A New Year, A New Word: Breathe

When you hit the new year and look back at the previous year, what goes through your mind? Did you set resolutions only to look back and realize you didn't accomplish them? Or maybe you're disciplined and totally rocked them....way to go! I decided years ago to not make resolutions...I'm not that great at keeping them. Last year I decided to start choosing a word for the year. Usually chosen in December, it is a word that maybe was being impressed upon my heart, or a word that I was hearing a lot of. Last year, my word was "intentional". You can find that post here, or if you just do a search for the word "intentional" you'll find several posts and my 2016 31 Days of Living Intentionally. Now, while within that word, I set some goals, and don't really feel as though I was 100% successful, I would say I was 95% aware and that was a huge step in the right direction. I'll carry that word into this year as well, because we can always work on being more intentional. 

In December I went to a Christmas Tea with my mother in law and my husband's cousin. Towards the end of the skit they did, they played this song which immediately resonated with my spirit and I knew I had found my word!

I so often let life consume me, and before I know it I'm going from one day to the next just doing what I always do, often on auto-pilot. It's not that days are bad, usually they're pretty good days, but I just find myself going from one thing to the next without slowing down to take in all that's around me. I know I'm not the only one. I think part of the reason I didn't feel like I succeeded in being intentional in the areas I wanted to was that I really didn't take time to slow down and focus on anything.

Which brings me to my word for this year: 

Breathe: A) Take air into the lungs and then expel it; B) To be alive; C) To pause to rest or regain breath; D) To move or blow gently; E) To take in or exchange; F) To impart or instill. (From The Free Dictionary; online)

Those words spoke to me! Do they speak to you? Can you think outside your normal "breath" you breathe to go a little deeper? To realize that so often we forget to "breathe". It's like we're just holding our breath, or perhaps not realizing all the stuff we breathe in but don't exhale. The words to the song above caused me to pause and think of all the times I just rush through the days and life and never stop to breathe....and subsequently, to exhale. I thought of things that we should be breathing in and exhaling. I'm sure it barely touches the surface of what could be listed.

Breathe in:

Life
Rest
Peace
Beauty
Joy
Confidence
All good things
Hope
Family
Community
Fun
Nature
Wisdom
Truth
Laughter

Exhale:

Negativity
Self Doubt
Negative Self Talk
Things that aren't Life Giving
Lies that have been spoken and believed
Insecurity
Complaining
Toxic thoughts
Anger
Bitterness
Hurt
Loneliness

This lists could go on...I'd love you to add yours. So, this is my word for the year. I want a constant awareness to breathe. I want a mindfulness to be willing to slow down at any moment and take in what's around me. To drop what I'm doing and breathe in time with my family or a friend. I don't know what else it will look like, but we'll find out!

So here's to a wonderful new year! Let's fill our lungs and life with the breath of life that God breathed into us! Remind yourself that His breath runs in you and through you! Wow!


With Joy Unquenchable,