New Year, New Word

 Last year my friend Jill told me about a traditon that the women in her family practice. Each year they select a word that they will focus on the next year. I love this. Last year I picked grace. I feel like I grew in my grace towards others and myself, but that will always be something that I need to grow in and will always be a life goal (how could it not be if I am trying to become more like Jesus)

This year I wanted my word to be very focused and I thought a lot about what I would choose. I made lists of words that described my vision for the next year of my life and looked for themes. One of my biggest problems is that I feel like I am a very passive participant in my life. I let things happen and react. I want to be a more active particpant in my life, shaping the future that I want for myself and my family. This takes a lot of thought, intentionallity, and effort. I have been thinking about the words of Jesus in John 10:10, "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly" What does abundant like look like? There are some very obvious implications of what this verse means but I wanted to dig deeper into what abundance looked like in my life. One of the definitions of abundance is an overflowing fullness. I desire to have an overflowing fullness in many areas of my life but abudance wasn't quite the word I was looking for. I looked up similar words that led me to my word for the year--> Thrive. I feel like thrive captures my desire to to live an abudant, active life.

One defintion of thrive is to grow or develop vigorously; to flourish. A word picture that kept coming to mind was a rose growing from the concrete. A great example of flourishing where you are. I want to flourish in my relationship with my kids and husband. In my relationship with God. In my work. In my health. In my finances.In my circumstances.Where I am at.