Intentionally Intentional

It's a New Year.  Usually, this doesn't mean much for me.  I'm not much of a goal-setting, resolution-making sort of gal.  I typically can regulate myself on a daily basis to do what needs to be done.  Typically. 

However, the end of 2014 and the beginning of 2015, along with some ladies whom I admire, have had me really thinking and looking at things in a much bigger and broader sort of way.  Though 2014 was marked with some really great moments of fun, laughter, and learning,  there are parts of 2014 that I really could do without...seasons that pained me and caused me heartache as well as seasons that grew me when I didn't think I needed growing (which I'm figuring out is when the growing is most needed...another blog for another day).  I need this year to be different.  My heart needs this year to be different.  Though I can put on a good show, this year drained me completely.  What?  You didn't realize this?  Of course not.  My snail shell kept my emotions outwardly in-check (most days).  After all, it takes ten times as long to put yourself back together as it does to fall apart.

Once upon a time I had a camp counselor named Becky.  I camped and she counseled.  I went home and grew up and so did she.  We reunited this summer (nearly 22 years later) at the same camp (Shout out to Twin Pines, one of my most favorite places on the entire Earth) where we shared a week together with our families.  Of course becoming Facebook friends was a necessity, too.  She's a lovely mother of four beautiful kids and the wife of an amazing teacher/preacher.  I read her blogs as often as she posts them and have learned much from her faithful words of the Word and the world.  One of the many things she does is chooses a word for the year and deliberately works toward refining herself in that area.  As stated before in previous posts, I'm in the party of "learn the lesson later than you want to" instead of the part of "learn the lesson before the problem starts."  After the not-so-mild trauma from this past year I've decided to adopt Becky's method and choose a word to focus my actions (and my blasted reactions - dang those things...another blog for another day).

Intentional

Intentional is my word for 2015.  Intentional:  done in a way that is planned or intended [in your mind as a purpose or a goal]

God brought this word to me early on in December as I thought about my word for the year.  Weird.  I am intentional.  I'm very intentional about keeping my home clean.  I'm very intentional about my family's health and wellness.  I'm very intentional about paying our bills.  I'm very intentional about providing opportunity for my kids.  I'm very intentional about loving my husband.  I'm very intentional about the things I want to be intentional about.  About the things that are important to me.

Blast.  He gets me every.single.time.  Sigh.  It's true.  I'm selfishly intentional.  I'm so focused and so driven... about the things that are important to me.  But what about the things that are important to Him.  What about the things that could show His love even more.  The things that stretch me.  The things I don't want to do because they are hard.  The things I don't want to do because it causes me to be humble in a way that I don't even want to think about.  The very things that anger me most and require me to lay down my princess crown.  I need to be intentional about those as well.  I am called to be intentional about those.

So, for those of you that know me and love me (thank you, by the way), please help keep me accountable.  I have a written list of areas where I know God's calling me to be intentional.  Becky, thank you for being faithful, open, humble, and honest.

Off I go now, to be intentional.  First I'm going to be intentional about putting my house in order after three weeks of being away...while I memorize my intentional list :)  

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the LORD, not for human masters since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the LORD as your reward.  It is the LORD Christ you are serving."

- Colossians 3:23-24