On Pursuit of Trivia

Welcome, January 2022 . . . you can stop hiding behind the door. You’re a new year, and you bring us new opportunities to do what matters.

The problem, as we all know, is that there are so many things that matter. How do we choose what matters the most?

I hope as the year progresses, my life will look less like the folks in the picture–blurry, no focus, no goals, scurrying here and there–and more like the picture at the bottom of this blog post.

To that end, I’ve adopted a practice many of you have also started, which is picking a word for each year that narrows my focus to what is most needed.

Learn

Last year, my focus word was Learn. Much of 2021 was spent watching podcasts developed by writing teachers, business gurus, and authors. I attended online classes, subscribed to author websites, and generally picked the brains of folks who’ve been at this longer than me. I tried to evaluate each activity on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis–and if it was completely out in the left field of learning pursuits, I rejected it. 2022 will be no different, except for the word.

Steadfast

I picked Steadfast because I need to practice it more. Sometimes I can be quite fickle. Picture a trout on a fisherman’s line, trying every direction to get unhooked, jumping, going first one way then the other. That can be me with regard to my writing life. Psalm 51:10 gives me a great prayer for steadfastness. Check it out . . .

Merriam-Webster has this to say about the origins of the word “steadfast”: The word was first used in battle contexts to describe warriors who stood their ground, which led to its “immovable” sense. That sense gave way to the word’s use as an adjective implying unswerving faith, loyalty, or devotion.

I like that. As I approach 2022 and map out my blog posts and emails, along with a few new novels I want to write, I will endeavor to keep my focus on the passion for family relationships God has given me. Heaven knows I’m no expert on strong family ties–I’ve failed just as much as the next daughter, sister, mom, and grandmom–but I do know Who the expert is. And I know the two weapons He’s gifted His warriors with . . . His Word, and praying His Word back to Him for our precious families.

For expert advice on building and re-building family relationships, we need look no further than up.

Here’s to 2022. What’s your word? Let’s share . . .

Deb