One Word 2016

On the eve of this upcoming year, I am ready.  Ready to commit to my One Word that will shape my life, not only for the next 365 days, but for the rest of my lifetime.

We all have different ways of selecting that one word.  Sometimes we choose it randomly.  Sometimes God chooses it for us. Sometimes it is easy to select. Sometimes it comes with a bitter taste.

I was all prepared to announce my One Word days ago.  But then......

I went to the mail and found my Faithbox.  What a nice surprise it was!  I really wasn't expecting it until the first of the year, but was delighted to open it.

Greeting cards. Tea. Devotional. Planner. Bracelet.

And that question......

What's your purpose?

Isn't that the question we all want the answer to???

What is my purpose?

Author

Stay at home mom

Soldier

Factory Worker

Pastor

Teacher

Musician

Lawyer

And the list continues.

Throughout our lives, we make decisions based on what we feel our purpose should be.  We plan our futures based off this idea and it determines which college we go to, which company we work for, the person we marry, the number of children we have, the neighborhood we live in.  Many times we choose our purpose without considering God's purpose for our lives.

I'm no theologian or Bible scholar, but I do know this......

I was created to have a relationship with Christ. To know Him. To love Him. To glorify Him. To lead others to Him.

That's my purpose in life.  

Author Susanna Foth Aughtmon said, "It is not so much about following a career path as it is about following the path of Christ."  

I couldn't agree more.  

That is a difficult thing to admit because we all have hopes and dreams for our careers.  What I wouldn't give to be a stay at home writer/mama.  To be able to plan my day around Bible study, coffee, reading, and writing.  Ahhhh!  

I understand, and accept that this option is not in the cards for me right now.  I choose to be ok with that and will continue to take part in bible study each day and read and write when I can.  And coffee, well, as long as there's Folgers, and Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks......I'll always have coffee. 

But my purpose other than to live for Christ?  

What is that?

I've considered this a lot lately.  

And I've thought this.....

Sure, I love Jesus. I live for Him, but do I really live with PURPOSE?  Do I have a purposes each and every day?  

And no, not really.

I am a fly by the seat of my pants kinda girl.

I don't make plans.

I don't make lists.

I just go with it (usually).

But what if I tried to intentionally live with purpose each day?

What if I made lists and goals?

What if?

Well, why not?  

So, there we have it.

My One Word for 2016.

So for the next 365 days, I will work to live with purpose, not that I want to be chained to To Do Lists, but that I know what I'm doing and why I'm doing it.  That I am being intentional and doing things that are worthwhile and meaningful. And that in all of these things, I am doing them for the Lord, to grow His kingdom.

We need to know that there is purpose in all things.  God has a plan and why shouldn't we?  I need to be reminded that there is a purpose to getting the laundry done. I need to be reminded that there is purpose in the mess of life.  I need to know that my purpose as a teacher isn't always academic.  I want to be able to live with purpose AND see purpose in my daily life.

And letting my five year old write my One Word for me.....yes, there is purpose in that.

Was I Gentle?

As 2015 came knocking on my door, I began to consider a word that I wanted to shape my life for the next 365 days.  That's hard to do if you want to be intentional about living the life God has planned for you.  Sometimes it takes looking in the mirror and finding that log that separates you from Christ.  

For me, that log was reacting instead of responding which caused me to be hateful and ill-tempered....aka....angry and yelling a lot.  

No mama wants to be remembered for that.  

At first I thought my problem was patience, or the lack of.  However, after a discussion during Sunday School, I realized that I wasn't gentle. Not the bull in a china shop gentle, but gentle, as in how I used my words and what my reactions were.

So, I vowed to be more gentle in 2015.  

To start, I had to find out what caused me to be ungentle.  That was easy.  I reacted.  I chose to spit out the first thing on my tongue.  Matthew 5:18 says, But the words you speak come from the heart--that's what defiles you.  

That, my friend, is a hard pill to swallow....that I had that "stuff" in my heart.  Not something you want to admit, although deep down, I knew it.  But why?  Why was it in my heart?

