My Word for the Year
By the time you’ll read this, it’ll be January 4th. Four days into a new year.
New dreams.
New goals.
New trials.
New hardships.
New joys.
New potential.
New paths.
But the same God.
And that, my friends, brings me overwhelming peace.
This year I bought Lara Casey’s Cultivate Powersheets and I’m one hundred percent sold! I have no doubt I’ll be buying one every year! As fate would have it, Michael got a cold December 31st and with no plans on our calendar for January 1st, we decided to lay low. (It was about 3 degrees outside so not hard to put on sweats, light a candle and snuggle up in our still Christmas decorated living room). As Michael read and Moose slept curled on our laps, I pulled out my Cultivate Powersheets and before my pen touched the edge of the first page, I prayed.
Prayed over this next year, over all it held. Prayed that God would guide my thoughts and dreams. That I would learn to become a listener. That I wouldn’t move or act until He clearly showed me, “Lacey, this way.” And knowing that I pray to a God who listens to my heart, I began.
Goal setting used to intimidate me. In fact, most years I didn’t even bother. I liked the feeling of a fresh year, but when it came down to it, digging deep into pains, hurts, triumphs and “whys” seemed like too much work (resonate with anyone here?) But last year that changed. Goals became inspiring…but I knew this year I wanted to do more. Go deeper. Enter Powersheets.
So on Monday–heart a mess but guided through the process of intentional goal setting–things started to take shape. I wrote down ideas, refined them, narrowed, brainstormed, narrowed some more. I began realizing the identity box I had put myself in and how it was impacting cultivating good goals. I took time to evaluate, like really sit and evaluate, all areas of my life. I was reminded that it was progress I was after, little steps that by the end of 2018 would carry me a great distance. I wrote down what mattered most to me. Was challenged to look back at the lows from last year and what didn’t work but then write down what did and lessons I learned along the way.
And as I wrote and prayed and wrote some more, a theme started showing itself in my year and in my goals.
And so my word for the year was found.
Tending.
It may seem funny or strange to you, but to me this is exactly the way I want to approach 2018.
Tending is a verb. A continual action. It reminds me that these God given goals aren’t a one time thing. That nursing them, taking diligent care of them day by day will strengthen them. It reminds me that when you tend something, it’s looking after, attending to, waiting on them. It reminds me each time I work on these goals, friendships, business, health, finances, spiritual growth—I am tending to them with an aim towards a certain direction. A fruitful friendship. A God lead business. A fit body. A strong spiritual life. A deeper knowledge of Gods word. A neighborhood filled with community. Tending is hard work. It’s diligent work. It’s devoted and consistent. And that is how I want to define 2018.
Lara puts it perfectly,
“Life is too short and too meaningful to coast through. The good you do today has the potential to change generations. That’s why uncovering good goals and having a clear focus is so important. Otherwise, you may spend your time lost in distractions….lost in the chase for perfect, or significance, or approval, or whatever it is that has been holding you back from really living….I do not want to live my days by accident! I want to live on purpose and use all the gifts I’ve been given…”
So I start this year with God given goals and a prayer that I would tend to them well.
Here we go…