Focus Word for 2014 - Believe

Happy New Year!  It's time once again to reveal my chosen word to focus on for the year, and the word of 2014 is BELIEVE.

Believing is truly something I need to set my mind to, as there are plenty of times when I let fear or discouragement derail my dreams and plans.  As much as I work on staying positive, I still spend too much time wondering just how things are going to get better or thinking about how far I still have to goal to reach my goals-in-progress.

So starting today and all through 2014, I am going to believe.  I BELIEVE God for the promises He has made to me, to give me hope and a future.  If I stay focused on Him instead of worrying about challenges, I will get where I need to go and find the joy I so desperately need in each and every day.  He is making things happen for me, and for my family and friends!

I also BELIEVE in myself...God gave me specific talents, gifts, and abilities, so I'm going to banish the doubt that creeps in at times - the false voice in my head that tries to tell me I'm not good enough or don't have what it takes.  I will be the me that He has created me to be.  I BELIEVE in what God gave me and will use all of it to the best of my ability.  It's time to move forward with confidence!

I wish you and our loved ones a very happy, healthy, and prosperous 2014.  May we all BELIEVE...today and every day of the entire year!

My Focus Word for 2013 - COURAGE!

"Whatever course you decide upon,

there is always someone to tell you

that you are wrong.  There are

always difficulties arising which tempt

you to believe that your critics are right.

To map out a course of action and follow

it to an end requires COURAGE."

--Ralph Waldo Emerson

Happy 2013!  You may remember that at the beginning of last year I chose one word to focus on for 2012.  Actually, it chose me.  God puts the word I need most in my mind - and everywhere else (books, music, signs, quotes, etc.) so that I know for sure which word He wants me to focus on.

Last year's word was ACTION.  And I did take action in many ways throughout the year, but I still have a long way to go. 

Which leads to this year's word:  COURAGE.

This is an area in which I have struggled since childhood.  So many times in my life, I've had people tell me I can't do something.  Sometimes it was meant well, like when my parents were afraid I would get hurt - either physically or emotionally - and would not let me do certain things, such as horseback riding.  At other times it was other people telling me that I couldn't accomplish certain goals because I "was not good enough" or "didn't have it in me". 

I still have people in my life who don't believe in me or what I can accomplish...actually, I've begun to realize that these are people who don't believe that they can accomplish certain things, so they don't think anyone else can either.  Or they are people who can't think outside the box to do anything other than what's considered "normal".  I've even had someone bluntly tell me I would never accomplish anything in my life and I was worthless.

Now, maybe these people were raised to believe that, so all of their lives they impose the same thought process on others who dare to dream and set goals...to be different. 

So that means if I want to truly be the woman God created me to be, I have to have the COURAGE to ignore the naysayers and overcome fears that have long been placed into my mind.  Having that COURAGE will build on the ACTION from last year, because fear stops us from taking certain actions that we should take.

So I pray to God to help me have the COURAGE to put even more of His plans for me into ACTION.  With Him I will get there!!!

What about you?  Do you have a focus word for the new year?  Please share!



The Power of My Own Words - From God

Have you ever gone back through an old diary or journal...and found nuggets of wisdom among the words you had written during a different time of your life that fit your situation now?

I just took it up a notch from there. I found hope, comfort - and yes, wisdom - in my novel manuscript.

I'm in the process of making final revisions in this manuscript so it will be ready as I pursue a publisher. These revisions will be done within a couple of weeks, since I set a deadline of my birthday to have it finished. (My earlier deadline of March 1st was not met because of the job from you-know-where...stress and time constraints really did a number on me.) My gift to myself that day, and to God, is to finally have the book done that He called me to do and ready for where He wants it to go next.

One of my main hopes with this book is that it will touch and inspire other people who are going for their dreams in the midst of other life issues. I was not prepared to have my own words come back at me in the revision process and inspire ME. But they did...not just a phrase or two, but throughout the last few chapters consistently. The overwhelming sense of hope that comes over me as I read these words calms me, even on the roughest days. I can only pray that when my novel is published, it moves other readers the same way.