Plain and simple?  My relationship with God wasn't what it needed to be.

Now, I'm not saying that my relationship with Him is absolutely perfect now. It's not.  There are days I still give God a headache.  I'm the sweat on His brow, but He loves me anyway.

Little by little, I worked am working on my heart. Little by little my heart softens and I respond instead of react.

I'm dedicated to being the kind of mother that honors God.  The kind of mother that my children can be proud of, not live in fear of.  I'm dedicated to being the woman God has intended me to be.  I will extend grace by responding, not reacting.

Being gentle is a life long journey.  Some days are easier than others, but I have to remember to extend grace to myself, not if, but when I mess up.  Because mess up I will.

I thank God for walking on this journey with me, for helping me see my heart problem.

I will continue to listen for God's still small voice in those intense moments when I'm ready to fly off the handle.  I will continue to spend time with Him, not just once a day, but throughout the day to know Him, and be whom He wants me to be. My lifelong goal is to have Jesus inside each moment of my day, not just 30 minutes before work or at meal or bedtime prayers.  When I make Christ an integral part of my day, He is a part of me.  And that will cause love to flow from me in all that I do.

What about you, dear friend?  Did you chose a word to shape your year?  How did it go?

I Blew It, But That's OK

It's the last day of February, and I've already blown it!  My One Word to live by for 2015.

I have vowed this year to do what it takes to be gentle in my words and actions, to respond instead of react. And I blew it.

I noticed a rough patch of partaking in yelling matches with tiny humans (my children).  I noticed I wasn't as kind to my students at school when I became frustrated with their behavior and attitudes.  And with adults, well, I wasn't very nice in my thoughts and attitudes about their irritating behaviors. I may have even stuck my foot in my mouth a couple of times.  What else? I probably experienced a little road rage. I never really thought about it until we were in drive thru at McDonald's and my 4 year old yells, "GO ON PEOPLE!"

Umm yea. He heard that from his mama.  Not a proud moment.

So what was it?  What caused me to lose my temper, to be harsh, to be someone I wasn't proud of?

I realized I had not been spending enough time with my best friend

my Jesus.

No reason is a good reason.  I can blame the fact that I'd just finished my one year Bible and was waiting the arrival of my new chronological Bible. I can blame the fact that I wanted to get caught up on War and Peace and didn't have time to spend in God's Word.  I can blame blogging, wanting to talk about Jesus instead of spend time with Him.  I can pick and choose a bunch of different reasons. Again, none of them are good reasons.

I wasn't spending time with God like I should have been. Plain and simple.

What I've noticed about myself is this.... The less time I spend with Christ, the less I am like Him.  The more time I spend away from Him, the more likely I am to ruin my witness. Basically, I mess up. I have behaviors and attitudes I don't like.

But here's what true:  When I mess up, it's OK if I realize I'm not right with God and I try to fix it. Now, I'm not saying, "Oh, it's alright. Go ahead and fail."  Not at all. To God, it's nothing new that I'm a sinner. He loves me anyway.  He asks that I repent of my sins, in this case, my lack of gentleness.  He is just and forgives me even though I don't deserve it.  He knows that there will be a day, sooner than I'd like to think, that I'll fail again.  He is, after all,  El-roi - God Who Sees Me. He knows my failure is coming. Yet, there He will be, with His outstretched hand, ready to lift me back up.

For that I am thankful.  I am thankful that He doesn't expect me to be perfect, He only expects me to be the best me I can be and reach for Him to make me more like Him.  He knows I can't do it on my own.

But what now?  Now that I have seen the patterns of behavior and attitudes that come with spending less time with Christ, what do I do?  I have to make Christ a priority....excuse me....the priority.  I have to find out what excuses I have for not spending time with Him and rid myself of those excuses. I have to live daily with this in mind:  No excuse is acceptable.

One Word

Quick tempered, irritable, hot head, easily provoked to anger.

Those aren't very good words, are they?  Unfortunately, they are words that can describe me.

When aggravated, I can become very harsh.  I don't like it. I don't like myself when I am like that.  It is something I have been working on, but recently, I found out I was working on it incorrectly.

