Stretching and yawning from my slumber (not exactly since somewhere during my hibernation I got the hankering to declutter our entire house!), I rub my eyes, stare out the window, and think about the new year that has dawned.
 |
| photo source |
I could pile lots of resolutions on my plate, plan to become supermodel thin, read every work by Dostoevsky, become fluent in French, ad nauseum. But I would only be fooling myself; after a week, I would be back to eating junk food and spending every free moment watching 30 Rock reruns (not that that's what I did on my "hibernation" when I wasn't cleaning like a mad woman...).
No, I need to be realistic. And I need to consider this season of life, what responsibilities lay before me, and how I can be better serving my Lord and the ones He gave me.
Which brings me to the theme of this year: In 2012, I will be diligent in love.
I will love the Lord my God diligently. For me, that means being more diligent in prayer, guarding my morning devotion time (and just making it happen), and learning to focus up when I'm in the Word instead of letting my mind wander as it's apt to do.
I will love my husband diligently. No need for specifics on this one, and truth be told, I'm not entirely sure how to go about this one...whenever I ask him how I can love or serve him better, I get a funny look like it's a ridiculous question. Still, being aware of the question just might bring about answers.
I will love my daughter diligently. This means taking more care to play with my Pookmeister one-on-one (she's such a happy thing, it's easy to let her roam and play for ages on her own), but it also means to continue training her up in the way she should go (Eph. 6:4). This year, that will include potty training, the introduction of chores and working alongside me, plus time in the Word (Proverbs at breakfast, the Gospels at lunch, and whatever we're reading as a family after dinner) and prayer--observation at this young age coupled with parental prayer will, hopefully, lead to godliness and a heart for the Lord later.
I will love others diligently. We're still floundering to find an outreach that holds us, if that makes sense. So for this year, I've decided to focus on hospitality from our home to encourage others and build them up--and keep my eyes open for other ways to serve.
I will write diligently. I like to think my writing is a ministry...if to no one else, than as salve to my soul and as worship to my God. I've got a finished first draft I hope to edit, polish, and publish this year; I am also working on a second manuscript, hope to do NaNoWriMo again in November, and have plenty of blogging, guest blogging, and article writing in the works.
I will care for my body diligently. And this does not mean crash dieting, juice fasting, or anything trendy. I'm realizing that I haven't treated the body God gave me with the respect that I should--and that it feels much better when I treat it better! So, I'm aiming for more sleep, more nutrients and less junk, plenty of flossing and moisturizing, and did I mention more sleep?
That is what diligent in love looks like for me in 2012. What are you up to in this new year?
No comments:
Post a Comment