One Word for 2018

January 9, 2018January 9, 2018 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

I’m not sure if you make New Year’s Resolutions or not. I always bust mine wide open by about week 2. I have always felt like such a failure with my resolutions. Because of that, for the past several years I have made a One Word Resolution.

One Word is a word you remember, pray about, pay attention to, & is basically your courage key to make yourself better in the new year.

This year my One Word is FOCUS.

What does that mean? It means, in 2018, I will discipline myself to focus intentionally on my life. I will focus on my work. I will focus on what the Lord is wanting me to learn in all situations. I will focus on others. I will look deeper into God’s Word and FOCUS.

So, who’s with me? I will tell you, if you want to be a better version of you. If you want to have a plan in the forefront of your mind. If you want to have your life changed, this is for you. This little plan has done all of that for me. Come on & join me in One Word! What have you got to lose?

Here are some other One Words I have had in the past-

I am so glad you came by to visit with me today. I hope you are having a blessed week. Until next time, I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.

If you want to read more about One Word, click here.

One Word 2017 & can anybody tell me what happened to my turnip greens?

January 2, 2017January 2, 2017 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

2017 is here! As in right here. Right now. I wanted to take this time to share with you my “One Word” for 2017. I gave this a little thought. Not a lot because it just kinda came to me this year. With all the crazy happenings we have had going on in 2016, I learned I have to really trust in the Lord. So, there was no question, y’all:

Trust was my One Word.

I wanted to be sure I kept the Lord’s goodness & care in the forefront of my mind. So now, every day, every chance I get, I will be remembering to trust the Lord. I am going to commit some scripture to memory, that has to do with this glorious trust.

Trust the Lord with all your heart. And lean not on your own understanding: In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. (NKJV)

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord, and do good: Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.(NKJV)

Psalm 37:3

Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. (NKJV)

Psalm 37: 5

I am so excited for 2017! And what happens on New Year’s Day? We eat of course! Y’all my Mamaw always made sure we had hog’s jowl, to be healthy, black eyed peas, for luck, & greens for money. I always make sure my kid and grandkids know the same important rules for new year. You have to eat all of this to have a good year. They sorta look at the hog’s jowl sideways, but they are always in on the other mandatory dishes. I cooked turnip greens, per my usual. Normally, they are really good. But, goodness gracious they were bitter & just didn’t have the taste they typically do. The only thing I did different was I forgot to drain them once they came to a boil. And I cut up all of the greens together, stalks and all. Would that have made that big of a difference? Y’all I need some help. My sweet honey and me have gone over & over what might have happened. Any comments are more than welcome, I do not want to have my Mama Boyce’s & Mamaw’s honor in question for any longer. Lord, they wouldn’t be too thrilled about this.

I hope and pray y’all have a blessed new year. Do you have a one word resolution, like me? I’d love to hear about it. I have to be going now, because I should be washing clothes.

Me & my girls (and yes I cropped out me wearing houseshoes. #gladmamawcouldmakeit)

Miss Neenees with some of her church friends.

Miss Neenee with some of her sweet church friends.

Photo credit:www.meghantucker.com

One Word for 2015

January 5, 2015January 5, 2015 / kstrick7 / 2 Comments

I had been thinking about my One Word for 2015. In 2014 it was Pray. With that, I focused my year on prayer. With prayer always being in the forefront of my mind, I saw things in my life start to change. I am so glad I took the time to focus on prayer. It has made the world of difference. So, it goes without saying, while I was doing all this praying, I began to feel more thankful. It has truly been a humbling time. I gave it some thought (with some help from my friend Falen) & have declared Gratitude as my One Word for 2015. I want to keep this thankful vibe going. It sure does make things more peaceful in my life. When I am thankful, I become richer. I become happier. I become more humbled. I become mindful of the fact, I don’t “do” all of this myself. I have Someone greater, wiser, & more concerned about me than anybody else, watching out for me. That’s where the peace of mind comes in. Realizing the Lord cares for me. Little ol’ me! That makes me feel good. Like chocolate gravy & biscuits good.

I saw where Falen had announced her One Word on Facebook. I immediately commented as to where she snagged her beautiful button. She made it. And because she is AWESOME on a daily basis, she offered to make me one. Here it is:

From this One Word, I will focus on being thankful & grateful this year. I can’t wait to see what 2015 has in store for us! God’s blessings were all over the place last year. I know He will bless us in 2015. And p.s. THANK YOU Falen for taking your time to create this gorgeous new addition to my side bar!

Ephesians 5:20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (NKJV)

I hope you have made some goals for 2015. I have my list & want to do my best to put them into action. I am even doing a Bible study with Melanie over at Only a Breath . I know it will bless my heart. Go on over & get your daily dose of blessings, too. Until then, I have to be going, because I should be washing clothes.

