My “One Word” for 2015

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For the last several years I’ve heard of bloggers choosing one word to be their theme for the New Year.

Generally I am always several steps behind on trends.  Case in point – I finally bought a pair of skinny jeans the other day and then a friend informed me that bootcut style is coming back in.

<<Sheesh.>>

So here I am a whole year later ready to jump on the one-word band wagon except for the fact that I don’t believe that anyone else is on the wagon with me.

Hubs and I got to go away for a couple of days to celebrate our anniversary this past week and I had 2 priorities (besides enjoying time with my bearded prince).

1.  SLEEP.

and

2.  READ.

2 things that I am seriously deprived of as a young mom being that {{regarding the first priority}}, the boys have absolutely NO internal clock regulating the normal hours of human waking.  I think my children are operating on Australia’s time zone.

I am happy to report that I accomplished my 2 goals successfully and even added a 3rd – binge watch TV.  I hardly ever watch TV at home – mostly because the tyranny of the urgent always wins out (ie. laundry does not go away on its own), but when I go on vacation I turn into a total couch potato and suddenly everything takes a backseat to getting caught up on episodes of Love It or List It.

My mom got me THIS BOOK for Christmas and I read it in less than a day.  Every time I would take a break to put it down I would say to the hubs, “This book is SO convicting.”

My heart was challenged in a hundred ways to be a better mom this year.

And this cannot happen unless I am fully satisfied and filled up with Jesus.

He is what it ALL comes down to.

JESUS.

The gospel is what I want to give my kids more of this year.  I want to pour out on them the joy and forgiveness and patience and kindness that He has shown me through His work on the cross.

When their early wake-up rituals threaten my sanity joy, I will remember that JESUS laid it all down for me.  And I will lay down my desire for sleep.  No complaining.  No fussing.  I will joyfully rise to serve.

Because that’s what Jesus did and I want my family to see the gospel in me.

When tempted to blow a gasket over the messy house, I will remember that JESUS laid it all down for me.  And I will lay down my desire to live in a perfectly spotless home.  I will lay down my need to be in control of every little thing.  And I will laugh at the explosion of Play-Doh and smile at the Sharpie lines in the carpet and the drawing someone did with chalk on the couch cushion.

Because I want my family to see the gospel in me.

When I feel that nagging despair that no one sees or appreciates the 100 million loads of laundry I do or 6 trillion dishes I wash every day or the bazillion hours I spend correcting and training my darling little boys, I will lay that down, too.  Because the gospel is not self-seeking.

Because when we are truly living in the fullness of the Good News WE DON’T NEED THE PRAISE OF MAN.

When I want to fret and be anxious over the boys – their health, their behavior, the weird noise they just made in their sleep – or worry about our finances, my marriage, friendships, jobs… I will lay it down because Jesus trusted His Father and lived a life of open-handed surrender to the One who knows best.

I want my family to see the gospel in me.

When I want to check out and be distracted (ahem – iPhone), I will lay that down, too.  Because Jesus shows us that people – relationships – are more important than things.

I want my family to see the gospel in me.

When I want to punish my children with cold silence and disappointment, I will instead choose to quickly extend forgiveness and throw in a tickle fight, because in Jesus there is absolute freedom from sin.

There is great love and great acceptance.

And in my dying to all the things that my human, weak, frail flesh wants, I discover the abundant, happy life in choosing Jesus.

That is the gospel.

So this year – this 2015 – my one word is Jesus.

I desire more of Him – more of the gospel – more of what He did and what He provides this mama’s heart than anything else in this world.

And when I’m weary of laying everything down, I will simply persevere until the hubs’ and my annual anniversary sleep/read/binge-watch-TV vacation. 🙂

Totally kidding.  Because we all know that the gospel is most beautifully communicated in our weakness – remember that.

Stay humble.  Repent.  Submit.  Obey.  Trust.

And love lavishly.

“But God is so rich in mercy; he loved us so much that even though we were spiritually dead and doomed by our sins, he gave us back our lives again when he raised Christ from the dead—only by his undeserved favor have we ever been saved— and lifted us up from the grave into glory along with Christ, where we sit with him in the heavenly realms—all because of what Christ Jesus did. And now God can always point to us as examples of how very, very rich his kindness is, as shown in all he has done for us through Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 2:4-7 (TLB)

 

 

 

**At time of this post, (in)courage launched their annual One Word 365 challenge – see it HERE and join in the fun!  I guess I am not behind on the trend after all. 🙂  And now I’m off to buy the bootcuts.**