One Little Word - 2011

I can't believe this will be the fourth year that I've joined Ali Edwards in choosing a word for the year.  I love what Ali says in the blog post I just linked:  "You live with it. You invite it into your life."

In 2008, my word was FOCUS. 
In 2009, my word was GENTLE.
In 2010, my word was KINDNESS.

In 2011, my word will be JOYFUL.  A word you've seen multiple times in this space.  Joyful as in "He makes the barren woman the joyful mother of children..." (Psalm 113:9).  I want my life to be defined by JOY this year.  As the old mother of four young children, I often "survive" each day, fall into bed exhausted and have totally missed the little joys of the day with my children.  I don't want that to be true any more and the change starts now.

I plan on starting a Joyful Journal.  Ideally, I'd like it to be some sort of altered book - but we'll see.  I plan on recording whatever small, simple thing or big, amazing thing brought me joy that day.  I'm going to keep it on my desk since I'm here at various points in the day, that's a perfect place for it.  My phone has a great little camera in it and I'll use it to take photos of things - so there will be some photos in the book. And I'd like to blog about these joyful things, too, to be able to transfer info to the book once I have photos developed.

There you have it.  I hope to be more joyful in 2011.  Purposefully joyful.  Praying that God will make that happen in my life.