Compassion Assignment Idea: My Word For 2014 :)

Each year for the last five years (since the Compassion bloggers network started!) Compassion has encouraged their bloggers to choose 'one word' to embody what they want to achieve with God in the New Year. The word is meant to encapsulate your theme for the year and help you to focus on drawing closer to God as he helps you grow in the new year.

I have decided to choose the word 'Love', it may seem a simple choice at first glance but there is a lot packed up in that one small word.

With God's help, I am going to be even more focused as I strive to be:

• Loving to God by making sure to spend regular time reading his word and praying,
• Loving to God by loving his people,
• Loving to my husband by doing the best I can at home making and being more patient and focused on serving - like Jesus served us,
• Loving to my family by remembering to regularly get in touch with them and spend time with them so they know how loved and valued they are as well as being patient and thinking how I can bless them,
• Loving to my church family at my local church by joyfully helping where needed, encouraging in word and deed and seeking even more opportunities to help - with time, money, and talents,
• Loving to my friends by making sure they feel appreciated, making sure I have time to spend with them and being open to any opportunity to help them,
• Loving to our wider church family by praying for them, giving to them when able, and forming relationships where I can,
• Loving to my community by facilitating relationships among neighbors, getting to know those close by, and supporting community activities with what resources I am able to,
• Loving the world by praying for people in disaster zones or that don't know Jesus and giving extra help where able,
• Loving God's creatures by taking good care of our animals, and helping those I come across that are in need as I am able whether by taking them to someone who can help, looking after them temporarily, or helping support an organisation that looks after them,
• Loving God's creation by trying to be a good steward of the world we have been given and doing such things as recycling, composting, and trying not to waste water,
• Loving those that don't know Jesus in word - telling them the wonderful news of the gospel in way that is both truthful and loving and in deed - trying to find added opportunities to help them in different ways such as babysitting, baking, buying them groceries, or if able giving extra to organisations that spread the gospel and translate the bible for those that do not have it yet,
• Loving those that do know Jesus by encouraging them to keep seeking after him and growing more like him by also striving to do that and encouraging them with God's word and what it has to say on things in a matter that is both truthful and loving.

It is definitely a big ask! However I have a big God and he does big things! :) My word for the new year that is coming is 'Love' and I hope as the year progresses that God will help my life to embody that more and more! What would your word be?