I don’t know what it might be like where you live, but around here, spring has definitely arrived! We have lots of pollen, warmer weather, tall grass that needs cut, and kids itching to be outside more than inside. And we are loving it!

With spring in full swing, we are staying pretty busy. From kids’ activities, to church functions, to normal everyday life and stuff, we keep a pretty full schedule.

With all the blogs I maintain, there is always something to be written or posted. It’s awesome! And, in the middle of all of that, I am working on establishing a small side business, in the area of my photography hobby.

Needless to say, there is a lot going on around here.

In the realm of JeffRandleman.com, this week saw the beginning of a new memorization project. This year, I am striving to memorize the letter of 1 Peter. I posted an introduction to the letter over the weekend, and we will begin moving through this letter a few verses each week. I hope you’ll join me in this. It will be a great experience!

And now, in case you missed them, here are the top seven posts from JeffRandleman.com for the month of April, in terms of traffic.

March was crazy. First of all, it didn’t come in like a lion and go out like a lamb. It did it all backwards. Second, Easter Sunday was the final week of March, which made it extra busy. And finally, we just had a lot of stuff going on!

I don’t know how I manage to stay as busy as I do. It seems like there is always something going on, and we have somewhere to be. With a family like ours, with seven kids, one of them always seems to need to be somewhere, all the time.

This past week, I managed to find some time to take a break and not do anything. I stayed home. Shocking, I know. It was kinda nice.

Because of all that we have going on in our lives, I have been intentional about two things for the past few weeks: writing more and writing less.

I have been writing a lot more… In my journal. I have been focusing on planting my thoughts and ideas, spiritual growth, prayers and more on paper. This is a habit I have held for a long time, and now I am trying to step it up a notch.

I have been writing less… Online. At least here. You may know I also maintain a site for dads, over at Deliberate Dads. And I have started a new site, built upon the reliability of Genesis, for my work with ICR’s educational program, where I am pursuing a Master’s Degree. You can find that at Reading Genesis. And, I have recently sparked a few ideas about a blog dedicated to writing, about writing, the tools of writing and stuff like that. This is a work in the initial stages right now, and we’ll see how things go.

I don’t know how the winter has been where you live, but it has been very odd here. We have had a couple of weekends with bad weather, but for the most part, our winter has felt more like spring. And now, spring is just around the corner.

Around our house, with March beginning, we have flowers coming up, trees budding, and spring peepers making a lot of noise at night. We could very well still experience some winter weather, but it feels like spring may have sprung a bit early.

With spring comes a change in schedule for my family. Basketball season is over, so my cheerleader daughter has more free time. But with the warmer weather, my kids are feeling the urge to get outside a lot more. The coming weeks will probably see a significant increase in outdoor activities.

On the other hand, with the kids out in the yard, inside the house is more quiet, making it a bit easier to write and create. Although, the temptation is strong to head outside with my kids and enjoy the fresh air.

In case you missed them, here are the top seven posts from JeffRandleman.com for the month of February.

Here we are, in the second month of the new year. January is over, and February is under way. And things are hopping around here!

It has been a very busy month for the Randlemans. We celebrated our 22nd anniversary and two birthdays in January, with two more coming up in February. Our church kicked off 2016 with a study in Colossians and Financial Peace University, led by our youth minister and another leader.

As a result, we have been making some significant changes in the life of our family. That has given us a lot of new things to learn, and many to unlearn, both in our spiritual lives and our finances. But we are experiencing some growth challenges as we do so, and we will be better for having experienced them.

With that going on, the month of January has been crazy and awesome all rolled into one! I am excited to review the month, and to look ahead to next month as well.

So, in case you missed them, here are the top seven posts from JeffRandleman.com for the month of January.

The New Year has begun, and 2015 has drawn to a close. It has been a whirlwind of a year, bringing several health challenges, such as sleep apnea and cancer, as well as several new joys, including the birth of your youngest daughter, Mercy Dawn Randleman.

2015 was a pretty good year, in spite of some of the challenges it presented. And even though it seemed pretty overwhelming at times, our faith in God was strengthened and his hand on our lives was obvious yet again. Here are a few of the more memorable events from the past year:

• Our church family has become even more like family as we have grown to know them better.
• I continued my studies for my Master’s Degree, although somewhat sporadically.
• After my wife’s broken ankle healed in 2014, I was diagnosed with both severe sleep apnea and skin cancer in 2015.
• Our newest daughter was born in February, and has grown considerably since then.
• We have striven to move closer to a complete debt free status, and have gained some significant ground in that endeavor.

Our year has been pretty crazy and hectic. On top of all of those big events, life has continued in normal fashion in many ways. We have seven children, and each of them is busy in various ways. Our oldest daughter is a cheerleader and is involved in many other school activities. Our next daughter is in dance and drama, and our oldest son is taking musical lessons. Add church and community activities, and we have a very busy schedule most of the time.

It is hard to believe that the year is over! 2015 flew by, and brought a lot of new and incredible, and some not so fun things, into our lives. I anticipate what the new year will bring, and look forward to the fun and the challenges it holds.

Over the past couple of weeks, I have been reviewing the year. In terms of this website, I have seen steady growth over the previous year. But I have been reviewing 2015 from a personal standpoint as well. Have I accomplished my goals? What things of significance did I see in my life? How have I grown? And where do I need to continue to focus in 2016? These are all some of the thoughts that have been running through my mind and my journal.

One of the main ways I track my personal growth is through the use of a Life Plan. At this time of year, I give this document a very thorough examination, and adjust it for the coming year. You can read about this process here and here. I challenge you to take a good look at your life over the past twelve months. Look for the good as well as the not so good. Set goals to improve and grow for the coming year. Your growth must be intentional; you will not grow by accident.

Here’s to an excellent 2016!

In the meantime, and in case you missed them, here are the top seven posts from JeffRandleman.com for the month of December.

December has arrived, and with it the feeling that the year has evaporated into thin air! I find it hard to believe that the year can be almost over already, but the Christmas decorations cannot be denied.

Around our home, Thanksgiving was busy, with family and church gatherings. But it was all very enjoyable. The coming month promises to be just as busy. Between our family holiday activities, church programs, and the various things our kids are involved with, it will be a busy time indeed!

December will also be spent adjusting the Bible Reading Plans for the new year. If you haven’t subscribed to the email updates, you can do so here. If you have already done so, let me know if you would like a copy of the new plan when it is released later this month. If you are a current subscriber, I’d be more than happy to send you a new copy at that point.

In the meantime, and in case you missed them, here are the top seven posts from JeffRandleman.com for the month of November.