would create more change and stress. We didn’t need more space—we needed to ‘dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.’ God wanted us here with our neighbors close by, not isolated on a remote piece of land. This shift allowed us to take a deep breath as a family and enjoy the people around us. Our kids made sweeter friendships with the cul-de-sac kiddos as a result, and so did we.

Josh turned 8, and the neighborhood party was grrrreat!

We had yet another house flood (number 3 for us in the last 5 years!) from a broken pipe in the upstairs bathroom that poured water all through the floor to our bedroom. The sound of waterfalls in the night is the stuff of nightmares around here.

As a result, we made repairs and decided to renovate our house. Since we were staying here, we did what we knew was needed: foundation repairs, crawl space encapsulation, etc. We did fun things too, though, like a new coat of exterior paint and converting our garage into a wellness space. Affiliate links are used in this post—enjoy!

One of the best new discoveries of 2023 was digging into functional medicine! We both tossed our chronic medication, learned how to sleep, did a ton of labs and tests, evicted the toxins from our house, and got a little pep back in our step. We gained a lot of muscle between the two of us, and we have continued to learn. I was diagnosed with hEDS and got answers on my neck pain after 6 years. My word fo the year came to mind often this year!

I took three grief retreats: single nights away to focus on whatever the Lord had for me to process in each season. I usually just brought my Bible and a journal. I did a lot of walking. I did some therapy. I wrote. I cried. I laughed. These were needed.

Ari and I took two trips away, one to Myrtle Beach for a weekend and one to a hotel down the road for our anniversary. We also took family road trips to Corolla, Asheville, and Blowing Rock. On our Blowing Rock trip, I did my hardest hike to date. This was a health milestone for me.

I had “the talk” with our kids. Notice I said I. Ari came in the room as Grace asked me a “talk”-worthy question and did a full military about-face out of the room—haha! Thank you, Birds and Bees, for equipping me!

Ari took Grace on several daddy-daughter trips, including one to New York City and another to see TobyMac in concert. These were special times for them.

We planted the garden and enjoyed every stage of growth. We finallllly grew some good carrots, hence the excitement above!

I discovered my favorite organic birdseed. If I could invest in this small business, I would. The birds love it and I feel great giving them pesticide-free food. Also, the packaging is 100% plastic-free, mess-free (it has a built-in pour spout!) and beautiful.

I tried my hand at supporting several small businesses I love and have enjoyed seeing them flourish. I also finally collected my favorite things here for you, Ari made his grand re-entrance onto your Instagram feed, and you loved this more than anything else I shared this year.

After years of unanswered questions, we finally received a diagnosis for Sarah that changed everything: PDA Autism. This has been the biggest blessing and has helped us all understand her and help her grow. As a result, she started autism therapy, and we found a new OT who is truly a God-send for our whole family. We changed the vast majority of how we parent and do life with Sarah. It has made all the difference!

We took a weekend in Boston for Josh‘s birthday and ventured to Iceland with my mom and brother.

This summer, I walked a lot, committing to 14,000 steps a day in honor of my Dad, and listened to many audiobooks. A few summer favorites: Atomic Habits, Habits of the Household, Sacred Rhythms, and Every Moment Holy: Death, Grief and Hope.

I discovered this year that my color is green.

We did our second annual free flower stand for neighbors in honor of my Dad. It was beautiful and so meaningful!

Grace started middle school, Josh skipped ahead to third grade, and Sarah began her first full homeschool year alongside therapy. School for the kids has been so good this year, all praise to the Lord. Sarah made new friends, Grace continued horseback riding, and Josh earned his yellow belt in karate.

We took one final weekend trip for the year to our favorite place, Captain Charlie’s, at Bald Head Island.

I had major surgery. I owe you a post on this, as it’s truly the biggest milestone of my year, but it has been a tough/long recovery, alongside losing Jessie suddenly. I look forward to sharing when I get the spring back in my step. Overall, I am healing slowly and grateful to have this significant surgery behind me. The flowers below, from 20-something of my generous, wonderful, kind former co-workers, were a bright spot in some dark days post-surgery when a systemic infection set in. They sent flowers twice, which was far above and beyond—but that’s just who they are. I love you all so much.

My mom lived with us for six weeks to help with the kids post-surgery. She was a champ and selfless as she served our family.

I finished reading the Bible again with friends and started anew.

My best friend from home, Jessie, passed away from large B lymphoma. I spent her last days with her, close friends, and her beautiful mom in hospice. I miss her terribly. Life will never be the same.