I had always thought that lack of patience was my problem.  I prayed about my patience and everything. Nothing.

But then......
During a Sunday School lesson, we were in the middle of discussion when I discovered that my problem was my lack of gentleness.

BAM!  That's it! I lacked gentleness.

That explained the harsh reactions.   I realized after confessing this to my sisters in Christ that I needed to learn to respond instead of react.  When I reacted, I was harsh.  When I responded, I took time to reflect, consider, and then act.

Gentleness.

As 2014 began to come to a close and 2015 was knocking at the door, I began thinking about my One Word....I have worked at being a light to SHINE the love of Jesus to others.  I have worked at being INTENTIONAL in my time and talents. I have learned to better LIVE a life that brings honor and glory to God. With each of these chosen words, I have worked at meeting those expectations, I still do. I am not perfect, but I am trying to be the woman God created me to be.  I don't believe that God created me to be harsh and ill tempered.  That's not love.  But love is gentle.  And that is what I am going to work on this year.  My One Word for 2015.......

Already, 7 days into 2015, my One Word: Gentle, keeps ringing in my ears.  When my tween pushes my buttons or my fourth graders are disobedient, I will be gentle.When friends or coworkers do something I don't agree with, I will be gentle.  When family or strangers cross me in a unbecoming manner, I will be gentle.  When I am sleep deprived, aggravated, or just plan eggy, I will be gentle.

One Word: Gentle.

What about you, Friend, what is your One Word for 2015?

One Word

What one word would you like to describe yourself? Your life? Your outlook?   Maybe it is easier to choose one word that you wouldn't want to use to describe yourself!

My 11 year old told me once that I was lazy.  Really.  So we talked about how lazy I actually was: getting up all hours of the night to check on/take care of kids, cleaning house, cooking meals, helping with homework, giving baths, volunteering at church, working full time as an elementary school teacher.  Lazy. Really?  That's what you get when you ask an 11 year old boy to do something on his own.  Everyone else around instantly becomes lazy.

Now, my three year old has another word to describe me: meanie.  Yes.  My children love me so much!  Such positive comments.  You see, I am the "meanie" when he is only allowed to have white milk or water at bedtime. I am the "meanie" when iPad time is over. I am the "meanie" whenever he doesn't get what he wants.  The "meanie." I am ok with that.

As for the seven year old, he isn't much on words. However, I just asked him, and he came up with two: mean and nice.  I asked him why I am mean, and his response was, "You should know."

Just call me #1 Mom!

I am ok with being the mean mom if it means that my kids don't always get their way.  I am ok with being the mean mom if it means my kids have to obey the rules or show respect to others. I am ok with being the mean mom if it means my kids are learning responsibility and building their character.  There is actually a great article out there about being a "mean mom."  It is worth the read.

I guess I digress a little.  I am thinking about words to describe me, my life, not necessarily how my children see me (although I get some really good hugs and kisses from them, so I guess I can't be that bad).

For the last couple of years, I have joined in the One Word movement, choosing one word to live by instead of making resolutions at the beginning of the year.  For me, I have found that one word helpful. I know I am weak. I know I will mess up. So, I find a word that I can go back to, one that will encourage me in all aspects of my life.  This year that one word is...

 

I want to be more intentional in the things that I do. I want to be more intentional with my time, with my money, with my self. You may think that is a joke, that it is quite easy to be intentional. For me, it isn't, not always. I am a fly by the seat of my pants type of girl. I get ideas and go with them. Although I like to plan things, I don't always do it. I let things sneak up on me.  Sometimes my best comes forward in these times and sometimes my worst. 

Everything I have, everything I am is a gift.  A gift from God.  He expects me to use those gifts wisely.

Time is a gift.  I can choose what I do with my time.  I can choose to veg out in front of the iPad each day wasting time, or I can choose to spend time in His Word.

Money is a gift.  I can choose to spend  money on junk that my family doesn't really need, or I can chose to spend  money on His Kingdom.

