My 2017 Word

This week at church, one of our pastors challenged us to choose a word as your goal/motto for the year ahead in lieu of making resolutions. Since I really didn't have many resolutions in mind other than continuing in my quest to get up before the kids each day (we are 1 for 3 so far in 2017 for those wondering...mornings are hard...), I loved this idea!

So, my word for 2017 is INTENTION. 

Much of 2016 was about surrendering and allowing God to lead our path as we faced a lot of uncertainty with our adoption process. We didn't know when we'd be matched, when we'd travel, or how our new son would transition into our family. It was basically a year of being in limbo. It was a sweet year in a lot of ways because I learned to trust in the Lord's timing and provision, and I had to let go of my white-knuckled grip on control. That was SO good for a control freak like me, and I'm very grateful that I was able to grow in that way last year. But if I'm being honest, it was also a little bit like being a fish out of water. I felt like I was flailing a lot in 2016, and I was swimming upstream most days. I didn't wake up with a lot of purpose, I was not intentional about my relationships, and that part of 2016 didn't always feel good.  

If I'm going to be truly transparent here, there are still days where we are floundering. Just last week, Brooks was diagnosed with bronchiolitis, and I am now the proud owner of a nebulizer that gets used multiple times a day on a screaming/wheezing baby. (Jealous, yet?) We are still finding our footing as a family of five, and setting a goal isn't going to change that.

With that said, I want 2017 to be a year where I approach my days with INTENTION rather than merely REACTING to what I'm thrown. Confession? There are a lot of days where I like to play the victim card. Occasionally (or not occasionally), I like to complain about all the things that "happened to me" during a day over my glass of wine or six and talk about how hard things are to whatever available ear is around. Don't get me wrong - there's a place for healthy venting - but approaching my life as if it's happening TO ME, rather than FOR ME, isn't healthy. So this year, I'm going to consider what I want to accomplish in various areas of my life, and then I'm going to DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. Maybe not every day, but MOST DAYS, I want to wake up and approach my day knowing that my life isn't happening by accident - it has purpose and meaning, and even if I'm just cleaning up Cheerios for the 852nd time that day, it matters. It all matters because of the intention behind it. 

So, that's my word for 2017 - intention. If you could choose one word for your upcoming year, what would it be??? I'd love to hear!