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I’ve picked my one word! finally!

I’ve realized that I’ve been “trapped” in by the way I see myself and the way others see me. That I live out what others think of me more than I become who I really am. That I don’t always feel the freedom to express who I am, that I’m more concerned with what everyone else thinks. This is no way to live, no, not as a child of God – who has been set free! Who no longer has to conform to the pattern of this world! I’ve been set free, to freely be me! And so as I embrace this freedom, it’s a scary thing, the real deal. To not hold myself back, to be open, to freely delight myself in God, and to yell freedom! at the top of my lungs when Satan tempts me to despair!

Thank you Jesus, for freedom! You have changed my life.

And how much different is it now as you live in God’s freedom, your lives healed and expansive in holiness? (Romans 6:19)

For those interested in picking a word, just follow these simple steps (taken from myoneword.org)

So how do you go about picking a word? We’ve listed out a few steps to help you get started!

step 1: DETERMINE THE KIND OF PERSON YOU WANT TO BECOME

The first step is to simply take some time and decide what kind of person you want to be at the end of this year. This goes beyond simply being healthier and wealthier, but it must drive deep into your soul. What about the condition of your heart? What about the person that God Himself has created you to be?

step 2: IDENTIFY THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THAT PERSON

Get a picture of that person and then simply identify their major characteristics. Is that person gentle? Is that person generous? What are the qualities of the person you want to become?

step 3: simply pick a word

Once you have a list of the characteristics, simply pick a word. There might be fifteen things that you want to change, but you must resist the temptation to promise you will do them all. Instead, simply commit to ONE WORD.

This will provide you with a lens to see the changes you need to make as well as a way to determine whether or not change is actually happening. Understand that this process is hard, but staying focused on your word will help you to struggle in the right direction so that you can actually see God working in your life.

HELP ALONG THE WAY

Before you embark on this journey, a little word of warning: don’t be surprised if living out your “one word” feels unnatural and awkward at first. Remember, the reason you want to change is due to the fact that this godly characteristic is not currently present in your day-to-day life.

This is why we’ve developed MYONEWORD.ORG, to give you the resources and surround you with a community that will help keep your word in front of you all year long. Here are some ways our website can help you with your word in 2010.

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR BLOG

Visit our blog to access weekly exercises you can use to work on your word throughout year. You can also comment about the posts to interact with the online community about how you are using your word. To make sure you don’t miss a thing, SUBSCRIBE to the blog to get an email every time a new post hits the site!

SIGN UP FOR AN ACCOUNT

Creating an account on myoneword.org is designed to help keep you thinking about your word all year long. When you sign up for an account on our website you will be able to:

• Update your profile with your word and the inspiration behind it
• Share your word with our online community
• Receive emails monthly that remind you about your word and challenge you to keep your word in front of you
• Sign up for our newsletter, updating you about changes and added features on myoneword.org
• Review monthly questions for reflection that are posted in our blog on your profile page (COMING Q1 2010)
• Write about your reflections in a personalized online journal (COMING Q1 2010)
• Connect your MYONEWORD.ORG account with Facebook for added features (COMING Q1 2010)

Visit our Registration Page to setup an account today at MYONEWORD.ORG and become part of a community intent on encouraging and supporting you towards the change you want this year!

I got inspired today to start a few crafts that have been bumping around in my head. I have a lot of those – these days. All of these involve a huge paper mat stack that was purchased for some wedding crafts and I’m now using the leftovers. Oh what fun!

Today I took some paper and made my grocery clip board, and then decided to decoupage an old tray, and make some candle sleeves. I’m loving how they turned out.

I’m here at a SoundSide Group Technology Event, called Your Ideas, Our Solutions – (hashtag #YIOS2010)

There are many great solutions and suggestions being offered up today at the event in Rocky Mount, NC.

Customers are saving money and are learning about new technologies that will help efficiency and productivity.(I, too, am learning quite a bit.)

I got to work on the Marketing for this event. Here are some of the mailers we sent throughout November and December (click on the thumbnail to see the image larger).

Pictures from the event to come soon!

It’s hard to make grocery listing and planning fun, I think. Although it is necessary and can give you a sense of success when saving lots of money happens. (Speaking of, super doubles at Harris Teeter this week!) I found this cutest ever idea to make a grocery list with matching clip board and pen box accessories! If it’s too much for you to do the clip board idea, the lists are cute and useful, too.

Download the lists here:

-grocery list
-menu grocery list
-grocery list items

Enjoy! Happy listing and saving!

It has been a fantastic year. 2009. There was the famous snow of 09, lots of baby showers, lots of wedding showers, trips here there and everywhere, wedding planning, and of course much, much more. I figure it’s best lived through the pictures that made it what it was. There are a lot of things to be said for whats to come, but I think even more to remember what was. To reminisce and delight in the good, bad, and not-so-great moments. But for a bit, let’s just focus on the great moments, the things that made 2009 what it was. A beautiful collection of photos, lived backwards.

In my small group we’re discussing two articles from Relevant Magazine’s December issue

I had to share a quote from an article titled, “Stealing Christmas” written by Jason Boyett, because I think it explains so beautifully the traditions of Christmas merged with the cause of Christ.

Jason Boyett explains that he loves Christmas even after explaining that many of it’s traditions are rooted in paganism, he states,

“No. Despite my humbuggery, I love Christmas. I love evergreen trees and kissing and presents. What I don’t love is the assumption that, as Christians, we own this stuff. What I don’t love is the attitude that cries foul the minute someone removes the cross from the top of the department -store Christmas tree, or that gets upset at the “Happy Holidays” banner outside Wal-Mart.

We call it Christmas and have named it after our Savior, but let’s not be so arrogant as to suggest the holiday is exclusively ours. A better perspective is to admit we have co-opted the season, along with many of its traditions, for the purpose of pointing toward Bethlehem.

Christmas is the story of the incarnation- of the insertion of Christ into the dust of humanity, of the infusion of grace into something worldly and pagan. In the process, mankind was redeemed. If so, then our theft of these solstice traditions is no crime against history. Instead, it’s yet another picture-a beautiful, generous peaceful, evergreen metaphor – of redemption. -Jason Boyett

So before you go join your “let’s put Christ back in Christmas” facebook groups (of which there are many) read this article, and gain a little perspective.

This is so cool. I found this after reading a blog one day, and was so excited to see that help portrait is alive and well in Wilmington, NC!

Help portrait is a movement of photographers who are using their time, equipment and expertise to give back to those who are less fortunate this holiday season.

Here’s a video that tells more, if you’d like to volunteer, they need help!

When I saw, December 6th – was best conference or seminar of 2009, I was shocked to notice after recapping the year, that I did not go to a SINGLE conference the entire year, sure here at where I work, they brought in a few speakers a couples of times and did different things, but not a single one? That’s shocking to a Crusade-gal, even if she’s off staff. I’m hoping to change this in 2010 and hopefully go to conferences that aren’t just to build into my life as a believer, but also to develop other skills and things that I’m interested in.

Here’s to 2010 – and to a great conference, or 2, or 3, and here’s to continuing education and making the most out the life we’ve been given!

My best night out of 2009, would have to be – March 13th, 2009.

Twas was the night Jeremy and I got engaged. It was a cool March night, I was unsuspecting, and it was just so fun. We went to Indochine (a favorite restaurant in town), took our sentimental walk around the block – and he proposed!, had Port City Java – and enjoyed each other’s company. The full story is here.

Yep, I can say, with gumption, that was the best night out of 2009. (this picture was taken the day after we got engaged)