Children are a gift.  I can choose to allow my children to raise themselves in front of a screen, or I can choose to provide them with opportunities that will help them to become the young men God intends them to be.

Employment is a gift. I can choose to go to work each day doing enough to get by, or I can choose to use each moment touching lives.

Family is a gift.  I can choose to do things that take away from my family, or I can choose to put my family first.

Body is a gift.  I can choose to eat and drink my life away, griping about my hair and hips, or I can choose to take care of this body that God has given me.

Life is a gift.  I can choose to waste my life away, being unhappy, ungrateful, and not making a difference, or I can choose to live a life that brings honor and glory to the One who has given me life. 

The fact of the matter is....

Everything about life is a choice.  I have a choice about how to live my life. I have a choice about how I respond to life.  I can either choose to live this life halfheartedly, only giving what I want to give, or I can choose to live my life fully, giving everything I have to God. 

Sometimes it is easier to choose the lesser. It is safer.  But that isn't how God wants me to live.  I have to be intentional in my living.  All to often we make excuses, we look for ways out. We want to be comfortable in our lives.  But we must always remember that God never promised life would be easy.  He only promises to be there with us as we follow His will.  I will be honest, each time I have stepped out of my comfort zone and obeyed God, nothing but great things happened. Intentionally living for Him is the greatest thing any of us can do.

The other day at my house, we were talking about our favorite Bible verses.  My favorite is Psalm 118:24. Years ago, I found it on the front of a card at the dollar store. I bought it and framed it.

It is a reminder that each day is a gift from God.  Regardless of what happens, I am to rejoice in that day.  The events of the day are no surprise to the Lord.  I am to be content in whatever my circumstance. That is easier said than done.

In September, I had a choice to make.  There was no controlling my circumstance.  I lay in  the bathroom floor, losing my baby.  I could be bitter and angry. I could curse what God had done to me.  Or I could praise Him.  I could praise Him for the husband that refused to leave my side and cleaned me up in my darkest moment.  I could praise Him for my friends at work who took care of me as my body began to quake, comforting me and crying with me as I waited for my husband to arrive. I could praise Him for my mom, my doctor, my nurses who cared for me the best way they knew how.  I could praise Him for my three healthy children whom I loved dearly. I could praise Him for those that lifted me and my family up in prayer.  There was no other choice.  God had never failed me, and I knew that there in that cold, dark bathroom, He would not fail me.  In that darkest moment, He gave me everything I needed. 

That, to me, is being intentional.

I want to live that way more than ever.  I want to give my very best to God.  He deserves nothing less.

So, this year, I will be more intentional in the things I do, in my living, in my loving, in my giving.  My hopes in being more intentional is for my children to see the greatness of living a life that pleases God, giving them the desire to do the same.  I hope my intentional living will continue to strengthen my marriage, to show my husband exactly what he means to me, and be the wife he needs me to be.  I hope my intentional living will bring comfort to others,  show them they are loved, and help them live their lives a little better.   Most of all, I hope that my intentional living will bring honor and glory to the one who deserves it, my Heavenly Father. 

What about you?  Do you have a word to live by this year?  I would love to hear it.  I pray that as you think about how you want to live this new year, that you would choose a path that leads to God.

Shine

When 2013 began, I made a vow to SHINE. That was the word I chose to live for the year. I wanted make my life one that shined the light of Jesus.  I wanted to reflect Him in all that I did.  As I take this time to reflect back on the events of the past year, I hope that I did just that....

2013 was not an easy year for me.  As a family, we experienced our first deployment.  Although it was a difficult journey, I have to say, God prepared me for it many ways.  You can never be totally prepared for what a deployment will bring, but I was able to do certain things with confidence and efficiency by journeys God sent me through earlier.  I was able to manage my household as effectively as possible. I had my family on a schedule and even had time for quiet prayer time and Bible reading for me.  I dealt with sick children and even became very ill myself.  With the help of others, through actions and prayers, we all survived the deployment. 

After Jeff came home, we began to start a new journey together as a family. We became pregnant with our fourth child.  However, the pregnancy ended in a devastating miscarriage. It has been months, but I still hurt. It is difficult when people you work with and go to church with are expecting and having babies.  I think about the one I will never know, they one I will never hold.   But again, we are surviving this heartbreak.

