Recap of 2009 and 2010 in a Word

You may remember my post in January of 2009 where I revealed my word focus for 2009--Determined. The word stayed with me all year and definitely helped me focus my efforts and intentions. The one "word" is my answer to "resolutions" which for me always fade before the ornaments are packed away and the New Year's Eve party crumbs are wiped away from the counter. You will see in my recap of 2009 how determination helped guide my year. My recap is in green below.

• Determined to read my Bible and spend time in prayer. Yes! My relationship with the Lord grew deeper as I made my time with Him a priority. (Thank you Jesus!)
  

• Determined to choose joy in my heart (and on my face). I had many opportunities to choose joy and even in the difficult times of losing loved ones, God planted seeds of resting in Him, contentment in His sovereignty and, yes, eventually joy. Honestly sometimes my heartfelt joy was only in the knowledge that He is coming back...

There will be a day with no more tears,
no more pain, and no more fears
There will be a day when the burdens of this place,
will be no more,
we’ll see Jesus face to face
(Jeremy Camp)

• Determined to spend time with my hunny and kids; making my time with them intentional and purposeful. I want to spend time with my family (and friends) doing the things that we want to do and having fun doing the things we need to do. Well, is there ever enough time to do want we need to do and want to do with family and friends? However, my determination to spend intentional time helped guide my choices and decisions.
  

• Determined to make healthy choices in my eating and exercising. Umm, wish I could delete this one like it never existed in the first place...but it was there, right there on the blog post and now I must face it. Overall I did okay (the good news). I made significant strides in thinking about how I sometimes use food to fill a non-food need (ie emotional eater). I also went through a good Bible study called The Lord's Table by Setting Captives Free that pounded in the truth over and over that nothing will satisfy my soul except Christ. My relationship with Him must become the 'food' I feast from.
  

• Determined to make strides toward preserving our memories in scrapbooks and photo albums. I made strides, small, baby step strides, but strides nonetheless. Definitely a work in progress. This year I'm going to research digital scrapbooking. If you have any thoughts or experience with digital scrapbooking--feel free to share your wisdom.
  

So that's 2009 in review. The word that I can't get out of my mind and the word that I've chosen or rather...the word that has chosen me is

Soar

You may be thinking that 'soar' is quite a lofty word, and a lofty goal, however I'll try to explain. I love the verses in Isaiah 40. I want to receive my strength from the Lord, I want to soar on wings He gives me.

Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.

He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.

Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;

but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

I've also been reading The Grand Weaver by Ravi Zacharias. The subtitle is "How God Shapes Us Through the Events of Our Lives". God is in control of my life. Here is a quote from the book and where I got my word for 2010:

Whatever you do, whether it be at work or in marriage, through your language or your ambitions, in your thoughts or your intents, do all and think all to the glory of God (I Cor.10:31) and by the rules He has put in place--rules that serve not to restrain us but to be the means for us to soar with the purpose for which He has designed all choices.

Isn't that fantastic! I love it and that's my prayer for 2010!