BE RESOLUTE: ONE WORDS and GIVEAWAY

Our resolutions seldom work because they are based on the type of person we’re tired of being rather than who God wants us to become. - See more at: http://myoneword.org/pick-your-word/#sthash.5LkWhYop.dpuf

Mike Ashcroft and Rachel Olsen have written the release My One Word and have a corresponding website which will help you choose an area of your life to focus on. I think one of my goals for the new year will be to read this book.

I highly enjoyed the "Pick Your Word" section of the site found here.

Do you have a focus for 2014? I thought it might be fun to share some of the words we've been thinking about.

Julia: QUIET is the word that keeps coming to mind. I'm an introvert by nature so there are times when this word fits me well. But more than that, God is wanting to teach me to seek more quiet, to be more intentional in sitting at His feet. Surrendering to Him, learning from Him, listening to Him in the quiet, still moments I can find even in the chaos of life with small children.

"He says, "Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth." (Psalm 46:10)


Karen: The word I feel God is giving me for 2014 is FAITHFUL. His FAITHFULNESS to me is so incredible and enduring. I'm challenged to be "FAITHFUL in the little things," particularly the blogging that I feel He is calling me to in an increasing way this year. My verse for the year is:

"If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones." (Luke 16:10)


Krista: Mine is FOCUS. This last year I have been so scattered to the point of being unproductive...like everything is this blurry mess and I need to stop and refocus things and get clarity from God.


Sherrinda: I think my word is ANTICIPATION. After a difficult year, I am anticipating an AWESOME year. I await with ANTICIPATION putting pen to paper. I anticipate growth in many areas (except for physically!) and I anticipate great joy in life, love, and my Lord.


Angie: My word is ABUNDANCE...to live each moment with the ABUNDANCE of God's love and joy.



Amy: I'm not certain if this is my "word" for 2014 but I do feel God telling me to REST. Not that I expect much of that in the traditional sense with the pending addition of a newborn to my rowdy brood, but whether it is with my writing goals, or with the stress of health problems and a growing family, I feel like God is telling me that no matter how hectic my world may seem, I can find REST  in Him. In fact, it's right where He wants me, abandoning myself and my plans, seeking solace in Him alone and trusting Him without borders. "Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders, let me walk upon the waters wherever you would call me. Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander and my faith will be made stronger in the presence of my Savior." -Hillsong


Casey: My one word for 2014 is DREAM. What dreams is God calling out of me in this year? Is He asking me to think bigger than I have previously? To put my hopes and plans and dreams more squarely into the palm of His hand? I'm committed to not shying away from what goodness God has dreamed for me this year. I'm committing those dreams...and their fulfillment more fully to God.


Pepper: Yep, I have my 'word' for this year and it makes me nervous.
CHANGE
I've been praying about it all morning and asking God for a different one, but that one keeps coming to my mind with certainty. I figured after this last year I'd had my fair share of CHANGE, but I guess God has other plans in store. :-) And what kind of CHANGE. How will that CHANGE be applied to my writing, my family, or my heart?
We'll see.
But I'm certain of the word - and God's love. :-)

Mary: My word is DEVOTION.

DEVOTION to my walk with Christ, 

DEVOTION to improving my writing

DEVOTION to my taking a giant step forward in my life's journey despite any trials that come my way.

Ashley: GRACE... I really think that's going to be my word because it's what my WIP is all about (and my heroine's name), and it's also the word that came to mind when I prayed during the Live Free Write Free workshop... Allen and Jim told us to ask God for His name for us, and I immediately sensed the phrase "Grace Giver." Isn't that cool? I am such an overachiever that I'm always finding myself running round in circles, trying to achieve my way to success, while God gently nudges my direction in a different place-- a place of completion rather than achievement.

I can relate to many of these words. I certainly have dreams for the coming year. What are yours? I hope to see change in both spiritual and writing life. I want to minister grace to others and receive grace sitting at his feet.

What about you? Do you have a Scripture verse that is leading you as you head into this New Year? Is there a specific word that comes to your mind? Something specific you feel God whispering into your heart?

I have always been inspired by the words of Jonathan Edwards on resolutions: Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God’s help, I do humbly entreat him by his grace to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will, for Christ’s sake. (from Desiring God website).

Will we be vessels able to be used for his sake in 2014? Will we accept his freely given gift of the grace to keep us from falling? Are we willing to put aside our dreams for His dreams for our lives?




***GIVEAWAY: Share your one word or a goal for the New Year in the comments and include your email address to be entered to win a $10 Amazon gift card. **

Julia Reffner is a lover of Christ, cats, and all things chocolate. She lives with her husband and two young children in upstate New York and is a writer and reviewer for Library Journal and several other publications.

 

The 28-Day Challenge

“They were under royal orders, which determined their daily activity.” Nehemiah 11:23

You are under royal orders.