Regardless of the event - deployment, miscarriage, a death in the family, or daily life - we have put our hope and faith in God.  Sure I messed up along with way. I lost my temper. I slacked on chores. Supposedly, I even stuck my tongue out at my husband (I think I was just licking my lips).  I got way behind on my Bible reading.  I didn't pray like I should have. Yes, I messed up.  But all in all, I need to ask myself if I shined the light of Jesus to those around me. Did I show love? Did I show kindness and patience? Did I give of myself?  Did someone see Jesus through me?  Those are the important things. 

The further I get into my walk with Christ, the more I see that I need Him.  I am not perfect, and I won't be until I meet him in heaven.  That doesn't give me an excuse to be a slave to my sin.  As we recently talked about in Sunday school, because of my walk with Him, I am able to see my sin for what it is. I no longer try to justify it. I know that I am weak...I will fail....I will hurt....but by His grace I will have victory.

I have realized this year that I have to be real.  When I hurt, others need to know. When I mess up, others need to know.  When people would comment, "I just don't know how you do it," I knew I had to give the glory to God.  I know I can't do anything without Him.  And that is how we can all shine the light of Christ. We have to be real. So many people look at Christians as hypocrites. Some of us are, but some of us aren't.  We have to let others know that we mess up like everyone else, but we truly seek to become more Christ-like. 

2013 is about to come to an end.  However, my desire to SHINE won't.  That is a journey I will live my whole life long.  That should be the journey for each of us who love Jesus.

I pray that as you have followed me on this blog or know me in person that you can say I did something that showed you the love of Jesus.  If I didn't, I have failed, and I apologize for that.  If I have, then I know that I am doing what God desires of me.  That was the entire goal of this blog to start with, to glorify Him. I hope to do that each day of my life.

I pray blessings to you and your family this New Year.  I hope that you can reflect back to what you experienced in 2013 and turn the page to live for Jesus in 2014. 

Did I Shine?

When 2013 began, I made a commitment to SHINE. With the year half over and a deployment under my belt, I have to ask myself, "Did I shine?"

I hope that during the deployment I was the wife my husband needed me to be and the the mother my children needed me to be.

I hope that as I crossed paths with others, that they saw Jesus in me.

I know there were times I was lost, tired, and frustrated.  I know there were times I lost my temper or got caught up in gossip or negative conversation. But over all, did I shine? I tried to be an encouragement to others. I tried to show them that my strength and joy came from Jesus. 

Up until I got fifth's disease, I remained faithful in my daily bible study.  That time knocked me on my butt. I had no energy.  I felt terrible for weeks.  I got majorly behind, but I am still studying.  I also began a journey on becoming more healthy after my bout with a stomach virus in November and December.  I exercised and ate much better up until fifth's disease came along.  I've gained a few pounds back, but I am dedicated to get rid of them again.

I know that people watched me. People asked me, "How do you do it?"  I didn't. God did.  I prayed daily for His blessings, for His strength, for His guidance.  Looking back, I hope I was a blessing to Him.

Wife to Wife Wednesday

Today, for Wife to Wife Wednesday, Wives of Faith wants to know about my word of the year.

  Last year, I vowed to LIVE. I made no new year resolutions. I never keep them, so what's the point? After reading new year posts by several bloggers, I found they chose a theme or word to live by for the year. At that point, I chose the word LIVE. And live I did.

God had some amazing plans for my family that I did not know about. We ended the year in a place I never expected (well, maybe I did a little). But that is a whole series of posts to come at a later time.

I still want to live the life that God has planned for me. He is amazing and awesome. His ways are so much better than my own. So, as I am living for Him, what better way to live than to

I want to SHINE the light of Jesus in all I do, everywhere I go. I want people to see me and see HIM. One thing Jeff and I have talked so much about lately is that none of this is for us. It is for God. Everything we do should be His glory, not our own.

My marriage should glorify God.

