Do you like to pick a word to apply to your life for a new year? I’ve been doing that. I’m sharing that word with you in this post. I’ll share my steps to choosing.
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Goodbye 2020 – and don’t let the door hit ya on your way out!
I’m sure that’s the feeling a lot of us have had but, truly, changing over the calendar page doesn’t really stop the reality that covid and mandates and political unrest are still with us.
But, 2020 wasn’t all bad for a lot of us either. Remember, we choose our outlook. Even when things suck.
And, we had lots of sucky things going on in 2020.
As I reflect back on 2020 I find that I definitely had a growing list of positives (see below). My word for 2020 was PREPARE. Prepare for what?
Seeking the Lord for Direction
As I was approaching the beginning of a new year I began asking the Lord to direct me to a word that I should apply to my life during 2021. I didn’t want to just pull something from the sky and call it mine.
And, I do believe He answered.
I was already finishing what I felt led to do regarding whatever Preparing in 2020 meant. And, in the process of preparing I realized I needed to do some purging.
It eventually became clear that my new direction for a new year would center on that theme.
My Word for 2021
My soul-searching process for picking a word for 2021 involved me…
- seeking the Lord for direction (because He already directs my steps). He knows best what mindset I should have.
- looking up the definitions of the words I was considering
- researching those definitions
- considering what was going on in my life in the present and foreseeable future
I decided on prune, as in pruning.
I chose this over the words purge, simplify and minimize. None of those other words spoke to me like prune/pruning did because to prune something clearly has a double meaning.
Prune / Pruning:
Merriam-Webster Dictionary
to cut off or cut back parts of for better shape or more fruitful growth;
to cut away what is unwanted or superfluous
Pruning not only involves removing some things – but, it does so that you can have MORE of what matters: being fruitful.
Just do some research on what pruning does for fruit trees and tomato plants. Likewise, look at what happens when trees that should bear fruit are NOT pruned.
In my process of learning about pruning I came across this apparently free downloadable pdf version of the book Fruit of Christ’s Presence. I read over a few of the chapters and thought it was great! I haven’t finished it yet so I don’t know if I’ll agree with everything but so far it’s worth telling you about.
Reflecting on Last Year, 2020
As I stated above, my word for 2020 was PREPARE.
Some of the ways I/We PREPARED in 2020…
- took the CCW class
- my husband and I had planned to host almost monthly get togethers with others in our home (I wrote about it here)
- invested in a blogging course
- started a blog newsletter and rented a POB address for it
- BUT THEN, COVID challenged and changed some things
- so I studied the Bible and drew a line in the sand about how I would live with the controversial covid-19 mandates (MAJOR faith-stretch here and yes, we are still gathering with our family and friends regardless of mandates)
- improved my health by making walking for exercise a priority and dropped my cholesterol numbers within weeks or months
- began my family on regular supplements to keep our immune systems strong due to covid-19 (*see what we are taking below)
- preparing our 16 yr old for real world life by getting a regular job, teaching him how to manage his bank accounts, saving for a car, taking driver’s ed., cell phone responsibility, etc.
- my husband and I were asked to be LIFE group leaders at our church
- working with my boys to instill in them and myself the daily discipline of making scripture memory and review a daily habit
- began purging excess material items to make space for a small prepper pantry as well as to just give us more space or margin in our physical environment
- instead of buying Kombucha I learned how to make my own so I can save money
*Supplements we are taking: this Vitamin D3/K2, Zinc, Vitamin C, fish or cod liver fish oil.
A Year in Review for My Blog
For sure, I did not experience the growth for my blogging that I started the year aiming for… the purpose and hope behind that expensive blogging course that will be a business expense write-off on our taxes this new year.
Truly, I don’t regret that class, though. I can go back and chew on what I learned and apply. I just allowed myself to get derailed with other things.
My Top 10 visited Posts for 2020
#1. Starting a Laundry Business from Home
#2. Guard Your Heart Bible Study for Teens & Families
#3. Why Betta Fish Make Good Pets for Kids
#4. Easy S’mores Pie
#5. How I Prep and Freeze Cilantro
#6. Colonial Age (1784) Recipe for Molasses Cookies
#7. Collecting Flint at Nether’s Farm on Flint Ridge Ohio
#8. Easy DIY Christmas Pool Noodle Wreath Ornament
#9. Non-peanut Butter Bird Feeder craft
#10. Edible Earth Layers educational project
Do you have a word for 2021? I’d love to see it.
Feel free to share in the comments.
