A fresh cup of coffee, a journal, a new planner, and my favorite Bible: just a few of my favorite things. Each one comes in handy when preparing for the New Year, and every new day! I like setting goals or resolutions. I also like the idea of declaring a word of the year. I decided to combine these approaches to making goals. I wanted a word (or a derivative) I could find in scripture and I wanted it to be broad enough to apply it to multiple areas of my life.
I chose
mindful as my one word for 2016. I want to be attentive to, aware of, and careful with the decisions I make this year. Scripture has quite a bit to say about our minds-- my Bible's concordance referenced 32 verses where the word mind/minded/mindful is used. I was particularly excited to find that number almost perfectly fits for reading one verse about mindfulness a day each month.
Here are a few areas I want to be particularly mindful this year:
1// my thinking: This one is definitely a challenge. I struggle with anxiety and selfishness. Rather than my initial thought be a negative/sinful/overanalyzed one, I pray this year I become more mindful and take captive every thought, making it obedient to Christ {2 Corinthians 10:5}.
2// my eating: As a dietitian, food is always on my mind. Too often this past year I varied between the extremes of unintentionally missing a meal because I was too busy doing
fill in the blank and overindulging in foods that provided no nutrition. This year I want to do better about eating healthily, but also enjoying things that maybe aren't as nutritionally beneficial.
3// my scheduling: I hope to be better about planning our days and weeks so that I can have time for what matters most. That means being prepared with meal plans, setting limits to the time I'm away from home, and using my time at home wisely. I especially want to do better about honoring the sabbath and being prepared for the week ahead so that I can enjoy a day of rest with my family.
4// my spending: My husband is nodding his head in approval to this one, I'm sure. I think it's pretty self explanatory that I need to be more mindful in how I view and use our finances. That means discerning the choices I make at the grocery store, the department store, or on amazon. The sermon last Sunday was especially convicting about stewardship. The Lord owns everything. I need to be mindful of this daily.
5// my praying: Lately, I have noticed a desire for a deeper prayer life. I find myself settling for short snippet prayers throughout the day. I don't think those are always wrong, but I crave a closer relationship with the Lord through prayer. I believe in and have witnessed its power; I want to be mindful of the time I spend in prayer.
6// my reading: I love to read. Books are (one of) my weakness. I want to buy them all and read them all. (Clearly, mindfulness when it comes to spending and scheduling are needed in regards to books!) I'm guilty of buying a book but not reading it or completing it. I joined the library last summer but have not checked out any books. I hope this year to set aside time to enjoy reading books, maybe even buy some new ones, but also finish the ones I already have.
7// my studying: Last November and December I completed a scripture writing plan. (Technically I finished the November one in December thanks to procrastination.) I've found writing the Word helps me study it on a whole different level. My sister-friend Rhi started a Facebook group devoted to writing the Word everyday this year! Our church also has a Tuesday morning bible study group that I have become so fond of! I hope to complete reading the Bible this year. I'm so excited see what the Lord teaches me this year through studying scripture in each of these ways. I also want to be mindful of the time I devote to studying nutrition. I enjoy it and never want to fall behind in the latest research.
There you have it. My one word for the year and my goals to apply it. Have you set any goals this year? Have you declared a word of the year? I pray your 2016 is one full of growth for you and glory for the Lord!
