Each year about this time, I do some business with God, listening to His insistent voice urging me to steady the wheel. It's not a matter of fishtails or u-turns, but more a matter of distracted driving, the kind where you hear the rumble strips, correct your course, and become momentarily more alert, only to meander a few miles down the road. Choosing three guiding words for the years helps set the course and align the wheels with God's will.
Last year's words were thrift, nurture, and decrease. One of my goals was to shop almost exclusively at thrift and consignment stores for clothes. Achieved! With the exception of a couple of outfits and souvenir T-shirts, I happily managed this goal. All three kids now love Savers and Goodwill, and Megan's newly-decorated room was almost completely thrifted. Canopy bed from Craigslist, antique vanity from the clearance room at Kismet Consignment, $5 vintage rocker from Savers, side tables from other rooms in our home. Fun!
I wanted to nurture more relationships in my life outside of my dear family. Near-weekly breakfasts with girlfriends, dinners with my mom, and starting a church community group in our home were God's provision for this desire of my heart. I have a quote over my mudroom door that says, "God provides, but He doesn't throw the worm in the nest." I had to be intentional about this, setting up dates, seizing opportunities, and making connections, but the fruit is delicious and I will continue this good habit.
How did I decrease? Well, I put on several pounds, so I didn't decrease the food consumption! I went way overboard on school curriculum. Fail. My closets and cupboards are bulging at the seams, so I didn't do an epic job of decluttering. I guess I will revisit this for 2013.
Here are my three words for the new year:
Reduce...synonym for "decrease." Let's try this again!
Order...I am most productive when I have systems of order in place. But I'm always changing up my systems, looking for improvements, and then abandoning them altogether. For 2013, I'm going to decide on one plan for my quiet time, one plan for home/meal organization, one plan for school organization, and one plan for my exercise. I'm going to see what it feels like to stick with ONE THING. This will be HARD for me!
Spacious...Psalm 18:19 He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me. I love this verse. It reminds me that God rescued me out of my self-centered little world so that I could serve Him in a spacious place, in this wide world. Homeschooling in Rochester, Minnesota, is like living in a safe little bubble. But I am called to the ends of the earth for Christ. I want my worldview to be broad and spacious. I want to serve in concentric circles: God, family, friends, neighbors, community, country, world, whether it is with my hands or my money or my music. The needs are deep and expansive, but if I am deliberate, I can meet them one at a time.
Anyone interested in choosing your own three words?
