A Single Word for 2020

Out with the old and in with the new.

I have always loved the beginning of a new year whether it be a new school year or a new calendar year like today.

I just love a fresh start.

2019 brought a few big accomplishments such as starting grad school and paying off all debts.  It brought a new job and new friends. 

It brought our first RV trip and my first solo trip.

Yet with all of that it somehow feels like it was an uneventful year.

I'm ready to say goodbye to 2019 and jump on into 2020.

Good thing since 2020 is here now.

While I've always loved turning the page to a new year, I've never been big on resolutions.  Some years I make them some years I don't.

This year I have some overarching goals.

And

I have a word for 2020.

I have never had a word for the year.

But this year I kept gravitating to a certain word.

I know you will not be a bit surprised by the fact that my word stems from my journey with infertility.

I believe God can heal me.  I believe He can give me another baby.

Where I struggle is believing He will.

God's love for me is not contingent on whether or not I have a baby.

But man is it easy to believe the lie that God hasn't given me another baby because I haven't earned His love.

So my word for 2020 is LOVE.

I want to be more aware of all the ways God shows His love towards me every single day.  I want to praise Him for loving me for no other reason than He is God.

I want to share His love with those around me.  I want to see others the way He sees them.  I want to love more and judge less.

I want to be so filled with His love that it pours out of me in everything I do.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."  John 3:16

Resolutions

The husband starts a new job tomorrow.  Well not really new - just different.  He has been blessed to return to his former job and work from home.  We are very excited about this opportunity for him.  

Since tomorrow is a new start for him, we've decided to go ahead and begin our resolutions tomorrow as well.  Why wait two more days?

We have a couple of joint resolutions.

*** Eat at home & eat healthier.  These two really go hand in hand.  When we eat at home we tend to eat healthier.  Less fried.  More grilled.  This is the tough one for me.  I do not like to cook.  And I LOVE to eat out.  It's why this is a joint resolution - so the husband can hold me accountable.

***  Exercise on a regular basis.  Oh how I miss Zumba.  I haven't been one time since moving here.  I have found a place that holds classes six days a week and I could not be more excited about it.  Time to shake my booty into shape.    Andrew has decided he prefers to work out in the mornings.  Me?  Not so much.  However, I think this might be the year I start running.  I hate running, but I want to be able to say I ran a 1/2 marathon.  So maybe I will start running in the mornings.

I also have a couple of solo resolutions.

*** I want to learn to use my fancy camera.  I mean really learn to use it.  I want to take more pictures with it than with my phone this year.  I'm hoping I can borrow some nieces and nephews for practice.  Who wants a date night?  Lend me your kiddos for photography practice and enjoy a night on the town. :)  

*** My sweet friend, Miranda, has mentioned that one of her goals for the new year is to send more snail mail.  I love this idea and am totally doing it with her.  I'm hoping to design some cute note cards to use.

*** Speaking of designing, I want to get better at using my digital scrapbooking software and grow my Etsy store.  My goal is to have 30 items for sale in my store.  I have no idea why 30 - it just sounded good.  It would be nice if I could sell some of those items too.

*** Since one of our goals is to cook at home, I want to try out some of the recipes I've pinned.  I'm thinking two recipes each month.  One a month seems to small of a goal but I don't want it to be so overwhelming that I quit. 

*** I also want to complete one home improvement project each month.  We haven't even really started decorating our home.  We've just been living in it and figuring out how each room works for us.  But it is time to start decorating.  I want to do a little before and after post about each project.