After 10 years at our previous church and three amazing years with our house church since the lockdowns began, they changed to meet once a month instead of weekly. This was a hard change for us, but we know the Lord was in it, and it’s already opened meaningful doors. We’ve been visiting a new church since, where we hope to serve and grow over the long haul with a larger community. I’m excited for our kids and our marriage in this, and ready to serve.

Ari and I enjoyed a 14th annual dinner with local Cultivate ladies. This yearly tradition is a gift. We have two annual questions we ask each other (gents included!), and we love hearing everyone’s answers:
– What good things happened this year?
– What are you looking forward to in the year ahead?
What a beautiful marker of time and the Lord’s faithfulness this has been over many years.

I finished the year with Grace and her first-ever “big girl” PowerSheets. She is using the Crocus set I originally ordered, and I switched to green because, well, 2023 taught me it’s my color. Doing PowerSheets with Grace for the first time was a full-circle moment for me. She loves them—especially all the stickers.

2023 was the year I grieved.
And it was the year the Lord brought His comfort like no one else can.
For how this year has changed me, I am forever grateful.

Happiest last day of 2023, friends. After a full year with it on my goal list, I just finished the base of my soon-to-be-embroidered Bible cover. It’s not too late to do something good and end the year well. Put an exclamation point on 2023, no matter how the previous 264 days went, and take a tiny step toward what matters—what lasts.

Up next… my 2024 goals.

The post 2024 Goal Setting: 2023 Year in Review appeared first on Lara Casey.

December Goals, What Matters Most

Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter long ago.
Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him, nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign.
– Christina Rosetti

I’m in an airport, on my way to be with my best friend from home, who went into hospice last night. It all happened so fast. At the beginning of last month, we had a long conversation about what matters in life. We talked about death and how our 30-year friendship led us to be able to “go there” in every conversation, especially this one. There was no fear in the conversation, just love. Somehow, before all the testing, she knew. Large B lymphoma took over her body with ferocity. Here we are a month later, and I never imagined this.

Jessie and I met in Mr. King’s advanced vocab class in middle school. We both have a love for good words, and she is, to say the least, brilliant with them. I always wished she would write a book. She knew the right words to put with what I was experiencing or to express the soul of another. She is creative, generous, and selfless. When I was a fairy in A Midsummer Night’s Dream as a freshman in High School, I lost my retainer in the trash at Hardee’s on a rehearsal break (whilst wearing my fairy costume!). Jessie climbed into the dumpster with me to find it, and that has been a picture of our relationship since. She’s been there for me in the hardest times, willing to dig into the hard stuff to find authentic connection together—no matter what it takes. She became “Aunt Jessie” to my children. She was right by my side at my Dad’s funeral last year.

This is the last photo I have of us at Dad’s memorial celebration. Dad loved her dearly. She’s at the same hospice where he was before we brought him home. Please pray for her, her husband, her mom, and everyone around her in these sacred and devastating days. Jesus Christ came to earth, and He is coming again. This is the hope we hold fast to in Advent, and at the forefront of my mind as I travel to Pensacola today. May the Lord’s peace be experienced by Jessie, by all I’ll meet over the next few days, and by you as well.

Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12

I will say that I don’t want to write the rest of my normal goals post here, but I know Jessie would want me to keep going and connecting with you—using words to express and do life with gusto. I wrote much of this below several days ago before she went into hospice. So, here I am, for Jessie, celebrating all she is and all she has sown into the world and my life!

Highlights from November:
— The majority of November was spent preparing for and healing from surgery. It was difficult and painful, with a post-surgery infection that set me back several weeks in my healing. I have a long way to go, but I am grateful to be on the other side—detoxing from anesthesia, rebuilding my gut from antibiotics, and most of all, taking it slowly to let my body heal. Thank you to many of you who wrote me with notes of encouragement and prayer. Your prayers were felt. I’m not supposed to travel or drive a car yet, but Ari and I both agreed God would carry me through this trip to see Jessie.

— My mom has been with us for all of November and part of December to help us while I recover. I don’t know what we would have done without her.
— Grace turned 12. I slept right through her birthday party with my post-surgery infection and recovery, but she was so compassionate about it all. I love her so!
— As I mentioned last month, we were on the hunt for an organic Christmas tree. I found one, and it’s darling. Fresh-cut from a small pesticide-free farm in Honey Creek, WI, our little tree is just right. It was well-packaged, smells amazing, and was less expensive (even with shipping) than some of our local tree farms.
—I haven’t gotten to open my 2024 PowerSheets yet with all that happened in November, but I think these current experiences are changing my goals. Hard things shape us and make us see what truly matters—what lasts. I hope to open them when I return home later this week.

