Living Intentionally
/It's January 8th. The clock reads 7:45pm. Unbelievable. Do I actually have 1 hour and 15 minutes to myself before getting ready for bed? Am I in a dream? The kids are bathed, oiled up, teeth brushed and flossed and all tucked in their beds. Trice is working a late gig in Dallas. The kitchen is clean. The living room is tidied. The laundry is folded and put away. And I’m already in my jammies. Ahhhhhhhhh. Peace. Quiet. Me time. Pure bliss.
…hold that thought. My son is beckoning me from his room. Sigh.
...okay, I’m back. How could I have forgotten to give him Tigey and Mr. Turtle? And his water of course? And to say “good night, sleep tight, I love you” about 15 more times? And to give him a 100th kiss? I think he is down for good now. Fingers crossed.
The clock now reads 7:53pm. Okay so 1 hour and 7 minutes to myself before the clock strikes 9pm. It feels so good to hear the tap tap of my keyboard as I sit in my cozy office and write for the first time in several weeks. I love to write. It truly is a God thing for me. It is how God speaks to me, it is how I process my feelings, it is how I archive the history of our days, and it is how I share our story with others in our world. It just feels so good to be back at Our Happy Headquarters!
First things first. Happy New Year! I hope that all of you had an amazing Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year celebration. I hope that you are settling into a new routine for this spring semester of 2015. I hope you have come to this New Year with a sense of expectancy. And I hope you are being intentional with your days in 2015.
Intentional.
That is my key word for the year. Every year God gives our family a word. And He also gives me my own personal special word, which I LOVE. If you have never thought to ask God for a word for the year, stop reading this post and get quiet and ask Him now. These words over the years have helped to guide me, shape me and remind me of the purposes behind the seasons we go through.
Last year my word was “ENJOY.” And as I reflect on 2014 and all the amazing things God did in our family, I see how the Lord helped me to start enjoying life again. 2014 is the year that the Lord set me free from depression and reminded me how to have fun! The chains of perfectionism that weighed me down for so long were taken off. The bitterness that had taken root in regards to becoming a mother sooner than I had wanted diminished. The “Martha spirit” got a little more quiet as I stopped DOING so much, filling every second with busyness, and I really enjoyed just BEING for the first time in a very long time.
Throughout last year, the Lord taught me how to leave the dishes in the sink a little longer so I could play with my kids. He taught me not to expect perfection out of my husband or take everything so personally. He taught me how to let loose and let the kids splash bath water all over the place every now and then. He taught me that although healthy eating is a huge priority for our family, a little junk food here and there is not going to kill us. He taught me that I don’t have to tidy up the whole house before friends come over. He taught me that although I had a goal to read 12 books last year, it’s okay that I only got to read 10. He taught me that having sad days is okay and just part of living in a fallen world. He taught me to be me. And I truly learned how to embrace being me. Sarah Head. Wife to the hottest hunk on the planet, mom to the two most adorable, fun, perfectly imperfect little kids ever.
So as I step into 2015, I do so with much excitement and anticipation. And this year, the Lord wants me to be intentional. The Lord wants me to walk in purpose. The Lord wants me to be deliberate in everything I do. And I am so thankful I can be intentional in 2015 without the demands of being perfect.
So what is the Lord speaking to me in regards to intentionality?
Well, life is short. And days pass by quicker and quicker as we get older. It is so easy to let areas of our lives stay mediocre or even start going downhill if we aren’t intentional about it.
If we aren’t intentional today about cultivating friendships with other couples, how many years of rich friendships will we miss out on? If we aren’t intentional today about getting our health in order, how many years of good, strong health will pass us by? If we aren’t intentional about strengthening our marriage now, how many days of mediocre marriage are going to go by before things start becoming amazing? If we aren’t intentional about spending quality time with our kids, will we wake up when they are teenagers and realize that was a lost opportunity? If we don’t get intentional about the dreams God placed in our heart today, when will we? Tomorrow? Next month? Next year? Never?
I don’t want to wake up at 80 years old and realize that my life was full of good ideas with no execution, or mediocrity instead of excellence. God doesn’t want me to live sub-par. He has so much more for me, and He has so much more for you. And that is why the Lord gave me the word intentionality for 2015.
So as we intentionally work through goal setting and planning out the vision for our year, we don’t view our goals as checkboxes to be checked off, but rather as tangible guideposts to help us be intentional in the areas of our life that need shaping. Working out 4 days a week is not about checking off a to-do list, but it’s about intentionally being healthy and fit to do the things God has called us to do. Having a 10pm bedtime isn’t about conforming to a constricting schedule, but it’s about intentionally making sure we are getting the proper rest we need so we can be refreshed for the next day. Starting our day at 6am with God’s Word isn’t about being good Christians, but it’s about intentionally hanging out with our Creator and getting a daily dose of vision and encouragement from Him.
Living life with intentionality is exciting. And I am excited that the Lord is dealing with my heart so much about it. I look forward to the coming weeks when Trice and I will be having our annual Vision Retreat and hearing just what the Lord wants us to focus on for 2015. Keep your eyes peeled over the next few weeks as I share how I am being intentional with different areas of my life.
What about you? How are you making plans to be intentional this year? Has God given you a specific word to focus on in the New Year?