Happy New Year!!
Have you gotten used to writing '2011' yet? How are those resolutions going? Well, if you're already frustrated with the resolutions you made - relax ... I've got good news for you!
I want to tell you about a great website I found. To give credit where credit is due ... I heard the ad for the website on WPER 90.5 ... and the website is myoneword.org. The radio station is awesone - and so is the website!
Here's the idea ... when you make resolutions, you are attempting to alter bad behavior from the past. Instead, focus on who you want to be in the future. Notice that I said 'who' you want to be ... not 'what' you want to be. Life is always about the 'who' - but that's another blog! Being skinnier, healthier, richer are all 'what's'. Think a little deeper than that.
Now, the website is My One Word ... not My Long List. This is the hard part. This takes some time, prayer and reflection. Pick one word that will act like a filter for everything else to funnel through. A filter that all of your decisions at home, at work, at church, at the gym, at the dinner table can flow through.
It took me 3 days to pick my word. Actually, it took me 5 minutes - but it took 3 days to know it. I found the word, didn't like it - and then thought about another word. But I kept coming back to this one ... Stronger.
There was a song on the radio (shortly after they talked about the website) by Mandisa called 'Stronger'. She says that the troubles that we are going through are there to make us stronger. So I got the idea for that word. But then I thought ... I'm tired of being 'strong'. I have to be strong rasing my daughter by myself. I had to be strong when mom got sick. I had to be strong when she died. I don't want to be strong for everyone - I want someone else to be strong for me for a change! And then I thought ... maybe that's the problem. I don't 'need' someone else to be stronger for me ... I've got Jesus ... He's all the strength I need. Phillipians 4:13 says so ... I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I get my strength from Him - and He has never let me down.
So, that is my word for 2011 ... Stronger. I want to be stronger in my faith; stronger in my decision making and stronger in my thoughts. So, when I have a decision or a choice to make, I remind myself 'I'm strong enough for that ... Jesus gave me that strength.' Sometimes it might be 'strong enough' to handle something ... but sometimes, it's 'strong enough' to let it go. Sometimes, I might just need to be strong enough to say 'No'. When I sit down at the dinner table and want the Death By Chocolate cake for dessert ... I can say 'I'm stronger than that!'
So, what's your word??
In His Strength,
Michele
