2013
Am I the only one that seems to remember 2000 as yesterday?
A new year. Such promise. Clean calendars. A new start.
I am looking to make this year a bit different than the past years. I make plans. I make schedules. And usually within a few days, it is business as always - chaotic, messy, and mostly confusing and rushed.
This year, I would like to focus myself, and maybe rub off on the family a bit.
The past few years, I have read others' writings about how they pick a word for the year. These women will pray and come up with a word to help them be more focused on God for the year.
I thought I would try to come up with a word this year to see if it helps me at all. What? it can't hurt, can it?
So off to Adoration I go.
This past week I got 2 times: my regular Thursday night and then very early Saturday morning for First Friday Adoration at our church. It can be amazing how clearly you can think when it is 4:30am in church with only one other person and the lights go out. It was only for a couple minutes, but that time in the darkness with only the candles on the altar next to the monstrance was ... amazing.
Anyway - lots of alone, quiet prayer time for this monumental decision.
And I was thinking I would be given a cool word like Faith, or Love, or Grace or something spiritual-like.
Um, no.
I got an ordinary word.
And I didn't like the word.
It seemed so - boring, unhelpful, not spiritual; not what I was looking for.
You ever notice God gives you what you need and not what you want?
The word God gave me: DELIBERATE.
Yeah, what kind of word is that?
Dictionary.com gave me this definition of "my word."
de·lib·er·ate
[dih-lib-er-it; dih-lib-uh-reyt] adjective, verb, de·lib·er·at·ed, de·lib·er·at·ing.
adjective
1. carefully
2. characterized by deliberation; careful or slow in deciding: a deliberate decision.
3. leisurely and steady in movement or action; slow and even; unhurried: a deliberate step.
verb (used with object)
4. to weigh in the mind; consider: to deliberate a question.
verb (used without object)
5. to think carefully or attentively; reflect: She deliberated for a long time before giving her decision.
6. to consult or confer formally: The jury deliberated for three hours.
Synonyms
1. purposeful; willful. Deliberate, intentional, premeditated, voluntary refer to something not happening by chance. Deliberate is applied to what is done not hastily but with full realization of what one is doing: a deliberate attempt to evade justice. Intentional is applied to what is definitely intended or done on purpose: an intended omission. Premeditated is applied to what has been planned in advance: a premeditated crime. Voluntary is applied to what is done by a definite exercise of the will and not because of outward pressures: a voluntary enlistment. 2. methodical, thoughtful, circumspect, cautious. 3. See slow. 4. ponder. 5. cogitate, ruminate.
1. purposeful; willful. Deliberate, intentional, premeditated, voluntary refer to something not happening by chance. Deliberate is applied to what is done not hastily but with full realization of what one is doing: a deliberate attempt to evade justice. Intentional is applied to what is definitely intended or done on purpose: an intended omission. Premeditated is applied to what has been planned in advance: a premeditated crime. Voluntary is applied to what is done by a definite exercise of the will and not because of outward pressures: a voluntary enlistment. 2. methodical, thoughtful, circumspect, cautious. 3. See slow. 4. ponder. 5. cogitate, ruminate.
And what popped out at me?
deliberate
intentional
careful
reflect
thoughtful
ponder
Oh, why do I doubt?
Here is to a deliberate 2013.
When I am intentional in my prayers life.
When I am careful in my words.
When I reflect on what God expects from me.
When I am thoughtful about my actions.
When I ponder God's words.
God is so good to me.
