My Word for 2016: JoyFull

4 years ago, I stopped making resolutions. Like many other bloggers, I learned that resolutions were just a plan for failure. I'd make vague goals that were a bit impossible & before even hitting the summer, I'd give up on them. Lose weight, be a better ministry leader, read the Bible, and so on & so forth. What I've recently learned is that change doesn't just happen overnight. It takes baby steps. Dreams don't come true if we don't turn them into goals. Goals aren't reached if we don't set deadlines. 

2015 was a great year. A year of challenges, change, &  transformation. I love that with a new year, comes a fresh start for you to create who you want to become. A time to self evaluate and let go of bad habits & make room for improvement on a greater version of ourselves. I've thought it through, & I choose to make 2016 "JoyFull." I want this year to be filled with joy. 

2 "Consider it nothing but joy, my [a]brothers and sisters, 

whenever you fall into various trials. 

3 Be assured that the testing of your faith [through experience] 

produces endurance [leading to spiritual maturity, and inner peace]."

James 1:2-3 AMP

With everything that I set out to do this year whether big or small, I want to do it with intention &  with joy. I want to love my husband & family well. I want to be present in the relationships that I have. To let go of unnecessary things & hold on to the things that #sparkjoy in my life. To live a life filled with contentment & gratitude. I hope to serve God with all my heart- not giving up on the calling He's placed on my heart. 

Beauty of Barrenness is something God's been directing me towards. I just never found the courage to follow through with it. Call me crazy, but I have this vision of using this platform to inspire & encourage women & couples around the world that either struggle with infertility or are currently facing the storms of barrenness. I want you to not just know but believe that there IS beauty in the barren. God has impressed this truth in my heart so much recently. 

Come along with me & look into my life. Its filled with flaws, imperfections, ugliness, brokenness, confusion, & so many other things that you may be familiar with. But most of all, join me in experiencing Jesus' healing & God's truth that speaks into EVERY area of our emptiness. Here, you will get to know me on a much much more intimate level. I may have things that I share here that my community of people may not even be aware of. But I trust that in my vulnerability & transparency, God will be glorified. He will be my Defender. I believe He honors those who lay their lives down for His glory. 

Walk along this journey with me as we go into the new year. I not only will use this space as a personal blog but also a creative outlet for me to share with you my daily shenanigans, adventures, & hobbies. I love life and the entirety of it. Style, fashion, health, crafts, home, you name it. I'm officially giving you a front row ticket into my life. And as I type these words out, my heart is beating faster & faster. I'm nervous, anxious, & to be honest, a bit scared. But I'm not going to let fear get in the way of what God is doing. 

What is your word for the year? What are your dreams & goals? Have you taken time to sit down & set deadlines to take you another step closer to reaching those goals? Comment below & tell me about it!

Happy New Year!

Dora