My Word for 2013!

Hi there!  It's been a little while - quite a little while actually - since I've written.  Between family fun, Christmas happenings, and sick kiddos (seemingly becoming the story of our lives here!), I have not had much time to spare.  A few weeks ago, I wrote about my word for 2012, and I told you that I would share with you my new word for 2013.  So...it's a little later than I had planned for the great revealing, but here it is...My word for 2013 is RELATIONSHIPS!

I know you can take this word many different directions and do many different things with it, and so I have spent some time thinking and narrowing down the endless possibilities that are within this one word.  Here are a few goals that I have for my relationships this year. (Yes, it's in a handy-dandy list as usual!)

1. GROWING - I want to make more time to nurture the relationships that I already have.  I have decided that the best place I can begin this at is my relationship with Jesus.  I want to abide deeply in Him this year, and I particularly want to focus on the area of prayer.  I also want to make more time to really BE with my husband and kiddos.  I need to take the time to look into their eyes deeply as they talk to me, to put aside what I am doing to help them or play with them, to pray for them in a more consistent routine, to stop everything to help them solve their problems.  People make relationships...not things or lists, and I want to make sure that this year I take my focus away from the ever present to do list and place it on my very time-limited relationships.

2.  BUILDING - I would also love to make more time to begin new relationships.  My comfort zone loves to be filled full of people....ummm....that I know very well.  It is a challenge for me to put myself in front of someone that I do not know well and have a smooth conversation with them that does not leave me feeling like a complete fool.  However, I do love people - once I get to know them.  The Mr. and I have made a list of people to have over to our house this year.  Guess who Mr. Practical chose for the top of the list?  Someone I do not know very well...and he did it on purpose!  It's good for me, though, and I know that with practice (and much, much prayer), it will become easier for me to build new relationships with others.

3.  PURPOSEFUL - With all the above being said, I realize that the biggest need in any relationship is TIME, and unfortunately, I am only given 24 hours each day.  In order to be a blessing to anyone, I must be purposeful about the relationships I invest my time in.  This does not mean that I make a circle of people I enjoy being with and become snooty to those "outside my circle."  Absolutely not!  It does mean that I must prioritize relationships.  In other words, there will be times I will need to say no to a friend because my family needs me.  There may be times when I request permission from the Mr. to temporarily let go of some of my home duties so that I can help a friend in need.  It means my house may not be perfectly clean every day.  It may mean that there are some days when my house becomes amazingly neat and clean!  (It can happen...I think!) It means taking the time each day to listen to the Holy Spirit lead me to the people who He has planned to reach out to that day. 

I am excited about 2013 and all that it might hold for me and my family!  I hope you are too!  What word will you use to center your year?  I'd love to hear.  I am going to do my very best to post a Joyful Mom Monday link-up next week (assuming my kids finally climb out of the sick pit).  The topic will be Goals You Have for 2013.  These do not necessarily need to be resolutions, but I do hope you have begun asking yourself what changes you can make in your life to make you a more joyful Christian or mom this year!  I would love for you to link up and let us know how God is working in your life to make you more like Him. I'll leave you with the verses I have chosen to go along with my word RELATIONSHIP.

Abide in me, and I in you.  As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. ~John 15:5

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.  By this shall a l men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.  ~John 13:34-35

Wishing you a day full of blessings,

Christy