My Word for 2014

Although I need to stop, slow down and enjoy the people in my life more, I do still have a few goals for this year - very small ones but goals nonetheless.  One of the things I would love to do most is to begin keeping a family journal.  I have started one many times and usually write it in it for...oh...2 or 3 days and then never pick it up again.  I love writing, and I already regret not writing about our earlier family years.  The older I get, the more I realize how quickly our family is growing up...and how easily it becomes a blur!  So...I would love to keep a faithful journal this year of our family's happenings.

I also want to be a more faithful Christian who is steadily growing.  I felt like last year, I was an unpredictable Christian - growing like a weed at times and then shriveling up like a dry dead plant at others.  I want to be always growing, always seeking and always striving to have the mind of Christ.

My word for the year 2014 encompasses all of the goals and dreams I have for making this year exceptional. And, I have to admit, I am cheating and reusing 2013's word! :)  The word...relationships!  I am much better at accomplishing a project, checking off a list, seeing immediate results.  The problem is none of those things are the way relationships work!  I tend to try to make even my relationships into a check list!   Last year, I had grand plans for improving relationships, and then...I became pregnant.  I don't know about you, but pregnancy and improving relationships are like two polar opposites...very difficult to do.  I tried, and I didn't forget, but it definitely was not a stellar year of achieving goals!  So...my focus again for this year is relationships.  Focusing on people and their needs. Putting people ahead of my lists and plans.  Having meaningful conversations.  Handwritten letters instead of emails.  Encouraging words in place of irritation. Seeing interruptions as amazing opportunities.  Stopping to enjoy the people in my life more!

Those are my goals for 2014.  Nothing amazing, but I hope it will still be life changing.  What about you? Have you thought of how you want to be different this year?  I know I can not do this in my own strength.  I am asking God to infuse me with His strength and His desires so that through Him I can accomplish all He has for me this year.  I hope that I can live a small part of the verse that my Savior lived out His entire life on this earth. 

Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. ~Matthew 20:28

A Book You Need to Read

I am excited about this post!!!  Don't you love it when you know you need to improve something, but you're not sure where to even start, and then BAM! something that you never knew about pops into your life.  I like to call it a "God-thing!"   Well, I had a wonderful God-thing happen a couple of weeks ago.  In my earlier post "My Word for 2013,"  I mentioned how I wanted to make my relationship with God more purposeful through prayer.  The best word I could use to describe my prayer life was purposeless!   At least, that's how I felt about it.  I was trying, but for me, it just wasn't happening, and I needed that to change.

One night, I began searching christianbook.com (a website you should all have bookmarked!) for a book on prayer.  I came across a book entitled The Hour That Changes the World by Dick Eastman.  I had never heard of this book or this author, but as I read the chapter titles, I knew I had to read this book.  Can I say I have been challenged in a way like never before, and this book has given much purpose to my prayer!   God knew exactly what I needed, and He used this book to show me.

Let me begin by saying that Mr. Eastman mentions several times that this book was written to offer a guideline for purposeful praying and to supply a Biblical foundation for prayer. It is not meant to be a do or die formula!  The book gives a 12-step prayer plan - breaking an hour of prayer up into 12 different parts (or if an hour is too daunting to begin with, he suggests spending 2-3 minutes on each step).  I do not want to give the entire book away, but a few of the steps are praise, intercession, waiting, thanksgiving and listening. Each chapter takes one of those steps and expounds upon it using Scripture as well as many quotes from amazing prayer warriors in our Christian history.  I found myself underlining - A LOT!  

I have begun using this 12 step plan each morning for my quiet time, and I have been in awe of the many ways God has already worked in my heart and mind.  It has given me such a sense of purpose as I pray!  Again, I want to emphasize that this is not meant to be used as a magic formula or as a regimental duty.  I have spent more time on some of the steps and have not done others.  It is different each day, but it does provide direction and focus.  If you are wanting to see your prayer life grow, I would encourage you to read this book and apply it!  I believe that this has been one of those life-changing reads for me!  Prayer itself is life changing and something that lacks greatly in our Christian circles today.  I believe with all my heart that there are many things God longs to do for us, but we never ask, and so we miss out.  As Mr. Eastman says, "Where there is an absence of prayer there will be an absence of power.  Where there is a frequency of prayer there will be a continuing display of God's power."

Wishing you a day full of blessings,

Christy

Counting God's Little Blessings - 3 Every Day:

Thursday
10.  The safety of family during a tornado
11.  My little man is smiling again!
12.  New babies - they're popping out everywhere around here! :)

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

Life Is for Relationships

Hi, my lovely friends who are so good and kind to stop by and read my ramblings. It's been a few days since I've been able to stop and take the time to think....much less write! When I have had a chance to think (I do occasionally do this), God keeps bringing my thoughts back to relationships. I need to stop and give a little background here. I love being with people that I know really well. As a matter of fact, I really don't like being alone at all. But there is nothing in the world I am more uncomfortable doing than meeting new people and getting to know them. I do not enjoy it all. For years, I would always look around and wish that people would be my friend and take time to ask me over to their house. (This would be the selfish, immature me!) A few years ago, God finally decided He had enough of my little pity parties and knocked me over the side of the head with some common sense! One day, I was suddenly struck with the idea that I cannot have a friend or be someone's friend if I am not available or willing to reach out to others. I know! I know! This is REALLY elementary, but it took me SOOOO long to truly grasp this!

This last week, as we said goodbye for the last time on earth to a dear elderly friend of ours, I was again reminded of how little or how much of an impact we can leave behind when we die. At the funeral of our friend, the young men were asked to stand along the walls because our church (which holds almost 300 people) was overflowing. This was a man who made people and relationships his priority in life. And his legacy still continues through us. I left his funeral thinking, "I want my life to count! I want to open my life up to be available to people and their needs! I want to leave that kind of legacy behind!" This man left a rich legacy behind for his family and friends!

I encourage you as I have encouraged myself this week. Take time for people! Nurture wonderful relationships! Take care of your relationship with God first! Make sure there is never a wall between you and Your Creator! Love Him with all of your heart, and then follow the example He gave through His Son Jesus! Love people! Bend over backwards for them! Forgive them, and then forgive them again! Reach out to the ones who are hurting. Don't be a part of cliques. Make everyone you come in contact with feel like they are the most important person in your life at that moment! Don't look at people as interruptions. See them as opportunities. Step out of your comfort zone and build relationships. We cannot take anything with us when we leave this earth. Why not leave behind a legacy overflowing with love and grace given freely to every person you meet?