Sunday, January 2, 2011

New Year

I do make resolutions but I am not going to share them here. I know that most resolutions don't get kept but at this time of the year, I really like the idea of a clean slate, a chance to work on the things that aren't the way I want them to be in my life, the idea that I can craft things in a different way. As always, I have made resolutions but this year, I am trying to see them more as goals. Not only did I write them but I also wrote the steps I would need to follow or the criteria I would need to meet to actually achieve them. I am also journaling a bit to record and explore my progress. I want this year to be different.

One thing that I do want to share, however, is my word for the year. I have not heard of this before but two blogs I love, Emerging Mummy and Big Adventure Calling, had posts about choosing a word for the year, a word that encompasses the direction in which each blogger is either feeling pulled or is wanting to travel. I LOVE this idea. It took me all of three seconds to come up with my word for the year.

Peace. That's it. It's what I crave and what I lack. It's the ability to slow down, to be in the moment. It's the chance to take a deep breath, to trust that God is good enough and that things will work out. It's releasing my need to analyse everything to death and to question everything and stew over it. It's rest, it's quiet, it's knowing that I am doing the best that I can in the best way that I know how. It's being quiet so that I can listen and hear what I need to move forward on the right path. For me, it's the opposite of worry, anxiety, frenzy, being overwhelmed. It's the word that's going on my wall and into my heart.

Here's hoping I can find it, with help.

John 14:27 (New Living Translation)

27 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.

6 comments:

  1. I posted about the one word thing today...I got the idea from a blog post on Compassion's blog last year and there is a link to a great article that helped me understand the purpose. Just thought I would mention it in case you want to read a little more about it.

    Happy New Year!

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  2. Good word - if you have time, the article Jill mentioned is really good. Dan Britton has good stuff to say! I almost said, 'and also with you' as we do in church during the 'peace' - :)

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  3. That is great! Peace... funny thing, I actually found myself finding peace more and more after having kids... isn't it normal to have more chaos instead? Strange...

    Goals are much more fun than resolutions! :)

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  4. oh my goodness, yes. I am about ready to crack, I need some peace so badly. The last few weeks of the year were hectic and filled with stress and worry no time to just BE, and although I was so happy to see the new year come and hope for a clean start, so far, I have had a hard time shaking the negative stuff and reveling in the positive the way I want to.

    I hate that I had so little time over the holidays that we haven't even talked, you and I, but with strokes and croups and crazy trips and family dinners and right back to work and being so tired I've fallen asleep at 9 or earlier every night, well, it's hard to say I've even had time to breathe.

    I hope we can both find some saner, slower times this year!

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  5. Kittenpie, I totally understand, you have truly had a full plate. We weren't much better but in our case, it was dh's surgery and a flu that we just couldn't shake (and that ushered in a total lack of sleep by Baby Bean that seems to be unending). Let's both try and catch our breath and until we are both feeling a bit more in control, we can continue to be online penpals!
    By the way, how is M recovering from the stroke? How bad was it?

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  6. He's doing ridiculously well, seems to have all but shaken off the small deficit he had be sheer force of will. It was an enormous relief to see when we returned, let me tell you! He was really lucky, as one dr. described it as MASSIVE because it affected a large surface area, while another described it as minor, because the resulting deficits were so confined and easily retrainable. We are all feeling really thankful for how well he is doing.

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