My Purpose Driven Life
Several weeks ago, my Kindermusik families had gathered in my home and noticed construction paper signs I had taped throughout.
Goodness.
Gentleness.
Self-Control.
Love.
Peace.
Patience.
Kindness.
Just one word.
My friend says, “Did you get this out of a study or are you just a super mom.?”
Or she may have said, “Rock-star” mom.
Or it’s entirely possible I’m making the whole thing up and I just like to think of myself as a rock-star mom.
I laughed and said, “No, our verse of the week is the fruits of the spirit so the kids colored them and we hung them up to help us learn.”
Please don’t be too impressed. I’ve been a mom for 8 1/2 years and I’ve been committed to scripture memory for the past two weeks.
It started with a sermon of sorts on being intentional about faith in your home. The speaker read from Deuteronomy and that we are called to bind the Word around our necks and hang it from our gates and for me, that means construction paper.
And crayons.
Intentional.
That’s the word that stuck with me.
Some of you will remember that instead of resolutions, I choose one word.
One word, for 2014.
Last year my word was promise. The promise of a new year. The promise of God’s faithfulness. The promise of a future and a hope and as I circled and circled and cried out to the Lord, I reminded Him of His promise to restore the years the locust have eaten.
And He did!
And He will.
And 2013 was a year of promise, fulfilled.
So I’ve been waiting since early November to tell you my new word. I mean this is more excited that the announcement of the new American Girl Doll for 2014, right? This is big!
Intentional.
Well, that was my word and then on Sunday, Pastor Tom was praying and he used the word purposeful and I liked that word even better.
Yes. That is my word.
Purposeful!
Emma Claire will start Kindergarten this fall. I want to be purposeful in how we spend our time together. (And perhaps a tad more purposeful in how we comb our hair!!)
Coulter is here and there and a little bit everywhere so when he is home, I want to be purposeful.
I want to be purposeful in praying with my children, teaching my children, building into, wrapping around and raising up.
I want to be purposeful in my writing. Sharing my journey, transparent and hopeful and humble. And when I do and as I do there are perhaps some who will wish they had behaved a little better. 🙂
I want to be purposeful in my training and my teaching and my building and growing.
I want to reach out to my friends and those whom I love and I want to be purposeful.
I feel ready. Like, I’m back, y’all!
No longer reacting to a past that I can’t change.
But purposefully looking forward to a future and a hope.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Purposeful:
1. having purpose; 2. determined; resolute. 3. full of meaning; significant.
Yes!
I am resolute and determined to make 2014 significant and full of meaning.
Synonyms? Deliberate. Firm. Intense. Intent. Steadfast. Strong-willed. Undeviating. Unfaltering.
And my favorite?
Unwavering.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Scattered throughout my home are several grapevines wreaths. Not just for Christmas. They are always out. My former neighbor grows grapes and her garage is overtaken so every time I need a new one I make a little visit. I’m a little bit obsessed, actually.
I think they are lovely. They circle round and round and their branches weave in and out in what sometimes looks like a tangled mess and from that mess came sweet fruit.
God meets us in our mess.
Oswald Chambers says, if we are going to be made into wine, we will have to be crushed; you cannot drink grapes.
You cannot drink grapes.
And you can’t grow them if you’re not hanging on the Vine.
I have no intention; (or purpose!) to grow grapes. And I would like to think that my season of being crushed has come to an end (although I know He’ll keep pruning and crushing and molding and making,) but as I remember back to how this blog started—-how this binding around the neck and hanging on the gates—as I think back to the fruits that we write and we speak and we learn—-I see the circled wreaths and pray that they will serve as a reminder to be purposeful.
Purposeful in Love.
Purposeful in Joy.
Purposeful in Peace and Patience and Kindness and Goodness and Faithfulness and Gentleness and Self-Control.
Shoot! I so wish vine rhymed with 14. Or I wish it was 2009. Hangin’ on the Vine in 2009 only Praise the God from whom all blessings flow it is not 2009!
May your fruits be seen, May your grass be green.
May you life be full of purpose in 2014.
🙂
OK, whatever. C.S. Lewis, I’m not, but good grief, teen is super hard to rhyme with.
Please keep reading y’all, and Happiest of New Year’s my sweet friends.
Raising Magnolias 