What I didn’t do this year & what I did

December 30, 2014December 30, 2014 / kstrick7 / 2 Comments

How was everybody’s Christmas?? I can’t believe it’s the end of 2014. This time of the year we all begin to reflect. We reflect about the year that has past. We think about the things we did well & the things we could have done better. Here are a few things that may or may not be a complete list of how I did not accomplish everything I set out to do in 2014.

1. We did not go on vacation. Vacations take money. Having food, clothing, shelter & transportation takes money. Can I hear an amen?? Sometimes you have to think about it,

“Shall I eat crumpets on the terrace in a Parisian like setting, sipping tea from a bone china cup, with my pinky up in the air, speaking in a British accent or keep my power on at home?”

Decisions, decisions.

2. I did not get a publishing deal for writing the most empowering & inspirational blog articles. Doesn’t everyone, who has a blog, feel like one day- a major publisher is going to be scanning the blog world for awesome content & stumble upon their blog? The said publishing company will automatically want to strike a deal & sign the blogger on. From that point on, all their writing dreams will come true. You will get paid enough for your writings that you can quit your day job & sit at home in your pajamas all day long, hammering out intriguing content, & eating bonbons. What?? Am I the only one that thinks about this??

3. I did not physically assault anyone. Even though, I have been tempted to flog a few folks. Not saying that 5^th grade is hard on me, this year. My Miss Neenee takes it all in stride. However, I have had thoughts of telling off a few folks for being rude to her, embarrassing her, & humiliating her. I have exercised my ability to keep my mouth shut & control my emotions. Mainly because my husband says this is all a part of her growing up & establishing character. I however do not always see it as such. People are just hateful sometimes. And when it’s to one of my kids, I take it SUPER personal. However, I have done my level best to not become a hater, as well. And too, I don’t want to be remembered as the crazy mama. That can have a reflection on your kids, as well. Also, I am quite convinced, at this point in my life, if I give someone a piece of my mind, before long, I may actually need it back. I’m not as young as I used to be. I don’t need to be giving away pieces of my mind. Especially the parts that remember stuff. I have become quite the good forgetter. Just a thought. ***On a side note, I did not have pounding someone on my to- do list for 2014. It’s just a mention.

4. I did not do as many 5k races as I normally do. Something was always happening when the races were scheduled. I did register for a 10k & got mono that same week. So, I didn’t get to go with my race companion Jen, to it. As my daddy says,

”Those who want to find an excuse, can find all kinds.” And he’s right.

5. I did not make any major exercise equipment purchases. I really had planned to. I really had wanted to exercise more. I want to be healthier & make my family healthier. That is something I will put into action this coming year. Right now, I am all about seeing how quickly I can get my pajamas on, when I get home from work. That is all. No excuses. Refer to Daddy’s comment on #4.

Now, for the things I did accomplish this year:

1. I began couponing. Not extreme couponing, but paying attention to what I buy + finding coupons = saving money. And who doesn’t want to save money? I put the Kroger app on my phone. I can use my Kroger card & you know what? Kroger gives you free stuff. You should know every Friday, Kroger has this thing, my favorite Kroger Crazy blog lady calls Kroger Friday Freebie. You go on the Kroger website, go to coupons, & type free in the search box. Then, just download the digital coupon. Freebie Friday is a life changer. Realizing that, my old grocery store never wanted to give me anything free. Or $.10 off per gallon of gas. Oh & sometimes Kmart does double couponing. That can get pretty ridiculous. But, free stuff from Kroger? That’s the cat’s pajamas or totally cray cray. Whichever you prefer.

2. I read the New Testament in the Bible. I have done this a couple of times. Every time, I am proud I took the time to do it. I find something different, I had never considered before, with each reading. You can actually read the whole New Testament in a month with reading only 9 chapters a day. Or here is a schedule to read it in 90 days. I usually opt to do this between Memorial Day & Labor Day. Probably gonna do it again, soon. It’s so worth it.

3. I prayed. A lot. And you know what? That’s a bigger life changer than the Kroger Friday Freebie. I started judging less. Paying attention to what others were going through more. Forgave quicker. And realized more & more that being thankful is where it’s at. Everything else just kinda falls into place after that. My One Word for 2014 was Pray. That was a wonderful focus to have for this year. I sure did reap the benefits from it.

