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Happy New Year!
In 2019, an idea was born about a New Year’s Resolution. It began when our church was designing a new communication venue, The Leaf magazine. The Leaf was the first tabletop magazine for the church as we continued to explore new and relevant ways to provide interest for our members and beyond. I asked our senior pastor to write an article for the magazine. I asked that it be something uplifting and provide hope and excitement about the New Year.
He sent me the article and his focus was to ask the reader to think of one word that would be what they would “want more of” in the new year. He referenced myoneword.org that provides this concept and a word cloud of inspirational examples that one may select. I really liked this idea and began to explore the one word for me. I would review the list of words again and again, and think deeply about each one. I asked the Lord to help me select the word that would be mine.
Weeks went by and while I thought of several words, nothing stuck. I felt I was running out of time, and the New Year would arrive, and I would not have a word. I should know better. This has happened each year and 2023 was no exception. However, the word finally show itself, “focus”.
The year 2022 ended with a bang. On the 22nd of November at 2pm we closed on our newly built home, and at 5pm that afternoon we close the deal on our condo. The buyers also purchased all the contents. At first that decision was overwhelming and then I must admit, it became very exciting. Now we had the opportunity to fill the newly built house with items especially selected, rather than having to fit something into the new house. I resigned my positions within the condo community as chair of the women’s group as well chair of the social committee. Now I can “focus” on the new house and furnishing it, my new projects, my husband and our life. One chapter of our lives has closed and another has just opened.
My word of commitment, focus, has many facets for me. First, I want to focus even more on my relationship with God and be intentionally about it. The women’s ministry at my church will begin the spring semester next month and the book of study is titled “Acts, Awakening to God in Everyday Life”. What could be a better title of study that goes like salt and pepper with my word!
So, I am going to focus on ways to continue to maintain and improve my health, my relationship with my husband, close friends, business associates, projects, just everything. I am going to focus on listening for God’s callings of me and hopefully will understand the direction he wants me to go and the guidance to get there.
What about such a New Year’s “resolution” for you? Or maybe you have something else in mind. No matter what the resolution or even If you decide to try a single word, let me know your results. I will circle back in the summer and we will see how things are progressing.
Happy New Year and may the Lord bless and keep you healthy in 2023!
Nyda