What I read or listened to:
— The Bible. We finished our three-year reading of the Bible in November and started again on December 1. My friend, Tijuana, and I have been reading through the whole Bible together for several years (I think eight?) alongside a handful of others, including Ari. This year, we’re grateful to have 75 of you joining us as well. What a gift to do this together for the next three years.
— For my surgery preparation, I used Belleruth’s Naparstek’s Guided Meditations to Promote a Successful Surgery and had my surgery team follow Peggy Huddleston’s Prepare for Surgery, Heal Faster protocol. It was a beautiful experience, thanks to God using these things. I was able to combat fear going into the operating room and woke up feeling peace instead of dread. My anesthesiologist told me, as I was waking up, that it was one of her favorite experiences in the OR, hearing all of the positive words in the room. It didn’t take much – I began practicing the visualization two days before surgery and listened as I was waiting for surgery to begin. If you know anyone having a procedure soon, feel free to pass these recommendations to them. I did a ton of research, and these programs are clinically proven to increase healing outcomes by 30-50%! Our mind is directly connected to our body and nervous system. I wanted my nervous system ready to experience the trauma of surgery in a relaxed state. While I did crash on them twice (my heart rate had a sudden drop in surgery, and they had to revive me with epinephrine and other things), I felt no pain or fear coming out of anesthesia—even several days later. The pain eventually set in once my infection began, but that’s another story for another day.
— While immobile in November, I watched several movies and sermons. In the early days after surgery, I found this video and these healing scriptures that were calming for my overloaded system.

What I’m looking forward to in December:
— Time with our family, serving others, basking in the reality of Jesus that changes everything.
— Our advent reading has been needed the last few days. Our stack:
Hallelujah: Cultivating Advent Traditions with Handel’s Messiah
A Vintage Christmas (new for us)
Come, Let Us Adore Him (new for us)
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel: A Liturgy of Daily Worship – (new for us) I love this one.
Then Sings My Soul: Holiday Special Edition 
— Reading Christmas books with the kids; see my updated list here. We have such a special collection—many that Jessie gave us over the years.
— Digging into my 2024 PowerSheets when I am back home.
— I don’t know what this month holds exactly, so I most look forward to relying on the Lord and taking it one day at a time.

In one hand I grasp the burden of my grief,
while with the other I reach
for the hope of grief ’s redemption.
And here, between the tension of the two,
between what was and what will be,
in the very is of now,
let my heart be surprised by, shaped by,
warmed by, remade by,
the same joy that forever wells within
and radiates from your heart, O God.
Amen.
– Excerpt from Every Moment Holy: Death, Grief and Hope

My December goals were fueled by the Q4 Goal Refresh in the PowerSheets. I hope to write my annual Goal Setting series later this month to share a recap of the year, what I’m focusing on in 2024, and my goals for the new year. Till then, I’m grateful for another month to tackle what God has given me to do. May we finish this year with love and faith, friends.

What are you focusing on in December to finish this year? I’d love to hear.

The post December Goals, What Matters Most appeared first on Lara Casey.

November Goals

Our twilight month November is,
The evening of the year.
The brilliant summer noontide left
A pallor soft and clear.
– “November” by Ruby Archer

October brought autumn delights: changing leaves, fall seedlings in the garden, new birds at our feeders, and our last trip of the year: a long weekend in a 100-year-old house on a little island with no cars. Ari and I both remarked that there’s something dream-like about this little spot on the island – it holds a quietness that our souls crave on the fuller days of life. We rode bikes, watched the sea birds flock at the shore, and marveled at the view from this window. We often return in our minds to this window throughout the year. It feels like we are the only people on the island as we look at the preserved landscape surrounding this historic lighthouse keeper’s home. See more from our trip here.

It was here, at this window two years ago, that I opened a new set of PowerSheets and let myself ask God a question I didn’t want to ask: “How do I let go of Cultivate?” I was weary, and there seemed to be no other way forward than to ask impossible questions. And here I am two years later with that decision made, looking back at all the sleepless nights that came afterward and all I learned.

The biggest thing I learned? To everything, there is a season, and God is faithful in all of them. Letting go is not easy, but when He says it’s time, you get to exercise faith. We can put everything in His hands and trust His plans, even when we can’t see what’s ahead, even when there are risks and unknowns.

