Last year I came across a blog that discussed the concept of selecting a word as your theme for the coming year. I loved the idea and decided to embrace it – my word for 2012 was give. I realized how blessed I was (and at that time I couldn’t even imagine the blessing-to-come in our daughter) and wanted to share that with others, both in resources and in time. It’s also vitally important to my husband and I that we teach our children to be givers as a natural instinct (something that can feel impossible with a 3- & 5-year-old). I’ve certainly still got room for improvement in that arena, and giving will be something I strive to continue, but I felt like it was a fitting word for the year. An unexpected lesson learned was to also be a gracious receiver. Sometimes I can be so enthusiastic to give that I might inadvertently rob someone else of the joy of giving, and I learned that receiving things wholeheartedly and joyfully can be a gift to others, too.

So, now I’m on the cusp of 2013 – it’s literally about an hour before it reaches us here in Texas – and I was struck today with my word for 2013. Honestly, up until this point I wasn’t entirely sure if I’d pick a word for the coming year, because nothing really spoke to me. Then, as I was thinking about a project I am hoping to tackle this year, I realized what my word should be:

Purpose.

It’s very easy for me – with family commitments, work commitments, and blogging commitments, among other things – to fall into autopilot mode. I rush through the morning to get us out the door on time. I mindlessly snack on things, sometimes without really even being hungry. In spare time, it’s quickly sucked away by aimlessly surfing Facebook or Pinterest. With regard to budget, it’s all-too-easy to fall off track and make impulse purchases that are, frankly, idiotic for our long-term goals.

So, I want to live with purpose this year. I want to keep my faith at my forefront. I want to think about what I say to those that mean most to me – especially my husband and kids – and make sure words are uplifting and encouraging. I want to think about what I say to those I don’t know, remembering that my interaction with them could very well make a difference in their day.

I want to be purposeful in what I eat and make healthier choices. I want to really think about items we purchase and decide if they’re worthwhile. I want us to spend our money in a way that benefits others that need it more than we do.

I want to be a more purposeful blogger, and write posts that really reflect what I think and what is going on with my life. I want to tackle a project I’m really excited about and act with purpose to follow through on bringing it to fruition.

My hope is that keeping purpose as my theme for this year will cause it to trickle down through every aspect of my life, so that I can live more fully, be there for others more often, love more deeply, be a better example of Christ, and become a better person as a result.

I almost finished this post with the sentence above, but realized that I ought to decide on a few specific actions to start implementing purpose from the start, since January 1 is looming.

1. Go to bed earlier. I tend to stay up too late, making me tired and less effective. This will mean making better use of my time in the evenings, too.
2. Get up earlier in the morning – early enough to allow time for a decent devotional and a brief workout, and to really focus on each of the kids without just rushing out the door. I want the start to their day to send them out the door feeling loved, valuable, and happy.
3. Perform one purposeful, conscious act of kindness each day, whether big or small.
4. Make, and stick to, a budget. Set a couple of goals for things to save toward for motivation. Set aside money specifically for giving, and let the kids help us think of creative ways to use that money to help others.
5. Make a monthly meal plan and be better about shopping sales again to save money. Have a variety of meals (no more food ruts!) and incorporate plenty of veggies & fruits, even if I have to sneak them in for our five-year-old.

What is your word for 2013? And do you have any advice for me on really committing to purpose? 

Whatever your word, or your goals, or your hopes and dreams for 2013 are, I hope it’s a year of blessings and growth for you. For safety and happiness, for joy, and for memories made with those you love.

I love the Boys & Girls Club of America (BGCA) and the services it provides for the community. They provide a safe place for kids who might otherwise be at home by themselves while their parents are working, and give them one-on-one attention they might not otherwise receive. I got the opportunity to volunteer with the Boys & Girls Club while in college, and it is so rewarding to see how those involved with the program can really have an impact on children.

The Boys & Girls Club teaches kids values, and one value that they teach is giving. This holiday season, that’s something I’m really focused on teaching our boys. I want them to love giving and thinking of others. The BGCA has put together a list of tips for helping teach your kids about giving – here are my favorite four tips from the list:

1. Talk about giving. Tell your kids which causes you’re supporting this year and why. Better yet, make the choice together. Or give each child a portion of what you plan to donate this year and allow him or her to choose the charity.
2. Read books about giving. Try The Mitten Tree by Candace Christiansen, I Can Make a Difference by Julie and Amanda Sexson or a selection from Learning to Give’s Annotated Bibliography of Children’s Literature.
3. Volunteer together. Whether serving a meal at a soup kitchen or lending a hand at an animal shelter, volunteering helps kids learn compassion – and it’s a great way for families to spend time together. Check with your child’s school, your religious institution, a local Boys & Girls Club or The Volunteer Family for project ideas.
4. Encourage routine volunteering. Contributing regularly to an organization they choose can be meaningful, showing kids that they have the power to make a difference. This is especially true for teens. Support them by providing transportation or extra allowance for expenses, if needed.

This year, Boys & Girls Club has made it SO easy for you to give with their second annual Give the Gift of a Great Future Holiday Campaign. You can play their Giving Game and donate something to kids that the Club helps. In a matter of a minute or two I was able to play and donate an art kit! It’s a great way to let your kids make a difference and to bring up the subject of giving to integrate it into your children’s lives on a longer-lasting basis.

Note: I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Boys and Girls Club. I received a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

I love fresh starts. There’s just something inherently motivating about a new year, even though it’s really just the next day on the calendar. I liken it to the start of a school year, which (at least for me) was always a time of excitement for what was to come – and new school supplies, of course. Oh how I loved my Lisa Frank folders! But I digress.

So here we stand on the brink of another new year, and I’m one of those that can’t help but want to make a few changes, to set a few goals. It’d feel like I was missing out on an opportunity if I just let this newness pass me by. In the past I’d make pretty explicit tasks my focus – lose a certain amount of weight, save a certain amount of money each month. So, I suppose my initial resolution is to change how I set my resolutions. Instead of changing specific things, I’ve got a few overarching goals for 2012.

1. Make conscious decisions. No more eating mindlessly, spending thoughtlessly, or staying awake way too late unintentionally. There are many more behaviors that could fall under this, but you get the idea. I want to decidedly make prayerful choices for my life, so that a year from now I can feel good about where I am and what I’ve done. This is first on my list, because it will directly affect my success with my other resolutions.

2. Give more. I decided last January that “give” would be my word for the year. A lot of bloggers wrote about picking a theme word that would be their focus, and I really liked the idea but never got around to writing a post about it. It’s my word for 2012, too, because I’ve got room to grow in this department. I’m blessed, and want to bless others’ lives through my actions. So, I hope to give more this year – to strangers, to friends, to those who need it the most. I want to remember that giving can be big or small, and it can be of things, money, or time. And I really want to teach this concept to my boys through our actions as a family.

3. Be creative. I love to make things and bake things, and used to work on projects all the time. Now I know I waste time browsing online or watching TV, when I could be doing something I love. I want our family to actively, on a regular basis, be creative with something we enjoy, whether it’s paint, Legos, food, or anything else we dream up.

I’m sure I could come up with several other resolutions (in fact, I had to limit myself ahead of time to three so I didn’t go crazy with it), and I have to admit there’s a part of me that wants to NOT make them because it’s such a cliche. Regardless, I think we could all use an impetus for change now and then, and I’m ready to do just that.

What changes are on your list to make?