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Last night at my bible study we discussed our "patterns" for the upcoming year. It might sound a little different, but one thing that they have been focusing on at church is getting rid of setting goals. Goals can be tough. While they are great in many ways, sometimes they can be unrealistic and hard to achieve, and occasionally they can leave you feeling defeated and disappointed. We talked about how beginning a new year shouldn't be about setting goals for oneself that you aren't sure whether or not you'll reach, but about changing and gaining patterns. For example, if you say you're a night owl, but you've never tried to adjust your routine and become a morning person, of course that is the pattern that your body is used to. We discussed how picking a word to focus on for the year can be helpful when it comes to changing your patterns and your lifestyle. It can help you remember what to focus on, and help your focus remain on Him.
My two words for the year are patience and community.

Patience in waiting on God to show me the path for my life. Patience in the hardships. Patience in waiting for the right job. Patience in waiting on the perfect timing for marriage to Sean. Patience in making moves and improving myself.

Community will remind me to branch out and meet new people. It will help me remember that God didn't create me to sit alone and only have my family and Sean as my friends, but he made me for a purpose. He made me to be a friend to others, and for others to be a friend to me when I need them. Community will help my relationships grow and thrive.

What are your words and patterns for 2015?

Word of Choice.

Last night at my bible study we discussed our "patterns" for the upcoming year. It might sound a little different, but one thing t...
Thursday, January 22, 2015
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Showing posts with label elevation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label elevation. Show all posts
At the beginning of every New Year I seem to make the same resolution... Read my bible daily. Pray more. Genuinely study the gospel. Have faith. Talk to God. Trust. Experience joy, regardless.

I'm reading two bible studies right now that I am becoming more obsessed with every day. One of them is called Restless; it's not as much a bible study as it is a "how to" when it comes to coping with your wants, needs, and God's plan for your life. It is a life changing book. I have felt so restless over the last year. Restless in terms of wanting the hardships to be over. Restless in waiting for the perfect job and opportunity to come my way. Restless in terms of my relationship and the next step we need to take. Restless in wondering if my personal dreams line up with God's dreams for me. This book has taught me that it's not about what I want for myself, but what God wants me to do for His kingdom.

"What if we took pieces of our lives (no matter what the world says they are worth) and began to use them to help others flourish for the sake of Christ? All of a sudden our motives would narrow to contain more of God and others, and less of us." - Restless

Trust.

The other bible study book I'm reading is the book I am studying in my E-Group, Becoming Myself. It is about knowing that God is greater than anything in this world. That when you surrender your life to him, and let him write your story, it is going to be way more amazing than anything you could ever narrate yourself. It focuses on relinquishing fear and anxiety, and gaining faith. It has moved me in so many ways. I've always dealt with anxiety, over stupid things like fear that my family will get hurt in some crazy way, or over my future. Becoming Myself teaches me that we shouldn't fear the unknown, because God knows all.

"You probably know what you have been afraid to entrust to God. When we surrender our fear, we are offering it to Jesus. We are saying "This fear is too much fear for me to bear. I give it to you because I believe you are good and worthy of my trust." When we actively, by faith, lay down our fears at the feet or Jesus, we pick up his love in return. It is an uneven trade, a heavenly exchange." - Becoming Myself

Faith.

It sounds silly, but when I read these books I get this bizarre feeling in my stomach. It's a mix between wanting to burst out laughing, and getting butterflies. I've always felt this way, and I've always thought it was so strange. It wasn't until recently that I realized what this feeling is... it's joy. It's joy and happiness that bubbles up inside me when I realize that I have nothing to worry about. God is in control. How awesome is that? God has my life planned out!! Now I am embracing this feeling. I love it and I can't wait to see what journey I am taken on with this fresh perspective.

Cheers to 2015!

Becoming My (Restless) Self.

Saturday, January 10, 2015
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