God has a destiny and purpose for your life. He has a plan that only YOU can fulfil on this earth. Many of you already know your purpose. (If you don’t, here’s a classic book that will help bring you some clarity.)

But does your purpose determine how you live your daily life?

Here’s some news for you.

God wants you to achieve your purpose.

If it’s writing – God wants you to write.

If it’s mothering – God wants you to mother.

If it’s leading others – God wants you to lead.

If it’s helping, encouraging, serving, teaching, whatever the case may be – God wants you to get the necessary training and skills and live it out to the best of your abilities.

For a lot of us, there’s a chasm between our life purpose and our current reality. Why? Because it’s easy to think of our dreams as something far-off and grandiose. Something we’ll get around to “one day.” When we seem unable to reach our full potential, it’s easy to blame the usual culprits – our current circumstances, our limitations, our finances, the abilities we were born with, or of course, our lack of time.

Image by digitalart, freedigitalphotos.net

Ah, time. We’ve all been gifted with the same amount of it. And how we use it is, of course, the key. The power to achieve our dreams doesn’t lie in the next self-help book or the next motivational speaker to pray over you at church. It lies in our daily habits.

It’s that simple. Your habits determine your destiny.

I love that verse I shared at the start from the book of Nehemiah, because it tells me that the little stuff matters to God. The daily routine, the things we do over and over again, day in and day out – that’s the seemingly unimportant stuff that shapes our destiny. And because we’re under royal orders from the King of Kings, our daily activity had better reflect our respect for what he wants to accomplish in our lives.

Oh, boy, am I ever preaching to myself here.

And here is exactly where a lot of us start to feel a bit defeated. The problem most of us have when we look at our lives is the dozen different things screaming simultaneously for improvement. So typically, in a burst of enthusiasm, we decide to make a drastic 24-hour turnaround in which we will overhaul absolutely everything in our life. We decide we’ll go from couch-potato junk-food-eater to organic vegan athlete overnight, pray for an hour a day, home-school our children Montessori-style while also teaching them Suzuki violin and studying on the side, de-clutter the house from top to bottom, volunteer at a homeless shelter, and while we’re at it, we’ll also write ten thousand words every day on our novel while doing one-handed push-ups.

Um… yeah.

Lean in a little closer and I’ll tell you a secret. This is important. It’s a secret that has the potential to change your life.

Are you ready?

Image by Vichaya Kiatying-Angsulee
freedigitalphotos.net

Here it is.

If you want to change your life, focus on changing ONE THING.

Did you get that?

One thing. No cheating. Not three things, or even just two.

Start with one.

Do that one thing every day for a month. Chart your progress. (Try using a chart like THIS one.) If you miss a day, begin again. This allows you to truly master that habit and make it a part of your life.

Then, once you’ve successfully incorporated one new habit into your life for a whole month, the following month you can focus on changing one more thing.

Are you getting this? Sure, it takes time to do it this way. But look at the end result. Do you want your habits to actually stick? Or do you want to continue down the path you’ve always gone - trying to change everything, and actually changing nothing?

So… are you up for a challenge?

Here’s how this is going to work.

1. Choose a habit

Choose one habit you’d like to incorporate into your life. It doesn’t matter how small or insignificant it may seem to someone else. This is YOUR life, and small, consistent action is better than no action. Here are some examples:

- To write 500 words a day.

- To make your bed every morning as soon as you get up.

- To spend 15 minutes of quality time with each child, every day.

- To get up half an hour earlier to have a daily Quiet Time.

- To exercise for 20 minutes a day, even if it’s just jogging around your clothesline.

- To deal with an email as soon as you open it.

- To wash the dishes each night before you go to bed.

- To spend 15 minutes a day de-cluttering or organizing an area of your house.

- To drink 8 glasses of water a day.

- To make a menu plan and cook dinner every week-night instead of ordering takeaway.

You might look at that list and want to do all of those things, and more. But don’t be tempted to fall into that old approach.

Choose one. Just one. Chances are, your one habit might look completely different from the things on this list. That’s okay. Choose one thing that is meaningful to you, that will ultimately help you toward your purpose. One small thing you know you can accomplish.

2. Make a plan

You may need to plan your day into a routine to find the time to incorporate your new habit. My One Word for this year was ABIDE. With three preschool age children, I knew that spending time with God each day was not just going to happen. So I drew up a routine. (See left). Every day we have different scheduled activities, so each day is slightly different. But by following my routine, I have been able to stick with a quiet time every day. Once I had that down, I worked on my next priority – spending quality “Focus” time with my kids each day, one on one. This, too, had to find a place in the routine, or it would not happen.

