New Year {One Word} First Post

​New Year.
Ahhhhhhh.
Don’t those words just feel good?

A time of celebrating—or waving a happy “So long!” to—the year behind and dreaming hope-filled dreams about the one ahead.

It’s another chance to turn regrets into opportunities seized, and intention into reality…
For me that means writing.
 
So here it is: a fresh new year, a fresh new blog.
Against all fears, apprehension and self-doubt…here I am.
 
It’s a good start (better late than never).

Ahem. Anyway…

Today my boys went back to school after our two-week chaotic Christmas vacation extravaganza, so today I experienced something I hadn’t in two weeks: peace and quiet.

One of my two favorite New Year’s tradition (because who doesn’t love a good ol’ New Year’s Eve kiss??) is to take some time to seek God and ask for a word, or short phrase for the year ahead.

That Word becomes something I can come back to, time and time again—something I can keep in my proverbial “pocket” and pull out from time to time to keep me on track.
So as I sat down today in my cozy oversized chair in the stillness of my daughter’s nap time I asked with bated breath…

“Lord, what is Your Word for me this year?”

Over the years I’ve come to discern the still small voice of the Spirit, but in this instance it was like the answer bellowed—as if the Father himself let out a great big belly laugh and cried out…

“Enjoy!”
 
I smiled the cheesy kind of grin the Lord puts on my face fairly often and felt His words continue upon my heart,


“I have already given you so much— A beautiful family, My Son…And so much more. 
Now, ENJOY these things. Take pleasure in them—and in Me.

Be still and take in all the little moments that make up LIFE.

Stop. Look around. See the beauty of it all and ENJOY.”
 

Oh, of all the words I’ve received over the years, these have to be my favorite…
Because isn’t this so much like the Father??
 
If it were up to me I might have picked something like,

Be brave, or
Write more, or
Spend more time with the kids
(etcetera, etcetera, etcetera…)
 
But it’s as if God takes my silly lists of “do-betters”, crumples it up and tosses it to the can.
 
God doesn’t give us a list of resolutions; He points us to the Solution.
 
I think I need to try harder,
He says, “It’s already finished on your behalf.”
 
I list all my failures and twenty-nine areas of life I could improve on,
He says, “You’re accepted and loved just as you are.”
 
I set a “bar” I need to jump over to earn His approval,
He says, “I could never love you any more or any less…
Now, go—Enjoy!”
 
Isn’t it amazing that we serve a God who not only gives us life but longs for us to enjoy it?
 
Take it in…
The quiet (or not-so-quiet) breathing of your spouse sleeping beside you.
The glow of sunshine through the crisp, Winter trees.
All of the exhilarating, frustrating, tear-filled, wonderful, smelly, sticky, stressful, joy-filled moments with your children--
 
Take them in…take them all in.
The good with the bad, the better with the worse and
Really. Truly. Fully. Relish life.
Enjoy.
 
Happy 2015 Everyone.