My "parenting" should glorify God.

My attitude should glorify God.

Everything I am a part of, everything I am about should glorify God.

This world is a dark place. It is becoming darker by the moment. I want to be a SHINING light of hope. I want to lead others to Jesus. I want them to know Him like I do. I want to make the world a brighter place by glorifying God.

Would you join me? Would you help SHINE the light of Jesus in this dark world? Would you help me give hope to the lost and lonely?



Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Matthew 5:16

What is your word or theme for the new year? I'd love you hear it. Check out what some other amazing military spouses are saying at Wife to Wife Wednesday hosted by Wives of Faith.

In a word

Last year (sounds so weird saying that), I vowed to LIVE.  I made no new year resolutions. I never keep them, so what's the point? After reading new year posts by several bloggers, I found they chose a theme or word to live by for the year.  At that point, I chose the word LIVE.  And live I did.

God had some amazing plans for my family that I did not know about.  We ended the year in a place I never expected (well, maybe I did a little).  But that is a whole series of posts to come at a later time.

I still want to live the life that God has planned for me.  He is amazing and awesome. His ways are so much better than my own.  So, as I am living for Him, what better way to live than to

I want to SHINE the light of Jesus in all I do, everywhere I go.  I want people to see me and see HIM.  One thing Jeff and I have talked so much about lately is that none of this is for us.  It is for God.  Everything we do should be His glory, not our own.

My marriage should glorify God.

My "parenting" should glorify God.

My attitude should glorify God.

Everything I am a part of, everything I am about should glorify God.

This world is a dark place. It is becoming darker by the moment.  I want to be a SHINING light of hope. I want to lead others to Jesus.  I want them to know Him like I do.  I want to make the world a brighter place by glorifying God.

Would you join me?  Would you help SHINE the light of Jesus in this dark world? Would you help me give hope to the lost and lonely?

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. 

 Matthew 5:16

What is your word or theme for the new year? I'd love you hear it. 

This Year I will LIVE

Well, the first day of the New Year will be coming to an end in just a few hours.  It has been an exhaustingly good day here.

We welcomed the New Year with a semi quiet evening at home with Hilarie and her family and Jeff's parents.  We enjoyed good food and played games.  The kids ran wild until well after midnight.  And then 9 AM Sunday school came very quickly! 

I hope you have some wonderful things planned for the year.

Our church is taking part in the E100 Challenge. In the next 100 days, we will read the 100 " big picture" passages from the Bible. I am really excited about this. I've read Day 1 - Creation: Genesis 1 and 2 and Day 2 - The Fall: Genesis 3. Following the daily plan, I should complete it around Easter.

On the 16th of this month, I will be leading The Frazzled Female Bible study at church.  I am excited at this as well. It looks like we are going to have a great group of women gathering for this 6 week study.  I would love for you to take part in it as well. I will be posting my thoughts and reflections throughout the study, so feel free to grab a book and join in! 

I recently read a post by Patti at Wives of Faith about her theme for the year.  It got me to thinking about life, about things I've been reading, about how I've been living. So, if I had to choose a theme for this year, I would choose LIVE. 

Why?

I've been reading Sara Horn's God Strong, a gift given to me by our church's youth group while Jeff was away at CH-BOLC. And so much of what she says has really struck a chord with me.  I must LIVE what I BELIEVE.

I trust God.
I know God is in control.
I know that God has a plan.
I believe that Jesus will walk by my side regardless of my situation.

I, however, don't know what this year holds for me and my family.  The Army Chaplaincy board will be meeting soon to decide whether or not Jeff will be a chaplain.  If he is, then there is always that possibility that he could be deployed. 

If he is deployed or my family is faced with any other type of hardship, I can't lose faith in my Jesus.

I have to LIVE my life by what I BELIEVE.  I have to LIVE my life being the best me that I can be.  I have to LIVE my life learning to say no and asking for help.  I have to LIVE my life focused on God.

So this year, I will LIVE.

I will LIVE the life God has planned for me the very best that I can. 

Happy New Year, friend!  May you LIVE a life pleasing to Him as well.