THERE'S MORE TO DO IN 2022

(John 10:10) The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

The countdown, ball drop, and fireworks announced the start of a new year, and it’s nothing but the norm to feel like a new beginning is finally here. I promise that I didn’t try to make that rhyme…LOL! Anyway, the potential for people to declare a resolution or two sets the tone, and sometimes that’s as far as it goes. And if you know anyone that has managed to go through with their resolution all the way to the end of the year, please tell them I’ll be the first one in line for their New York Times Best Seller on the topic. But if their resolution is to not make a resolution at all, I’ll just wait until their book hits one of the local yard sales for 25 cents and use it as a paperweight. Just saying. As for me, I have been focusing more on a word for the year. To be honest, I had no idea that other people did this, but it looks like this is a thing. Who knew?

My word for the year is: EXPLORE. If you’ve been rolling with me any length of time, you already know that I’m going to break down this word in acronymium form like I would any other time. And just like that, acronymium magically became a word! If you see this added to the dictionary for 2022, don’t forget that I created it here first! I just want credit to go where credit is due :-D And here’s a fair warning: This may be a long post 😊

E—Enjoy God’s blessings, not just accept them. If you have an exceptional memory, this was part of my word from last year: LIVE. I want to carry it over to this year since I’m still trying to learn this lesson. There are so many times that I feel like I don’t deserve certain blessings or feel like I already have enough or too much. So, when more blessings come my way, I tend to take or accept them but not really enjoy them. This can sometimes be something as simple as taking the time to savor memorable moments that may or may not ever happen again. Since God thinks enough of me to give me special blessings, especially ones that are meant just for me, what a disgrace it is for me not to be fully appreciative of them. X—Experience a deeper relationship with Christ. Google couldn’t provide me with a word starting with the letter ‘x’ that would fit neatly with my acronym for 2022. So, thankfully there’s enough ‘x’ sounding words that make up for this. But enough about that. I’m here to talk about a closer walk with Christ. There’s no way for me to ever not need this and having a real relationship with Christ is like an exploration in and of itself. The more I discover about Him, the more there’s to uncover. There’s never a dull moment! And as the challenges of life go deeper, so does His endless love. And just think. The Lord has given me over 300 days this year to spend every moment with Him 💕 P—Place more trust in the Lord even when situations make me uncomfortable. Y’all, this is a tough one for me. I mean, I have dealt with this many times over the years, and I pray that I have grown in this area. But this is a still a challenge, yet I can’t deny the necessity in trusting in my Savior in all circumstances. Exploration means walking in unknown places throughout the journey. Fear can creep in because of the unknown, and my normal reaction is to run away when fears arise. But I have found that when I put my trust in the Lord despite my fears, oh how awesome the outcome can be! God always knows what’s best for me, and He will never lead me into anything that’s meant for my complete harm. Trusting Him leads to more trust in Him, and this brings me an inner peace and comfort that can’t come about any other way. L—Love the skin that I’m in and my unique personality. As I’m getting older, I’m learning to embrace the person that God created—me 😊 Every bit of me is made the way that God intended, flaws and all. And my personality may not fit the bill for some, but I’m wired the way I am and so it is. As I settle down into the person that God created me to be, I understand with more clarity that I was never meant to live, act, or think like anyone else. And if you thought I was supposed to be at the supermodel status, let’s just settle for me being a model citizen instead. I’m not in competition with anyone and being me is much less exhausting and less stressful. My past and present experiences have helped to develop who I am, and I’m sure that the future will do the same. O—Open my mind to new opportunities that the Lord presents to me. This statement is a bit self-explanatory, but I want you to consider this side of it. I want to be aware of opportunities to rest and take a break when needed. I want to take opportunities to say ‘no’ when that's the best answer. I also don’t want to miss out on opportunities to do things differently even when others may not agree. Many times, I ignore such opportunities simply because it’s so much easier for me to go with the flow and not make waves, and this is especially true for me when I’m caught in the routine of life. A life of exploration can provide me a different vantage point so that I can take the road less traveled when directed by the Lord. R—Resist the urge to accept anything less than God’s best for me as much as possible. I recently saw this quote: “Sometimes you don’t get what you want because you deserve better.” There have been countless times that I focused way too much of what I wanted, or thought I wanted anyway, and I was completely disappointed when I got it. This year, I desire look beyond what I can see so that I can strive for whatever the Lord has for me. God has a much clearer view of how my life should be in every area, and His “no’s” and “waits” are meant to steer me in the direction of better up ahead. E—Encourage others as much as possible. As the saying goes, “A little bit of encouragement goes a long way.” And when it’s all said and done, we can all use some kindness of this form from time to time. Encouragement can come in many different ways: a kind word (verbal or written), a smile or hug, a gift, etc. But I do want to use wisdom when I go about supporting others in this manner. Meaning, I must understand that I probably won’t have the ability to encourage everyone; everyone may not receive my encouragement as I expect; as I encourage, it should not turn it into white lies just to make people happy; and, forcing encouragement down anyone’s throat will defeat the purpose. And I can’t forget about myself. Regular pep talks and personal motivation can make the difference between a great day and a horrible one.

So, who’s going to EXPLORE with me this year? The journey may be rough at times, but I can ensure you that the Lord will be our protection each step of the way. And I can only imagine all of the extraordinary sights that we’ll see as we go along. I can’t wait! But before we get too far on the trail, don’t forget to grab some lemonade 😊 Let's go!!!