It's the first Monday of a new year! I'm not sure about anyone else, but to me, this does NOT feel like the usual clean slate. Not after last year. In some ways, it seems there will be more of the same. But, while I am paying attention to what's going on "out there," I'm not going to talk about that here. As much as I don't really feel that "clean slate" feeling right now, I am determined to MAKE one. For myself, my home, and my family. What I want to do this year, more than ever before, is to focus on GOD, family, and home.
:: I Need My Eyes On Jesus! ::
In times such as these, it is so easy to get swept up in the goings-on of the world and get overwhelmed. VERY overwhelmed. So much fear, worry, and panic is absolutely vying for our attention. Demanding our focus. I spent a good chunk of time last year entertaining them. NO MORE! The only thing I want to be overwhelmed by is the peace that passes all understanding (Phillipians 4:7) and the liberty of Christ (Galatians 5:1). Keeping my focus on Jesus is my number one priority. Spending time with God, studying His Word, spending time in prayer, praise, and worship.
With my relationship with Christ as my foundation, I can then make myself (as a wife and mother) and my home a refuge and a haven for my family. Which brings me to my number two priority...being intentional about pointing my family to Jesus in every circumstance. Being a Christian homeschooling family, yes, of course we are learning about Jesus, reading our Bibles, and praying. But there's definitely room for improvement. Not only in doing those things, but also in connecting them to every-day, moment-by-moment life. I'm asking God to remind me when all those little opportunities arise.
:: Prioritizing Family and Home ::
One thing that hasn't changed for me with the New Year is feeling the need to refocus on taking care of my family and home. Not that I ever really lost focus of that, per se. Things just need some readjustment. As with everyone, the chaos of last year stomped its way in and made us lose focus at times. Some things were shoved out of the way. It's time to pick up the pieces, bring back those things we want to keep, toss what we realized we really didn't need, add some new things we've learned, and gird ourselves against those things the enemy uses to destroy.
With those "pieces," I mean both spiritual AND physical. As we learn to keep our eyes on Jesus, I am confident He will purge us of those things unneeded in our life and spirit. At the same time, I want to also go through and purge our home of those things that are not edifying or useful.
:: Learning From 2020 ::
As bad as 2020 was, I can definitely say my family has learned some useful things! I'm not going to go into specifics in this post, as I really don't want my first post of the year to be a novel. Suffice it to say that 2020 has really cleared up some fog, and has shown us what is truly important to our family and what was a waste of time and energy other things were. And I hope to take those lessons into 2021.
