One Word for 2013 – Discipline

I’ve been challenged to identify my one word for 2013 and after much thought and prayer the word for this year is discipline.

Ergh – I know.  I mentioned this to a few of my friends and the response from them was “glad it’s you and not me.”  

Well, it’s actually a pretty awesome word for 2013, especially once I share with you what I’ve learned about “Discipline” in 2012.

The word itself comes from the Latin word “disc ere” which means to teach or learn.

This definition was new to me, but it’s important to consider especially when you have two little ones at home. I think the word is often misused to mean only punishment.

I’ve been thinking about how I would like God to discipline me. I would want him to be gentle, take his time, have never-ending patience, a good sense of humor and be always encouraging. And this is how I would like to be with my two sons.

So my word this year is discipline – to have a heart that is teachable and in a posture of student while at the same time I am the instructor for my two little guys. It’s the “systematic instruction intended to train a person” both them and me. Not too far from discipleship – just more overreaching in it’s implications.

“Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 5:1-2 NIV

So this is my goal – to exercise greater discipline of myself and to instruct with discipline as well.

God also has me looking deeper.  Discipline is also Direction.  So I’d like to share a little with you on the direction I feel the Lord is taking this blog.

I’ve been blogging for almost a year now, I started on January 24, 2012, and as I’ve been blogging I’ve been feeling led to create greater value for the people reading my blog.  I’m trying to create a blog that is the kind of blog I was looking for when I first started blogging.

* An blog that encourages me in my Christian Walk
* A Resource for Moms
* A place that lifts-up Marriage
* A Creative source of Family Fun Ideas

Everything that I have and everything that I am today I owe to the Lord.  The only way I can stay sustained as a mom, wife, daughter, friend, is to be in God’s word.  By sharing what I’m studying with you I have built-in accountability and a place where we can walk through learning about God’s word together.  I love that.

In addition, as a part of discipline, I can’t teach what I don’t have; so, if I want my boys to know about God’s word, I’ve got to be in it.

Becoming a stay-at-home mom was a big change for me. I went from a 40+ hour work-week profession to being round-the-clock caretaker of a household. The rewards are well worth it, but the hours are longer and I can’t put in for vacation.

I can so relate to the moms around me – we cherish friends we can relate to and talk to about mommy-hood.  I certainly cherish my mommy friends and I want to help them, and my friends who are about to become moms any-way I can.  I want this blog to be a resource to those moms, which is why I write about books on preschoolers and share my ideas for alphabet learning and games.  I’ll also share anything else that I think will be a benefit so you should find this on my blog as well.

Books on Preschooler Education

I think one of the hardest adjustments in bringing home a baby is the sacrifice it takes from both mom and dad to make it work.  This can mean that marriage takes a back seat (for a season) to caring for, and nurturing an infant.  As I am inspired by either books or bible study, I want to share encouraging verses and tips on marriage so that we can “spur one another on in love and good deeds” in our marriages.

And I want to give thanks to God because my husband is an amazing hands-on daddy who is a tremendous help.  Without him I would be incredibly worn-out.

And finally, I have a tendency to take everything so seriously that I forget to have fun.  One of the books I read explained that as moms we can learn from our kids to just sit back and live in the moment.  I am reminded that when I am playing with my toddler or holding my baby I need to just breathe in the moment and not plan the next trip to the grocery store or birthday party.  Take stock of the moment at hand – make a mental snapshot and carry it in your heart.

To help me seek fun, I’ve created Family Fun Friday.  It’s a linky party where I’m inviting other blogging moms to give me tips on having family fun.  To see all the posts on Family Fun – please click the Family Fun tab in the menu bar of the blog. I’d love to hear your ideas too so please leave a note in the comments on Fridays.

Thank you for reading my blog.  I pray it is a blessing to you.  Please leave a comment as I would love to hear from you.  What are your goals for 2013?  What direction to you feel like God is taking you?

I pray Ephesians 5 for you, that you “walk in the way of love” this year and that you experience true discipline in his loving embrace.

In His Grip,

Monica

Just for fun, here’s a little family portrait of us Pruetts – I’m actually starting to use all those years of art classes.

To leave a comment on any post, click the headline of the post and it will take you to a page where you can leave a comment at the bottom of the post.

If you like my blog and the free printables at Free Stuff, please like my Facebook page at: HappyAndBlessedHome – thanks so much!