Wednesday, January 2

Grace+TIme

For the last 2 years I have chosen a word or 2 to focus on for the year.
To help keep me stay focused and grounded when life gets a little hairy.
Every year brings a new start.
A clean slate.
Everyone is pledging themselves to new goals, higher heights to reach and usually committing themselves to healthier lifestyles.
I fail miserably every year at maintaining my resolution. By day 2.5 I have blown it all to smoke. Gone. Vaporized. Like those goals and commitments never existed. I mean, I am the one who signs up for a 2 year gym membership and goes for about 4 months and then quits but still pays for the rest of the 2 years!! Who does that?! This Girl!!
I have found over the last 2 years that having a 'word' to focus on and nothing else has been so much more realistic and beneficial. No workout commitments, no diet plans, no lofty goals in particular (though I WILL learn to crochet this year!!) just a simple 'word'.
This year...after much prayer and thought...I have landed on 2 words.

Grace.
Time. 

Grace. It came to me in a really great quiet moment with The Lord. I was praying about my 'word' for the year and asking God what it was that he wanted me to focus on. Grace is what I kept hearing.  For a few days I thought about Grace and I thought about what all it could mean for 2013.  The more I thought about it the God revealed to me so many conversations I have had this last year with Phillip and with some close friends about how I needed to learn Grace.
I have been given MUCH Grace. Freely. More grace then I deserve. I mean how many times has God shown me mercy and love when I didn't deserve it? Do I ever deserve it? He gives it all the time. Regardless. That is grace.  Grace in its perfect form.
I struggle at times with grace. With having grace. With giving grace. With showing grace.
This year I know that God is going to show me and teach me grace. Grace that comes from Him. Grace that comes from walking with Him closely. I want to live a life of grace. Grace at its perfect pure form. Though I am not perfect and will never be perfect I will however strive to be. I will meditate on this word and keep it forefront in my mind.
Jesus...I need you...I need your grace...I need your grace to show grace and be grace where grace is needed.

Time. I was confused on time for awhile. It's not deep nor is it profound but again...after much prayer and thought...I feel like it is something I need to focus on. I need to focus on being more efficient with my time. More purposeful with my time and more 'present' in my time. Time is such a beautiful gift. Something that is so short. Like a blink. Time is always running out.
Time here is temporary.
This 'time' we have been given is a gift.  We measure time in minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years etc. While God...He measures time with eternity. And what we do with our time now matters in his eternal vision. Sometimes we cannot see how our decisions on what we do with our time effects others or ourselves but we can be guaranteed that it does have an effect somewhere to someone. I want to be present in my time. In my time with my husband...my husband of my youth. I want to be mindful and present in my time with my kids. Cherishing every moment. These sweet years of innocent childhood flee far to soon. I want to be purposeful in my time serving. Whether it be with church or missions or life group or women's groups or friendships. I want to capture my time here. To live it to the full. To work it well and to be able to look back and say "I didn't waste any time living that life."

So there you have it. Grace + Time. My words for the year.
Happy New Year friends!!
May your year...2013... be filled with many BLESSINGS, with much JOY and immeasurable amounts of LOVE!!

8 comments:

  1. You are such inspiration!! I love your two words and will be in prayer for you about grace and time. . such a GREAT reminder and also things we all should do, pray about, focus on, etc. I love you so much.
    Your Faith Sister,
    Holly

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  2. love your words. love love. can't wait to see what god will teach you through that and how he'll use you too! love you!

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  3. Those are great words! I can't wait to see how they play out in your life in the next 12 months!

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  4. Wynne! Thank friend!! Love you too!!

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  5. Mandi thank you for your sweet words!! XOXO!!

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