Be intentional.
Make intentional decisions, lest you inadvertently make unintentional ones whose affects on you can be devastating.
After all, to not decide...is to decide.
Intentional.
This word has been floating around in my head for several months now.
It first stood out to me when I heard Dennis Rainey and Bob Lepine discussing "Legacy" on their radio show, FamilyLife Today. Dennis said that when his son was asked what one word he would use to describe his father, his answer was "intentional."
How about you? Can you be described that way?
At times, maybe I could be, but not as a majority.
So, she put forth a challenge for anyone who wanted to consider it to come up with your "one word" for 2011. Maybe what you want to be, what you want to do, but whatever the case---find and claim your "one word."
Immediately, I knew what my "one word" would be.
So, here I tell you that, as of today, I plan to be INTENTIONAL in 2011.
No longer will I just do things, say things, spend time and/or money without a purpose or intention.
I want to be INTENTIONAL:
- in my use of time
- in the words I write and say
- in the books and articles I read
- in the love I give
- in the way I relate to my husband
- in the guidance and upbringing of my son
- in the work I do for my job
- in all of my relations and interactions with others
- in the entertainment in which I partake
- in the money I spend and give
- in my thoughts and plans
Only with God's guidance, support, and strength is this possible.
With Him, however, all things are possible.
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26So---what about you? What will be your "one word" for 2011?
12 comments:
I will have to think about this. I'm terrible at being intentional. Must be so cool to know how to do something like that, being INTENTIONAL. Sigh... One word? I'l have to mull it around in my head.
~Mimi
You go girl! Believing for you as you walk intentionally this year!
Mimi - I can't WAIT to see what word God gives you for this year! :o) Chompin' at the bit just to hear it... And as far as me knowing HOW to be intentional...LOLOLOL!!! Yeah, right! I never said I knew how to. ;-) However, my little free time management coaching session I just had on the phone today with Christie Love will definitely help me define that. (I won it on another Twitter party the other night! Gosh, I love those Twitter parties! Wasn't even trying to win...was just hanging out to have fun. God knew what I needed when I needed it for sure!) Anyway - do come back and let me know when you find your word...or it finds you.
Lindsey V - You rock! Just popped over to your blog, and I love it! I love who you are! And REDEEM is going to be an awesome word for you this year! I am believing it for and with you, just as you are for me. Keep in touch!
Intentional...I love it! I want this for my life too. It's funny, I thought God would lead me to a profound word or a highly spiritual one. After being diagnosed with MS last summer, I have had fears galore and know my hope and faith rest in HIM. But there has often been a sadness and so for this year, I am going to put fear and sadness aside and be HAPPY that I am a child of God, that I never walk alone, and that I have many blessings to be happy about.
(But I'm also going to swipe intentional to work on too:)
Good traits to be INTENTIONAL about.
I have added myself to follow your blog. You are more than welcome to visit my blog and become a follower also.
Suzanne - I think HAPPY is a perfect word for you for this year! It is definitely a choice and a daily/hourly commitment. Just like my INTENTIONAL, there will be times we may not be our word...but God is the God of transformation. He is constantly changing us and making us more like Him. Every minute is a new minute. We can shake off our failures and slip backs, and start anew. I will pray that for you this year, as I hope you will do for me also. :o) And, I will pray you will intentionally be happy. ;-) BTW - I LOVE all of your blogs and am following all of them now.
CovnitKepr1 - Thank you so much for stopping by and affirming my word of the year decision! And thanks, also for adding yourself as a follower of my blog. I know God will use us in each others' walk to edify each other and all who stop by. I, too, have added myself to your blog...one of the thousands of your followers, I see! ;-) Keep up the good work for the Kingdom!
"one of the thousands"...it all started with one follower and a desire to share the love of Jesus. Isn't He wonderful!!! Glad to have you as a follower and I'm honored to follow you.
Amen, my brother, Amen! He said to Trust and Obey and the rest is up to Him. No one can do what He can do. If we do our part of Trust & Obey, He will surely do the rest...whatever that may be. ;-) Bless you, and very honored to have you following, as well as to be following you. Let's follow each other as we journey along the Way in His presence.
i love the word 'intentional'. it is so proactive, purposeful, and deliberate. there is incredible power in intentionality...
it's so great that you made a list of the specific areas you are choosing to be intentional in. one decision at a time...
Alece,
I am honored that you stopped by to check out my "one word"! You are such an inspiration in many ways, but especially by choosing to share this idea with all of the rest of us and even issue this challenge to us.
You say intentional is so "deliberate"...interesting because that is the word that keeps coming to my mind every time I think of intentional...great minds... ;-)
Wow! Wow! Wow! I heard this one-word challenge on Christian radio KLOVE on the way to work the other morning. The word that the Lord gave me was "intentional". It was so clear I could not mistake it. Then, Lisa (one of the D.J.'s) said that one of the words she was thinking about claiming was the word "intentional". The Lord confirms His Word! I rarely have been on this site, but for some reason I decided to check it out tonight. I was not on here long before I see the word you wrote as big as can be- INTENTIONAL! Now if folks have a hard time believing the Lord speaks, just be a little more attentive and He may surprise you. If He can get through to this all-too-often inattentive child, there is hope for everyone! May the Lord refine us and make each of us very intentionally His:D
Mona, Mona, Mona! How awesome is our God! I mean that word in its fullest sense---awesome. Thank you for sharing this with me and all of us here. As you very well know, your sharing this is yet another confirmation to me that I am on the right path in trusting and obeying Him intentionally. He is constantly speaking and confirming Who He is and what His plans are all around us. Just as you said, He has truly been surprising me in so many ways lately as I have become more attentive to Him and His language to me. (Sometimes my attentiveness is even irrelevant when He choose to hit me over the head with the obvious-ness of it!) :o) Again, I say thank you.
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