Intentional!

     As 2015 was coming to a close I realized that I wasn't going to do resolutions. I can't keep resolutions. I needed a new way of doing! That's when I read about a person who would discern a word for each coming year to live out. I knew instantly that was what God was calling me to. In the midst of that December I had discerned my first word of the many to come: Change. My was the Lord right about that one! What a year 2016 shaped up to become.

     The past month my word for 2017 became very clear: Intentional. God spent December showing me in what ways my intentionality needed to step up. As I said in my prior post, God has blessed me with a break from my classes to take these coming months to redirect my time back in to the areas that have sadly started to lag due to my schedule and own bad timing.

• God time
• Family time
• Me time
 

     God time: I will be more intentional in my walk with Him. I have sermons that I will finish. I started the Bible in a Year reading program. I am already planning for my Lenten Fast. I will be more intentional in lifting up my Pastor in prayer and spiritual support! I will spend more alone time with God this year in trying to listen and find out what my path is and discerning my ministry. I will also be intentional in praying for my church in protection. God is going to do something mighty this year, and I pray it is welcomed with open arms.

     Family time: My husband and I went through a lot of loss the last six months and have realized that we need to evaluate what/whom we have in our lives. We have these coming months to spend more time together with our son, and we are going to take advantage of it. My husband are I are going at our finances in full force this year. After I completed the Financial Peace Program we agreed we are tired of living paycheck to paycheck and constantly fighting Murphy's Law. Some may say it's morbid, but we just finished taking care of our will and burial wishes. I am excited about getting some financial freedom and PEACE. Along with the loss we endured we have been put through some very painful experiences, and with that we have redefined who our family truly is. We have friends who are so valuable to us, and family we do not see often so we are going to reinforce time with them.

     Me time: I don't mean that I will be spending time by myself, but that I will be working on me! A lot of my "me time" is me rediscovering myself in a way. I will be working on what defines my ministry and where it is going. Discerning my role for this year in my church and in the future. The weight loss from physical therapy and my changed eating habits have really sparked me to go hard at it! I am fine-tuning my exercise routine and trying to cut out all the bad junk. I am spending more time writing and getting through my TBR pile of books! I have been going through my stuff at home and trying to find what brings me joy again. Every couple of years it is best to rediscover yourself, and since this year is about intentionality- why not!


     Another aspect of the intentionality that I am being shown is exactly how intentional others are, as well. That was an interesting surprise to me. I thought I should focusing on my intentions with things in my life, but God is going to teach me about others intentions TOWARD me this year. As I'm learning in this walk to follow God, the intentions of others are not always pure; sometimes they are downright hurtful and evil. It breaks my heart more than anything every time this happens. I'm beginning to learn that is the intention though. What do villains teach us? To get to the super hero they hurt the closest person to them- no matter their innocence. It may hurt for a bit, but I will welcome it all because it's a blessing that I'm drawing the line for God in my life.

"Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets."  -Luke 6:22-23 (NIV)