My One Word for 2012

As we push into a new year...I once again pray and ask God for my one word for 2012. Last year...my word -FAITHFULNESS! You can link here to read all about it. The funny (well not really) thing is reflecting back on that word with the year in past view.

Faithfulness

Quoting myself, "To be Faithful in time spent in Prayer. Faithful to stay in His Word. Faithful to be obedient with all He calls me to do. Faithful with my time. Faithful to move in the Spirit."

If I were to be really honest...I wasn't able to be completely faithful in any of those things.

*sigh*

It's my natural response to start beating myself up, but the Spirit tells me to stop. Stop and look again at that word that was given.

Isn't it just like me to try and work my way to the top. To try and earn instead of arms open wide receive? To try and gain some sort of leverage? Favor?

He knew where my faithfulness would fall. Short!

It turns out to be that throughout the year of 2011, it was HIS FAITHFULNESS that I needed to learn. HE IS FAITHFUL!

2010 -Learning to fully Trust
2011 -To learn His Faithfulness


and in 2012- to joyfully live in Hope!

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."


God is our hope!

The living Christ is my HOPE in and for all things!

I joyfully look forward to the Lord working out this word HOPE in my life throughout the year

Do you have a One Word for 2012?

I would love to visit your blog and read all about it. Maybe we can journey this year together? Every Thursday let's meet here and share how the Lords working it all out in the daily life. I expectantly wait to TASTE AND SEE all that He is going to do!

"Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see— how good God is. Blessed are you who run to him." Psalm 34:8, NIV

*A BIG THANK YOU to Melanie at Only a Breath for the free 2012 One Word Button!
Do you have yours? Go give Melanie a visit today!

Share your One Word below.

Photo Contest Winners!

The overall winner and winner of the ANIMAL category!

Prize-$56 Baby be Blessed Gift Certificate and a child's scripture crown with matching doll dress!







The winner of the CHILDREN category!

Prize- Child's scripture crown with matching doll dress.










The winner of the HOLIDAY category!

Prize- Child's Scripture Crown with matching doll dress!






Thanks to all who entered AND VOTED! It was so much fun!
I will contact the winners through email later today!

Sugar Spice and Everything Nice!

Isn't she super sweet!  

She is our very first new doll for the year.  CLICK HERE for more details! 

Reflections

I sit this morning in my husbands favorite chair and sip that first bit of steaming warmth. I woke up late. Again. A couple weeks of lounging holiday's makes it a hard feat to get these feet up going.

Devoting this week to set times of prayer, I ignore the clock and try to focus on the One who holds all time in His hand. Ten quiet minutes in prayer won't break my day, it will build it.

I tuck my feet in the crocheted afghan still laying on the floor from last night.

You make time and do the things that are important to you. Didn't those words flow from my lips just last night?

The wreath above our fireplace sprinkled with shining little lights, reflects in the mirror and shines out over the ceiling. Lighting up the dark room like a city on a hill.

"Let me tell you why you are here.

You're here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness?

You've lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.

Here is another way to put it:

You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept.

We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill.
If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you?

I'm putting you on a light stand. Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand ---shine!

Keep open house; be generous with your lives. Be opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven." Matthew 5:13-16, MSG

This I reflect as I swallow down the warm. These words painting such a brilliant picture in my mind. We are to be a light, bringing out the God-colors in the world! Like the sun shining through the rain creating a beautiful rainbow that spreads across the sky.

Thoughts and scenarios run through my mind.

I stop and pray.
It's the prayer that places direction into the thoughts anyway...I need to pray more

I desire to bring out the God-flavors of this earth and I can only do that through prayer. Asking the Lord to fill full with His Spirit! It's only He that can do the work.

As we move into a new year I've asked God to bear more fruit in my life (John 15), that I may bring salt to the earth and light into the world.

So much of my life has just been works....many branches have not beared any fruit. He's taking those branches away and pruning what needs pruned.

I rejoice through the growing and the stretching and the pain of sin and brokenness revealed -and praise Him.

I do not type these words today to shine light to myself. Lord knows the mess I will get myself into as soon as I raise from the knees... I only blog this because -

1. I pray to encourage all of you with my own journey of faith. Being open to you so that prayerfully it will "prompt people to open up with God" as well.

-AND-

2. It will affect every aspect of my life including Baby be Blessed.

As I learn to abide in Him, He will abide in me and much fruit will come!

Through this HE will be glorified!
This is my Hope as I prayerfully move forward in Him.

Photo Contest!

Thank you so much for your photo entries!!
In looking at what came in I placed them into the following categories:  Animals, Children & Holiday.  Holiday wasn't originally listed on my first post, but is a good fit for a few of the pictures sent in. 

