2019 Focus

I am the kind of girl who loves fall.  The start of the school year.  I love new pencils and pens and notebooks.  Browsing the office section to see how I can improve my (increasingly disappearing) desk space.  So really, a new year is just an excuse to re-organize, buy new organizational things, and have a fall 2.0.  However, I also use it to re-focus.  I love to sit down, clear my head, and remind myself of what I want to prioritize in my life to re-center or re-focus myself.  I want to be able to be my best self for my family and make sure I am putting first what God would want me to each day. Here are my new words for 2019 and why!

God's Word.  This is pretty self-explanatory.  When life gets chaotic - as it tends to be more often than not - sometimes you just need a physical reminder to do the thing.  This is my reminder to keep pursuing time in God's Word.  It is also amazing how often something you read in the Bible has some specific encouragement for you in that moment.

Pray.  Our pastor is doing a series on prayer called "Insurgency" to start the new year.  There are so, so, so many people and things I need to be praying for.  This is definitely a weak area of my life as well.  I am more stream-of-consciousness through my day, but I desire to be more intentional in my prayer life. I have too many important people and ministries in my life that deserve my faithfulness in this spiritual discipline.

Blog.  When I last blogged, it forced me to take a time out for myself.  I spent hours on my screened porch, while last summer, I spent few.  I share out of my overflow.  When I am overworked, exhausted, and spread thin, I have nothing to give my blog.  In some ways, this focus word is just a reminder to take time out for myself.  In other ways, I realize the journey God has brought me through in life, and especially the last 13 years, is now ready to share, to mentor, to disciple others with. It gives the season of suffering purpose.  I hope it encourages others that though they may not see it now, God is working.  I hope it glorifies what He has done over the course of these past years because I still am in awe daily of the changes He has reaped in our family.  (It doesn't mean life is perfect, just that it has bore fruit!)

Disciple.  I have 4 kids that need me.  They trust me to guide them, and it is my job to show them Christ and how to be like Him.  How to know Him.  This is my reminder that this is my first job as their mother and teacher.

Discipline.  I know what to do.  I need to develop the discipline to do it.  To get up earlier to have a quiet time and prayer time.  I have done the hard work of developing the consistency of exercise.  Changing diet (that is, eating healthier in a way that works for my body, not diet in terms of extreme restrictions).  Adding supplements that give my body the nutrition it may not be able to give enough of itself (iron, CoQ10, etc).  Now I need to commit to the program I want to be on.  I have allowed the choas to control my time for months. When I put Christ first and exercise regularly (energy producer, stress reducer = mental health), I feel better in pretty much every way.  Life can fall apart, but my spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical health stay steady.

For me, these are the areas I want to grow in, mature in, keep in the forefront of what I do and think about each day.  Part of being intentional in raising kids is being intentional with yourself and making sure YOU know where you are heading.  If you don't know, pray about it.  Spend a week, 2 weeks, a month, praying about where God wants you and what He wants you to prioritize.

Maybe you feel lost as to what word(s) you would choose...what do you value, but it (or they) get lost in this crazy thing we call life?  What do you feel is missing in your life - peace? courage to do the hard thing?  love?  I ask myself these questions, I listen to the Holy Spirit, and I put them in a place I often visit.

May 2019, like all the others, be a year of growth.  Happy New Year!