Seasonal Words

Let’s be real for a hot second – I’ve been hesitant to post another blog after that last one. I’ve felt a bit of a block, and a teeny bit of pressure to keep making this a thing. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not for lack of topics, thoughts, and processing. I’ve been doing a lot of that. I just want to be realistic that I most likely won’t keep a regular daily/weekly schedule of posting. I’m going to try my best to put something out there once a week, I’m just not making any promises! 🙂

My desire is for this to be a place where I can see hope in my own life, and maybe it can provide that in someone else’s. That this encourages someone else out there on the interwebs, and that it isn’t endless chatter. With briefly talking about this blog yesterday with a reader/friend, this came up, and I really feel like this is something I wanted to express on here to you. Let’s be honest – we don’t need more people on soapboxes and we don’t need more voices in our heads if they shouldn’t be there.

So, if you have too much of that chatter going on, close out this window. It’s not that I don’t want you here, I just don’t want to be that in your life. I’ve been doing a lot of that lately – shutting down those extra voices in my life. It’s looked like me unfollowing on Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat that aren’t building me up or pushing me forward. It’s looked like more quiet time with God, me, and a physical journal with a real pen in my hand.

Before I go on, just do a quick check with yourself on where this blog falls in your life.

Since we live in a culture where we jump through seasons, I thought I’d skip a little bit over Christmas (I’m sure I’ll come back to it so don’t freak out on me), and jump over to the new year! I’m hopeful and yet a little scared of what 2018 will bring. I’m not much for making new years resolutions, as I rarely stick to them, but I have found that selecting “seasonal words” have helped narrow my focus/goals.

If you’ve read my previous blog, you know that diligence has been a thought that’s been on my mind lately, and that’s my word for this season – “Diligent”. Being the nerdy person I am, I had to see what Merriam-Webster had to say about these words and what their origins and real meanings were (emphasis added).

Diligence: Noun – steady, earnest, and energetic effort: persevering application: assiduity

Diligent: Adjective – characterized by steady, earnest, and energetic effort: painstaking.

I then had to look up assiduity, which its origin is assiduous or showing great care, attention, and effort: marked by careful unremitting attention or persistent application.

What I found most interesting is the details that were given in the further explanation of diligent: “You’re more likely to be diligent about something if you love doing it. The etymology of diligent reflects the fact that affection can lead to energetic effort. Diligent descends from the Latin verb diligere, meaning “to value or esteem highly” or “to love.” Of course, you don’t need to care for the task at hand in order to be diligent, but it certainly does help!”

Maybe you know you have a love or passion in your life. Be diligent, persevering, persistent in taking the time to go after those things. It can be painstaking to stick with it or to say no to other things to say yes to being diligent. Taking the time out to do what you’re passionate about can be energizing – life-giving!

Like I said in a previous post, I’m working to be diligent about being in God’s word daily. It’s something that I value and esteem highly. It’s something I’m passionate about and am learning that it’s not a painstaking task, but a love! It’s something that I want to be persistent in applying its principles to my life and what God’s showing me. So, of course I turned to look up a verse for this season:

15 Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them… Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers. 1 Timothy 4:15 & 16

Again, I hope you join me on this journey, wherever it’s going, and that you check out when you need to. This isn’t to be a burden to you or to me. I hope that this is where we both can find life! This blog will hopefully be full of not just seriousness and verses, but of life, fun and practical things too!

So, what is your word for this season? Or maybe you have a verse for this season – feel free to share it below!