Hey friends,
I hope you are doing well. I hope you are taking care of yourselves in this very difficult year we’re having. As more and more things are getting cancelled around me, I’m reminded of my Word of the Year for 2020. It always seems that my Words are so fitting, even if I don’t understand just how much when they are first chosen.
For example, there was the year my word was “Increase”… I didn’t understand at all why that was the word I felt led to choose, especially just after having a miscarriage. But by the end of that year, we’d seen increase and growth in our relationships with God, our finances, and our family as well with the birth of our rainbow baby, Lyndon Jru.
Then there was the year, my word choice was “Imagine”. It was the year that things felt so low for us. We’d sold our house because we couldn’t afford the financial burden of having a mortgage. It seemed like rock bottom. Dreaming or imagining what life could have in store seemed far-fetched. I was depressed. But God gave me vision right in the middle of that and met me where I was, where I needed Him most. He helped me to dream again, and He’s answered so many of my prayers - that I never could have imagined where even possible!
And then there’s this year… 2020. The year of all.the.things. that could possibly go wrong, right? Or could we possibly find another perspective for this challenging year? We all know that God uses challenges in our lives to teach us and grow us. This year could be an amazing opportunity for growth in our lives, if we let it. It’s not over yet. My word of the year for 2020 is “Immerse.”
immerse – to involve oneself deeply in what matters
Yes! I want to IMMERSE myself in the things that really matter to me… Jesus, my family, my purpose. I want to be so enthralled, engaged, fascinated, and involved with these that I hardly notice the unimportant things.
Cultivate these things. Immerse yourself in them. The people will all see you mature right before their eyes! Keep a firm grasp on both your character and your teaching. Don’t be diverted. Just keep at it. Both you and those who hear you will experience salvation.
1 Timothy 4:15-16
This has been the most perfect word choice for this year. It’s the year that all of the “plans” have been cancelled. Yes, we’ve grieved those plans. Yes, it’s been extremely difficult.
But you know what hasn’t changed??
My priorities.
My values.
My purpose.
In fact, maybe they’ve even become stronger. I’ve had even more time this year to focus on my family and what matters most.
Have I done it perfectly all year?
Of course not!
I’ve had some grief, sadness, some depressed days, some anxiety… and lots of overwhelm.
But each day that we wake up and meet with Jesus, our energies are renewed again. We’re refreshed. We’re inspired. We’re reminded that we CAN DO THIS. We remember how much hardship Jesus had to endure on Earth… how he took time to pray, to rest, to be refreshed but he never forgot his mission. He knew what He was sent to Earth to do, and He did exactly that.
“I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.”
-John 17:4
May we also be able to say that… That we’ve done the work we were put here to do?
Maybe it starts with immersing ourselves in the things that matter, to really prioritize those things and cultivate them. 2020 is not over. Let’s keep the perspective and use these challenges we’re facing to grow and walk into 2021 refreshed and renewed!
Update from Last Week’s Goals:
Try a new style of workouts, and do 4-5 this week. (I did one. I need somebody to reply to this email and hold me accountable to this one. Haha!)
Begin thinking about my Word of the Year for 2021. (done! I made a list of words that resonate with me right now. I began defining them to give more clarity in order to begin narrowing down the list.)
Cheer my boys on at their Flag Football games this week. (done! I only made it to one night of games this week. One of the nights we had dance, and the other I think it was raining, and I just wasn’t about to do that with three little siblings and a baseball field of dirt too close to bedtime to fit in baths for 4 kids. Yeah, no.)
Cheer my husband on at his CrossFit competition this weekend. (done!)
Read to the kids and study Hurricane Katrina with them. (done! We actually read the whole “I Survived Hurricane Katrina” book this week, and the kids LOVED it and couldn’t wait to find out what happened next. We’ll continue this study this week too.)
Read and Discuss lessons from “The Talk” with the big boys. (done! and In progress. It’s going really well. I’m surprised and happy to say that it hasn’t been the least bit awkward. My boys have shared some things with me, and I’m so glad that they feel comfortable enough to do so…even though I’m their mom.)
Meet with Special Services this week to discuss challenges with one of my kiddos. (done! And it went really well. We will be filling out some paperwork and will schedule his evaluation soon.)
Finish applying peel & stick wallpaper in the Master Bath. (Still In Progress.)
Complete next section of the online course. (In Progress!)
Assemble a more budget-friendly option of the Deluxe Purposeful Planner to share this week. (In progress. My printer ran out of toner. That’s how it goes. Lol!)
This Week’s Goals:
Personal Goals
Do three workouts.
I’ve actually got a challenge going with a friend of mine. With 50 days left in the year, we decided to see how many workouts we could accomplish before it ends. Just an action-based goal. We set the minimum to 35, which seems doable, although 50 would be nice. That number just sounds so much nicer, doesn’t it? I’ve really got to up my game and maybe do some two-a-days here and there. She’s sending me pictures of her watch every day so hopefully it will be the kick I need to get going again.Keep thinking/praying about my Word of the Year for 2021.
Listen to some of the podcasts I’ve missed.
I’ll share my favorites with you in next week’s email.
Family Goals
Cheer my boys on at their last Flag Football games this week.
Support our girl at her very first dance recital this weekend.
Read to the kids and study Hurricane Katrina with them.
Read and Discuss lessons from “The Talk” with the big boys.
Fill out paperwork for my kiddo’s upcoming special needs evaluation.
Home Goals
Decorate for Christmas.
Finalize Christmas budget & spending plans.
Work Goals
10. Keep working on the online course.
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