Letting go and trusting Him continues today (as it always will!).

Highlights from October:
— I shared what it’s like to sell a company you love.
— Part 2 of our Health Journey got you talking.
— Our trip to Bald Head Island was our last bit of travel for the year and a sweet exclamation point on 2023.
— Oh, the butterflies, bees, and autumn seedlings—they have been a joy the last few weeks. I got my pansies and violas planted and watched the kale, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and lots of fun new things sprout!
— The thing I will miss most when the winter frost settles in? Cooking with herbs from the garden each night. Right now, we have basil, curry, sage, rosemary, oregano, thyme, dill, cilantro and parsley. I have loved our kitchen garden right outside the back porch door. This has been my daily de-stress time.
— We’ve started taking long walks after dinner each night to keep our blood sugar in check and get that great early-evening sun in our eyes. We bring our favorite tea, and I love every minute.
— You gave me a kind “welcome back” to Instagram as I shared my story (my most-watched video on Instagram to date).

What I read or listened to:
It was a different month for reading with some lighter, more practical titles:
— Home Detox by Daniella Chase. This and the title below were full of things I never knew and tips that are easy to implement.
— A Healthier Home by Shawna Holman. She shares excellent tips on her Instagram as well.
— The Home Edit. I checked this out at the library and got lots of great advice for organizing our pantry—once and for all. I was frustrated with it becoming what felt like a weekly project, often reinventing the organizing wheel as different food was placed on the shelves. I’ll share a before and after soon.
— This poem was a favorite in October (and this website is a wonderful collection!).
— A lot of Miles Davis and Dave Brubeck, my Dad’s favorites.

Photo by Traci

What I’m looking forward to in November:
— Grace turns 12! She’s such a joy, and I can’t believe I’ve been blessed to be her mom for a dozen years!
— We loved picking out our tiny Christmas tree last year. It was so cute and fun to decorate – the kids could reach the top! This year, Sarah tested high for glyphosate, so I’m hunting for some sort of more organic tree option to help her heal. I considered a faux tree, but I love the smell of a real tree! If I could find an organic potted evergreen, I’d be a happy camper. A giant rosemary tree? I’m on the hunt! We may decorate our Meyer lemons if all else fails!
— Last year, we made gifts for each other, and everyone enjoyed getting their craft on! I made the kids a puppet theater, which has had some good use. This year, I’ve purchased theater tickets for the kids to enjoy (the touring production of The Lion King – shhh, don’t tell them), and will make each of them something small. I’m thinking about writing a mini storybook or planning a future date with each. What are you gifting this year? I’d love ideas!
— I hope to spend some time at the end of November starting my 2024 PowerSheets. I really miss doing them with you all, by the way. I considered doing a little casual live for us to dig in together for fun, but that’s probably too ambitious for November.
— Finally, I’m having surgery next week (Tuesday morning) to help my health journey. I had a post written for you with the story and more details, but ultimately, I decided it’s best to wait to share until I recover. We’ve been preparing all year for this, and I’ve done all I can to ready my immune system and physical health. My mom is coming to stay with us for a few months to help, and I am so grateful.

Why mention it at all here now? I’ll be having general anesthesia, and the recovery is long – I’ll be out for several weeks. So, expect some quietness here for a bit as I settle into a season of healing. I’ll share more, Lord willing, when I get back on my feet. I did mention in a previous post that I was having a small hernia repair, which I decided to hold off on in favor of the more extensive healing needed for this surgery. I know it’s not ideal to mention the surgery without sharing details, but it’s what’s best for me right now so I can focus on preparing my mind, body, and spirit for surgery. I’m grateful for your kindness and love always!
— I wrapped up a dozen new Thanksgiving and Christmas books for the kids; see my updated list here. I’m a big fan of holiday books, and we have such a special collection. Since I’ll be in bed a lot this month and not doing my normal mom things, I’ve planned to surprise the kids with one every few days to read to their siblings (and me).

My November goals were fueled by the Q4 Goal Refresh in the PowerSheets. The process never fails to clarify my focus and make me want to take action—no need for forced motivation. My goals matter to me in the big picture, so I want to take action. I’m grateful for another month to tackle what God has given me to do.

What are you focusing on in November? Do we share any goals? I’d love to hear.

P.S. The best holiday sales on my favorite things are HERE! Save this page full of links and discount codes. I’ll update the Shop page as other deals go live. Happy – and healthy – shopping, friends!

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