Now that these two areas have become a habit, it’s time for me to carve out

time for my writing again. It’s taken me a while to find my feet with this after baby number three, but I know that it’s time. That will be my focus for this challenge. So, I drew myself up a star chart. I know, I know. I’m a nerd. I’m also a teacher. It’s a teacher thing. Why should our kids get all the shiny gold stars? 

3. Share the challenge!

None of us are born disciplined. It’s a state that goes against our natural inclinations. So why not share this with a friend, and get them to jump on board too? Let’s get some momentum going and cheer each other on.

When you comment on this post, your name will be entered into a draw for a $10 Amazon gift card. Tweet or Facebook this post, and you’ll get an additional two entries per share. Check back in two weeks’ time, and we’ll take stock together and see how we’re all going – and you’ll have another chance to throw some more entries into the hat. In four weeks time, we’re going to celebrate together as we look at what new habits we’ve incorporated into our lives. If you’ve stuck with your plan that whole time, I’ll double your entries. Then I’ll draw a winner.

Don’t you just love a bit of extra incentive? But you know what? If you take this challenge, you’re already a winner. It’s your life, and you only get one of them to use. Let’s choose to glorify God through our daily habits.

So, let’s get started. In the comments, why don’t you share the one new habit you’d like to incorporate into your life?

Instead of doing nothing about everything, do something about one thing.

You can do that. I know you can.

Who’s with me?

Karen Schravemade lives Downunder and likes to confuse her American friends by using weird Australian figures of speech. When she's not chasing after two small boys or cuddling her baby girl, she spends her spare minutes daydreaming about the intricate lives of characters who don't actually exist. Find her on her website and Twitter.

My One Word

I can bet most of you are probably familiar with the concept of choosing a word for your year.

When I first stumbled across the My One Word website just a handful of years ago, the simple power of the concept instantly grabbed hold of my heart. And I’m not the only one. In a pretty short space of time, the concept has ignited a firestorm of followers: an ever-increasing number of people determined to ditch those long lists of New Year’s resolutions in favor of choosing just one word to encapsulate their year. 

Grace.

Truth.

Compassion.

Sparkle.

Trust.

Nurture.

Persevere.

Thankful.

The words are as different as their bearers. Uniquely gifted to us. Because when God shows us our word for the year, it is a gift. Amazing how one simple word can give us laser focus. Can trigger radical change. Can be so simple, and yet unleash such growth in our lives.

Unlike a long list of resolutions, which are quickly forgotten and serve only to document our shortcomings, one word is a seed planted in our spirit. It resonates through our weeks and months and helps to frame our year.

Even this scatter-brained mother-of-three can remember one word.

I’ve seen the power of one word clearly in my own life. The last time I prayed for God to reveal a word to me for the year, he gave me the word “Connected.”

Connection. It was something I craved for, as a writer tucked away on the other side of the world. I longed to be part of the thriving writing community I’d caught a glimpse of at the one Stateside conference I’d attended. But I hardly knew where to begin.

This one word, given to me by God, informed the decisions I made that year. It takes time and effort to form relationships with others, and that’s one thing I have little of. Not to mention that I’m an introvert by nature. I don’t put myself out there. Yet, every time I hesitated before typing an email or leaving a comment on a blog, the same word whispered through my spirit. Connected. And so I would forge ahead. Take the time. Reach out a hand. Interact with openness and transparency. Communicate love to others.

And soon, sooner than I’d imagined or dreamed, strangers become friends.

The miracles God brought about through that one word? A critique group of American ladies who’ve become treasured kindred spirits. An overseas trip to ACFW conference, where I formed many wonderful new relationships. And finally, the chance to become a part of the Writers Alley, where I found my writing family. What an unexpected blessing.

All because of one simple word.

Fast-forward to this year. I sought God. I prayed about my word. I dreamed up various possibilities that I thought might help me along the path toward my goals. Words like Focus. Discipline. Self-Control. Good words. Useful words. Words I need to apply in my life.

None of them felt right.

It wasn’t until post-baby hormones and stressful circumstances recently combined to leave me an emotional mess that God finally whispered my word, clear and true, through the email of a fellow Alleycat.

Abide.

See, God seemed to be saying, you’ve had it all back-to-front. Don’t focus on the fruit you want to achieve. Focus on me. I am your source. I am your lifeblood. Abide in me, and I will bring the fruit.

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5, ESV)

I’m excited about tapping into God’s vision for my life this year. I’m excited about growing one word closer to the woman God wants me to be.

Why not take the One Word challenge yourself?

Do something about one thing this year instead of nothing about everything.

Will you join us?

What is your word for 2013?

Karen Schravemade lives in the land of Oz and likes to confuse her American friends by using weird Australian figures of speech. When she's not chasing after two small boys or cuddling her baby girl, she spends her spare minutes daydreaming about the intricate lives of characters who don't actually exist. Find her on her website, on Twitter or getting creative over at her mummy blog.