The other emotion coming over me as I read, revise, and write is joy. The writing process brings me happiness like nothing else I've ever known. This is what it feels like to find your true passion and purpose in life. I've learned that even when other issues arise, my writing keeps my centered and closer to God. When in doubt, WRITE!

I know the true source of my writing talent, and the words themselves, come directly from God. He has given me the ability and the love for words, and I am His instrument as I write them down.

It's just like Him to comfort and inspire me through my own words - that is, the words He sends through me in the first place. I thank Him from the depths of my soul for His amazing and perfect ways!

Happy New Year - My Chosen Word For 2012

We all know words are powerful. The right ones can build someone up, while the wrong ones can tear someone down. Some people use words to purposely hurt others, while all of us at times have used words to express something that another person has taken the wrong way or interpreted in a different way than we meant it.

I've recently learned to take the concept of words even further. (And for a writer that's really something!) I finished reading a book a few days ago by Debbie Macomber - not one of her many novels, but a non-fiction book called "Knit Together". In it Debbie talks about her faith and the lessons she's learned over the years, and encourages us to find our purpose and be who God created us to be.

One of the concepts she introduced was the idea of choosing a single word to focus on each year. She's been doing this for long time and it has enhanced her life and the lives of others every year. This concept intrigued me so I decided to choose a word for 2012. As Debbie says, God assists us in choosing the right word. There are so many words that it would be difficult to pick only one without asking God to lead us to the right word. Sometimes a word will come to us in prayer, or God will have the word show up over and over again in our daily lives to drive home the point.

After plenty of prayer, watching and listening for God's direction, I realized my word for 2012 is ACTION. I was led to the Bible to read John's prodding not to use only words, but to show love through our actions. The word showed up in just about everything I read or heard. And as soon as I decided upon this word, the next tune on the radio was the old Toby Keith song, "A Little Less Talk and a Lot More Action".

In thinking over my word, I also realized something else. I'm a philosopher by nature - which means I spend a lot of time thinking, musing, and writing. This is all good, but there have been times when I overthought things and didn't DO enough. I was afraid to actually follow through, so I kept THINKING about it instead of ACTING on it.

This word is God's way of telling me that although I still must think and pray about decisions, I need to move past the fear and put plans into ACTION. If He tells me to do something, then I should do it. It's amazing how excited I am about this year and focusing on the word God chose for me!

By the way, after reading this book I went to Debbie Macomber's website, where I discovered that she has a new book coming out on Tuesday, "One Perfect Word", in which she focuses entirely on this concept. So God once again uses his perfect timing to teach me an important lesson.

I hope you will join me in choosing a word to live by and focus on for 2012. I'd love to hear what word you choose as well! Happy New Year, and may 2012 be filled with blessings!

Speaking Sleepinese

The other morning, my still tired son got up for school and began to eat his breakfast. As he tried to ask me a question, he said something that made absolutely no sense. I repeated back what he said to me, which made him snap out of it and laugh...asking, "Did I really say that?" Itold him yes, and on the spur of the moment I said he must be speaking another language, which I dubbed "sleepinese". That only made him laugh harder.

As I've thought about my new word since then, I began to realize that many of us speak some form of sleepinese, even if we are wide awake. We continue to say the same things over and over to ourselves...things that make us think that we can't change our lives for the better and that we're stuck in the same place we've always been. We run on autopilot, doing what we've always done because it's all we know, and it's our comfort zone. It feels so much easier to sleepwalk through our lives and speak those words of mediocrity or defeat. We tell ourselves that it would take too much effort to change, we're too old now, or where we are right now is OK...even if deep down we are really sick of being stuck where we are and tired of being unhealthy.

Just as actual sleepwalking can be dangerous, so can speaking sleepinese and continuing in our life ruts. We need to step out in faith, speaking words of health, life, and empowerment. We must ask God for his help...not just praying our usual words without really listening to what we say to Him, but truly speaking to God from our souls and listening for His answers. When you catch yourself saying those words of sleepinese, change them immediately. Ask God lead you to the words that will get you on the path to living a full life, and the courage to put those words into action.

No more sleepwalking through life...it's time to shine, just the way God made us to do!