My 2015 Word

I hate New Year's Resolutions...honestly, I haven't made one in years because I have never been able to keep a single one. Last year I saw on Facebook people choosing a word to implement throughout their year. For 2014 I chose a word and tried to let that word be my focus throughout the year. This year I will be doing the same thing.

My 2014 word was "Present." I focused on being more present with those around me. I know the rest of you are not like this but I spent most of my day on my phone in the presence of the Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram world rather than focusing on those around me. My first step was to delete Facebook off of my phone. This worked for a bit until I started using the browser on my phone to get to Facebook. Addicted much? So...obviously deletion did not help. In June, the day after our twins' 3rd birthday we went to Disneyland. I knew enough was enough...I so enjoyed my smart phone but knew it was time to give it up so that I could fully focus on my family. On our way home we bought my dumb phone. It at least had a qwerty keyboard and did have VERY limited web access. Sadly, my 1 year old killed my beautiful new qwerty phone in about a week and now I have a SUPER dumb phone.

I thought I was going to miss that iPhone so much. Many people thought I was crazy to go back to the "dark ages." Hey...at least it's a flip phone. I can't get group messages but that is OK...I get to have more personal "conversations. " I don't have emojis and if you send them to me I only see squares so I am pretty sure everyone is just sending me piles of poop.  The only thing I actually miss is the GPS but then a dear friend gave me her TomTom GPS (you remember those right?) so now I can get where I need to go without worrying about getting lost or having to print out MapQuest (o yes, it was that bad for a bit!). Guess what though! I am so much better without it. When we go to the park I am not looking down at my phone but up at my children. When I am with friends I am listening to them and looking in their eyes rather than being distracted with an amazingly well thought out mom parody (LOVE THOSE!). My children don't have to ask me to put down my phone. I am already there with them. I did get an iPod in October. I can only get on it when I have wifi so it is very limited. I will continue to try and be more present for my children and husband as I don't want to miss the sweet moments that go by way too fast.

It has been so hard to choose my 2015 word. I narrowed it down to two words, "Discipline" and "Stewardship." My husband suggested "Stewarpline." He is so creative! I have decided to choose "DISCIPLINE" as my 2015 word (I think). Bobby Knight (a coach of something...I don't really do sports) said this of DISCIPLINE, "Discipline: doing what you have to do, and doing it as well as you possibly can, and doing it that way all the time." Now, I am not perfect I do not expect to be perfect and I hope nobody expects that of me either. I do though need to do what I need to do and do it well in order to be a better STEWARD of all that God has given to me (health, things, time, etc).

I want to be more DISCIPLINED in many aspects of my life including STEWARDSHIP. This year I will try to focus on this word by having more DISCIPLINE in my health and exercise. Let's be honest, I hate to workout...and sweat. I try and find an excuse every time I am about to start so that I don't have to do it. It is so important to be healthy and a good STEWARD of the body God gave me. I also would like to be a better STEWARD of the things God has given me. Cheri Gregory pointed out in Kathi Lipp's podcast "So Here's The Thing" that if we don't use something we have we should give it to someone who can use it otherwise it will go to waste and therefore we are not being a good STEWARD of what God has entrusted us with. Lastly, I want to focus on being more DISCIPLINED in keeping a tidy/clean home. I do NOT want a Martha Steward home in where you don't feel like you can touch anything. I want you to feel like you can grab food out of the fridge, get your own water, put your feet on the couch and let your child be himself. I ALSO want to be able to have you over without doing the mad dash to hide everything in my bedroom, vacuuming the floor (including the tile because who has time to vacuum AND sweep), and checking to make sure my son didn't miss the toilet before you get here. I want to be DISCIPLINED enough that my house feels like home to all who enter it.

 I know DISCIPLINE is going to be hard. I will be pushed and pulled in ways I am sure will make me uncomfortable but I love what Hebrews 12:11(ESV) tells us. "For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." That is so beautiful and reassuring to me. To have peace come from pain makes the process OK and isn't that just how God works? Refining us to become more like Him so that we can have peace that passes all understanding.

Here is to this new year and new word! Make sure you leave a comment here with what word you are going to focus on this year as well.

My 2015 Word: DISCIPLINE
My 2015 Verse: Hebrews 12:11 "For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it."