S.W.A.T Challenge: One Word for 2014- Choose

Hello friends. 2014 has started off fast for us. The boys are both back in school (well, one is home sick today so...) and classes have started out with lots of homework already. Nathan is a driving fool...okay don't take that literally. Hopefully he is using his wisdom and making good driving decisions right?? Anyway, he is off to the races and loving his freedom. His brother is liking it too. I guess it's cooler to be toted around by his sibling than his mother. I have taken advantage of it by having him run a few little errands for me. I know the newness will wear off and he will start complaining about running around for me so I'll take it while I have it.

I started last year with choosing one word that I would let be my word for the year instead of setting multiple goals. My word last year was connect. Having moved again it was something that I needed to do both physically with the new area around me, emotionally with the feelings I was having after all the changes the last few years, and spiritually as all the moving had made me a little numb, not gonna lie. I also needed to work through the feelings dealing with my nerve issues and the implant that would be taking place. I feel like connect was a good word for me last year and one that I can continue to embrace. This year I have chosen a new word. It is one that has been very big in my mind and one that I knew was my word but took awhile to embrace  because it requires a lot from me. My word for this year is Choose... as in choose my attitude and where it will take me. Life has definitely been full of ups and downs this last year. It has been very good in some respects and super hard in others. What I've found is that too often it is way too easy to let our circumstances dictate the emotions and responses I have...oftentimes for the worse. It is easy to wallow in hopelessness or disappointments and let those choose the next steps you take. I have found that, for me, I have to learn to make a determined effort to look beyond the moment and what's happening right then and choose to respond in a different way. I am going to work on setting my mind on things above (Col 3:2). Just a few verses down,
Colossians 3:12-14 sums up the choices I want to make perfectly. 12Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. I have a choice. I can choose how I will face life... I can choose my attitude.

Lucky for me, the new January challenge on the S.W.A.T blog was to create a layout, art journal page or whatever would help you to document the one word you have for the year. I did this last year and loved the visual reminder of why I chose that word. I have more pages in mind to add to this over the year and will share them as they come. For today here is the layout that I created for the challenge.

Do you have a word for the year or a list of goals to attain. I would love for you to join us in our challenge. There is a $20 gift certificate to 2 Peas for the winner of this month's challenges. Now that is incentive!

Share with me your word or one specific goal in the comments below. I would love to hear what you are working on.
Lisa