Photo's are categorized below and the votes will be taken on the left sidebar by choosing the number associated with each picture in each category. 

Each category winner will receive a Scripture Crown with matching Doll Dress and the OVERALL WINNER will receive a $56 Baby be Blessed Gift Certificate!

You can only vote once in each category so have fun, share and go rally up your votes!!

ANIMALS



This picture is my daughter Leslie (5) sound asleep with her new puppy Penelope and her BbB doll.
I would like to enter it into the Animal category.  Blessings, Kara



Photo taken by 8yr old Paige with her new camera!

 CHILDREN


One pic for each. Kylie is in the front and Kelsea in the back. First birthday :) Thanks, Tina Burkhead



Hope Brady and Lucy

 

Our 8 year old daughter Paige received a Baby be blessed doll for Christmas and a camera so what better way to have a little fun with her Christmas gifts than to use them together! All these pics were taken by her (expect for the one of her reading) with lots of giggles and imagination!! Warmly, Tara & Paige Craig


HOLIDAY

In Celebration and Praise

When We Fall

Lola has recently learned how to ride her bike.

She is eight years old and simply had no desire to do it before. She didn't even really ride her bike with training wheels...it wasn't important, she didn't enjoy it and she complained every time we encouraged her to do it.

It wasn't until I kicked her out of the bike trailer that her "want too" changed.



 I know that eight sounds a little old to still be riding in a bike trailer -it IS, but she is just a tiny little thing and just slipped right in there with Kolton...so until this year we just went with it.

She actually learned VERY quickly and took off like a champ!! She rode every day, her balance getting stronger and stronger! I love watching her...hair and skirts, blowing in the wind! But after a couple of weeks she started backing off her practice time. First it was a couple of days between rides. Then...an entire week went by.

Maybe it lost the fresh excitement or maybe it was too hot or too much work. Maybe she just didn't want too. I asked her about it and she simply responded, "I know (sigh)" and trucked into the garage and fetched her bike out.Off she went with a wobble, knuckles white and elbows out straight! Around the turn of the driveway she slowly went and CRASH! Legs and elbows scratched up and bleeding. She is upset. Upset that she fell, upset that she is hurting and upset that she "forgot" how to ride.

I cleaned her up. I loved her up and encouraged her to get right back on and try again. She was sorry and discouraged it had been so long she forgot. But she went out and picked up her bike...scared determination in her eyes.  She put that leg over, worked it around so she had a good starting petal...and with a big push, off she went again! Made it past the first big turn and then around the second. The more rounds the bigger the smile!

That afternoon she crashed a total of 3 times which is more than any other time she had ridden but she got back on and took off once more. I was so very proud of her!

This morning as I went for my run I was running through scripture verses in my mind.

Remember this post?

Well I quickly discovered that I couldn't completely remember most of them. Then I felt guilt ridden that I haven't stuck to my 2 verses a month! It had been since April that I had added a verse to my notebook...let alone continue memorizing what I had already THOUGHT I had learned. It had been so long that I had forgotten!I struggled through the last of my run (the time that I have devoted to Him).

Will I fail at this too?

Will I mess up this commitment like I messed up and failed at my scripture memory?

When God brings things like this to the forefront of my mind, I have a tendency to beat myself up. Big Time! I know that we need to hear what God is speaking to us, repent with a pure heart and move forward...but I tend to linger -getting mad at myself.I messed up again. Yep...failed again.

But God so lovingly brought Lola's bike riding to my mind.

I looked through these pictures of her and my heart was full!

Where is my want to? What is my NEED to!! When we fall we need to get right back up. God's arms are big and will lovingly pick us back up! His word will encourage us and we need to dust off and keep going.

I don't have to spend time with Him or memorize His word as a HAVE TO, I desire to want to!

It is more than simply being obedient.  It is love! His love first for us and then our loving Him.

I want to be obedient to what He calls me to do because I love Him. So often in my life I tried to be obedient for God to "love me more". To please God like I've tried to please people all these years and then of course fail and beat myself up for weeks.

I'm praying for my "want too" to change!  PRAISE God that He cares enough, loves enough to keep moulding me -each of us!  We will all fall. But it is getting back up and starting again. I thank you Lord for the opportunity! =)

"Let your roots grow deep into Him and draw up nourishment from Him so you will grow in faith, strong and vigorous in the truth you were taught. Let your lives overflow with thanksgiving for all He has done." Colossians 2:7

(A re post from the archives)

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As we end one year and start another,
may we not be discouraged and give up on the things the Lord is leading us to do. 

Just this week I read, "A habit is what we wear. A habit is the way we wear our days."

I loved that!

Personally I know I have many new habits that I desire to wear in 2012!

Here is to looking with expectant hearts into the new year! {Cheers!}