As I reflect on 2012 it is clear that my creator loves me. He has kept me close. This has been a year of challenges and, it’s through those challenges that I’ve begun to understand how God designed me and what He ultimately desires for me and, I have grown.
- I’ve discovered that while my emotions are strong they don’t have to rule me. I have learned that I can survive the uncertainties of life as long as I keep my eyes and thoughts fixed on Him. (see 2 Corinthians 10:5)
- I’ve learned that the challenges and burdens of this world can be a lot lighter when I trust Him to carry me and bring His promises to fruition. (see 1 Peter 5:7)
- I’ve also realized that knowing His promises, storing them in my heart and meditating on them frees me to worship Him despite what my eyes may see.
But, I want need more! During this year of writing, serving and reflecting I discovered that I had more questions than answers. I’ve asked myself why I was writing and wondered if I was on the right path. He was faithful to answer and has made my purpose a bit more clear to me, at least for this leg of the race it is.
- As an individual He is calling me into a deeper relationship with Him. He wants me to KNOW Him more intimately and to reflect Him in everything I say and do.
- As a mom, He is teaching me to pray in a very specific way. Ephesians 2:10 is the verse I am praying over my girls these days. I want them to grow with confidence. They need to KNOW that they are a custom masterpiece, woven together tenderly by the hand of God Himself. If they own their design, if they grow up KNOWING that God has had a master plan and a unique purpose for them before the foundation of the earth was formed then I will have done my job.
- As the spiritual head of my home He is calling me to be more mindful of my words. Ephesians 4:29 will soon grace the walls in my hallway. I want to be sure I am always encouraging and building up my teenagers. It is my responsibility to be loving and respectful toward my husband. My words are important and, not just the words I leave in this space but the words that come from these lips are very important. I pray that those I am responsible to and for would never be harmed by an off the cuff remark or a harsh statement made in a moment of frustration. I want this to be equally important to them, I want them to KNOW the power of their words, that there is life and death in their words. For the sake of my children and for the sake of my future grandchildren He is pressing me to be more like Him.
How does this inform my writing?
I finally have a mission statement! When you visit my blog you’re going to find honest stories about me; how I’ve failed and how I’ve grown in my failures, how I’ve discovered who God is in the midst of the storm, how He’s revealed himself through His word and how good it is to trust Him because ultimately, He has a bigger plan for my life.
He called me to Be Still and KNOW that He is God so I’m doing just that; I’m getting to KNOW Him more every day. The point of getting naked here and sharing while I journey to KNOW Him is so that you can benefit from my experiences and, so that we can encourage eachother in the process.
I pray that my ears would always be open to hearing Him speak and that He would use my words to help you to…:
- KNOW the One who holds your life in His hands personally and intimately,
- KNOW that you are loved unconditionally,
- KNOW that the answer to all of life’s questions and mysteries are found in His Word,
- KNOW that there is a purpose and a plan for all of the ups AND the downs in your life,
- KNOW that your vision and your perception will affect the outcome of your story,
- KNOW that it doesn’t matter how big or how scary the storm looks, God is able to calm the storm and keep you steady and stable even when you’re right smack in the middle of it.
So there you have it, my word for this year is KNOW.
Button courtesy of Melanie at Only A Breath |
Would you join me in this journey to KNOW Him better? Subscribe via email; I rarely post more than once a week so the most you will hear from me is five times in one month. Or, if social media is easier for you, go ahead and hit the like button on my Facebook page and you’ll receive notifications in your newsfeed. As you read my posts I invite you to join in on the conversation via Disqus (found below each post). I will share as I learn and I am happy to hear your questions, suggestions and correction (if necessary).
Learning and sharing as I journey to KNOW and reflect Him,
Diana
I am a worshiper, a wife and mom, a mentor, a lover of the Word and a writer. I’m silly and giddy so I laugh hard but I pray even harder. I have ferociously bold faith in the One I serve and I would be thrilled to have you share this journey with me.
Can’t wait to see what He has in store for us in 2013! HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Linking Up with other bloggers who have chosen their own One Word for 2013 at One Word 365 and other writers at My One Word here.