Jesus, be the Center

I regret that I haven't kept up with blogging recently, but my reason is good. All of my writing time has been spent trying to stay on top of my book "launch" deadline! I can't call it an official book launch because it will not be available to the public until further editing is done, but the first copy will be published by December 25th!

Since my book is on the topic of spiritual formation, my mind has been entertained by the spiritual journey God has taken me on in the past few years. As I began reading the gospel of John last week, I was hit afresh by the necessity of placing Jesus in the very center of my life. It's unfortunate that I often forget some of life's most essential truths until I'm hit with turmoil or strife. I came across some old, familiar anxieties a few weeks ago and simply could not rest. I was not sleeping well and found myself thinking in worrisome circles.

Then I remembered how I used to begin every morning. For a season in high school, I would wake up, roll out of bed and onto my knees, quite literally. I would turn my hands away from me and simply whisper, "I surrender this day to you". It was possibly the most important moment of my day. I don't remember an intentional end to this habit...I probably stopped doing it when I moved to college (I had a lofted bed, which would have made the rolling out a bit complicated). When I remembered my old ritual the other day, however, I wondered why I ever stopped.

So with these memories of sweet and sleepy mornings playing through my head, I sat on my bed and made that same motion. That hands-turned-away-this-is-not-in-my-control motion and said, "Jesus, I surrender". Surrender is not a one time decision. A fulfilling life really is lived in a constant motion of chosen surrender and that choice is something I should probably reinstate as a daily habit for myself. I don't know how I forget that if Jesus is the center and my life is all about bringing honor to the Father through him, everything will really really be ok...but I do. It's akin to forgetting that if I stop breathing, I'll die!

Well, anxiety and fear, you can take a hike. I making this familiar choice once again.

My Happiness Project~~Part II. November is the new January!

The Happiness Project has begun! Yesterday was the first official day of my year-long resolutions project. I'm aiming at an attitude of learning...learning about what happiness, joy, contentment, and gratitude are and how I can tap into these things on a more daily basis. Of course, I believe that such emotions (or experiences) can only come when I'm living in the reality of Christ's salvation over my life. The writer of The Happiness Project is not a believer, so her project looked much different than will mine. If you're curious about how this began, read here.

So this is how it works: each month, I will be focusing on a new theme or area of life. With each topic will come a number of tangible resolutions I plan to begin. The resolutions will, ideally, carry on through the rest of the year. But I plan on failing here and there, finding certain resolutions that just don't work for my life (let me get it out now that I don't think I'll ever really be a consistent bed-maker). My goal, you may ask? Well, I wouldn't necessarily say my goal is to be a happier person, though I would love for that to come about. For now, my goal is just to meet goals that have been a long time in the works and to develop a handful of new lifestyle habits, which I pray will foster more joy in my life. I actually considered changing the title to "My Joy Project", but it didn't sound as catchy to me.

Here's the game plan:

November-"Finish What I Started"
-Complete 2012 New Year's Resolutions:
Be a prayerful woman.
Keep my areas and my home cleaner.
Exercise 3-4 times a week and eat right.
Publish a book.
Be there for Laura and Gracelynn.
Get plugged into a community after graduation.
Have a 3rd annual Sleighbell Sisters' Soiree.
Travel (near or far).


December-"Home is Where the (Sane) Heart is"
-Break my habit of clutter.
-Have more consistent cleaning routines.

January-"The Healthiest Me"
-Make a plan of attack for physical health.
-Be stringent about diet and exercise.

February-"The Rx for Relationships"
-Make Valentine's Day count for the girls around me.
-LOVE people.
-Keep up with long-distance friends more consistently.

March-"Career Path"
-Take a step toward my career...go to a conference, apply to a school, meet with a dean, etc.

April-"Get Serious About Hobbies"
-Find crafting mentor.
-Learn to read a crochet pattern.
-Figure out sewing.
-Work on publishing a cookbook?

May-"22, Flirty, and Thriving"
-Build and work on my confidence.
-Go to a trend show.

June-"No Pain, No Fun"
-Get serious about alleviating chronic pains.
-See all those pesky specialists (i.e. the dermatologist).

July-"Every Spiritual Blessing"
-Maximize spiritual gifts.
-Learn 1-2 new worship songs on guitar/piano per week.
-Write more encouraging notes.

August-"Work Hard, Play Hard"
-Focus on attitude at work.
-Maximize variety.
-Put effort into being better prepared each day.

September-"Back to Learning"
-Read at least 3 new, interesting books in full.
-Visit museums.
-Do an in-depth study of an unfamiliar book of the Bible.

October-"A Joyful (and Grateful) Heart is Good Medicine"
-Keep a public, daily gratitude journal.
-Review the past 12 months and decide which resolutions to keep, reinstate, throw out, revise, etc.

Wow! I know that was a lot, so if you're still with me, hopefully that means you're interested. I would appreciate all the encouragement I can get because this project is a little obscure and a lot ambitious. But I am hopeful! I'll write an update on November's resolutions soon.