A Year of Simplifying and My New Word for 2012

Last year I decided that my theme word and goals for 2011 would revolve around one word: simplify.  Throughout this year I've been focusing on simplifying all aspects of my life to allow more time to spend with the Lord, spend with my husband, and give myself some margin time. (I am automatically a better person when I have all of these things in my life, and it reflects in the other aspects of my life.)  I'm not going to lie, it was hard to simplify (hey, I'm a poet and I did not know it!) at first.  But once I started cutting out, I realized that I was gifted more room for much more of what really matters.  And, I lived a more fruitful 2011 in the process.

What did I do to simplify?

I cut out: As often as I could, I took the Sabbath to rest and worship the Lord and spend time with Seth.  Yes, there were definitely some weeks where I had to work on Sundays, but I tried to resist the urge to get a jump start on responding to emails on Sunday night.  The Lord moved Seth and I out of a church plant that we were a part of, and into a church where we could just sit and worship Him.  I de-cluttered our home this summer, and it was so nice to find homes for things and actually use things instead of shoving them in my closet or cabinet x.  I made the decision to turn off my computer and phone at a certain time each evening no matter how much work I had left to do, and even though there were still times when I had to pull late nighters, it felt great not having to every single night.

I made changes: During the school year, Seth and I came to realization that we do not have to make gourmet meals every single night of the week.  Instead, we might do a big, creative meal (because my husby likes to get crazy in the kitchen--mess and all) once or twice a week, and small three-ingredient meals every other night.  We simplified our Christmas shopping this year by getting together with friends for a game night and baked potato bar rather than buying each other gifts (and it was so much fun, too!).

There were many other things I did to simplify this year.

It's been a challenging year, but in the process...

My marriage has become stronger.  I experienced the freedom of having more margin time in my life.  I learned that it is okay to say no.  The Lord refined me in ways that I never imagined He would because I made more room for Him.

It has been awesome.

And so, over the past several weeks I have been reflecting on what God would like me to focus on in 2012.  What would He like to teach me in this new year?  Several words flitted in and out of my mind:  connecting...grace...listening....  All of these are good words and things that I would like to improve on in the coming year, but just last week as Seth and I were sitting in a show, the Lord impressed one word on my heart:

Launch.

As in rocket ship?????  I questioned the peculiar word.

"Launch," He said again.

Stay tuned for the ride to come....