4. I became a Grand, again. My sweet granddaughter was born in March. She is such a blessing. I have loved being a part of her 1^st year of life. As chance would have it, Mr. Sweetie Pants, who is now 3, is pretty much o.k. with her being around. The only time he gets a tad disgruntled is when I keep them at the same time. He will firmly suggest I put her down. Other than that, it’s all good. He just don’t like sharing. But, that’s ok. We work it out. He gets lots of chocolate when she’s around. Unless his dad is reading this, then, I mean he gets lots of milk & vegetables.

5. I have been able to serve my family & Lord. I have been blessed with my earthly family & church family. My family is just getting bigger & bigger. I love it. I have always wanted a big family. We all get along & take care of each other. I just can’t imagine it being much better!! I am so thankful for my church family, too. I have a Bible Class that I totally adore. I cannot tell you how much I look forward to being with those kids each week. They are precious. I never take these things for granted. When my mama got sick, one of the things she missed the most was being able to serve others. For once, she was the one being served. That was hard for her. So, I try my best to realize being a servant is a privilege. I don’t have to do it. I get to do it.

So, there’s my lists. I will be working on my goals for 2015. If you know of anything I need to be doing or need to stop doing, let me know. I’m always up for suggestions. I hope you have a wonderful rest of the week. As for me, I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.

…Forgetting those things which are behind & reaching forward to those things which are ahead. Phil 3:13

photo credits: mymcbooks, myfrenchcountryhome,BlogSpot.com,keepcalm-o-matic, humblepiety.BlogSpot.com,aletheiaagape.BlogSpot.com

Have you prayed about it as much as you’ve talked about it?

July 22, 2014July 22, 2014 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

One Sunday our dear Bro. Brad gave us a lesson about the Lord’s Prayer. He made some wonderful points. He talked about prayer & how important it should be to us. Since my One Word for 2014 is Pray, I was all in on this message! He made us look at how special prayer really is.

Prayer is a way to get involved with things, you otherwise would not be able to be involved in. Take for instance, my daughter just went on a mission trip to Nicaragua. I was not able to go on this trip with her. However, I felt like I could be a part of it by praying for her & the work our church group would do. I could not go on the airplane with her. But, I could pray for her to have a safe trip. I could pray for the pilot of the plane & all the attendants on the plane. I could not be with her as she worshipped with the church in Nicaragua. However, I could pray for the church family there. I could not be at the hotel where she stayed or the city she went to. However, I could pray for her safety & the safety of all of those with her, as they traveled around the city & as they slept. I have never set foot in Central America. However, with the avenue of prayer, I have been involved in many things there.

Prayer is where you start, not where you end. We should not say,

”I have tried everything I know to do. I guess I could pray about it.”

Let prayer be your first choice, not your last resort. Be proactive in prayer. Pray about things before the need ever comes along. Always, always, always remember there is power in prayer.

Matthew 21:22New King James Version (NKJV)

²²And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

I am so glad you came by today. I wanted to share this thought with you about prayer. I hope you are doing good & having a blessed day. As for me, I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.

Oh and by the way, this sweet girl had a birthday this weekend.

And this sweet boy really enjoyed the ice cream…..to the last drop!

photo credit: http://www.spirituallythinking.blogspot.com

One Word for 2014

January 9, 2014January 9, 2014 / kstrick7 / 3 Comments

So, you may have noticed that my “One Word” for 2014 appeared right over there on my side bar, not long ago. However, I did not formally introduce the two of you. I would like to do that now.

Ahem! My new “One Word” for 2014 is

Pray.

Now, you may wonder, do you not pray? What’s the big deal with praying? To answer some of your unspoken inquiries,

“Yes, I pray.”

I pray in the morning. I pray when I eat. I pray at night before I go to sleep. I also pray at various & asundry times through out the day. However, I have been praying a little more here lately. And you know what? Wonderful things have been happening. In these little talks with God, it has not only been just a list of asking & wanting. I have been throwing some thanks & appreciation, in there, as well. Because there is so much day to day things we have been blessed with, that we should be thankful for. Praying is not something new to me. Growing up, we prayed before we ate, we prayed at church, we prayed with the sick, we prayed when Mama came in the room with the belt, & when she said for us to just wait ‘til Daddy got home. Lots of prayer went on between me & my brother.

Here lately, I have been going a little step further with praying. I have been praying over any & everything that happens throughout my day. If it poses a problem, I go to the Lord in prayer, right then & there. Instead of waiting & relying on my own decision making & knowledge. The other day I had some personal things to arise. Instead of leaping into my trying to figure it out mode, I stopped & prayed about it. Then, I went on with what was going on. I have tried to remember others in prayer, too. One morning on the way to work, I prayed for everybody in the car line at school, the teachers, the policeman at school, the lunch ladies, etc.,. That prayer lasted until I remembered it was time to pray my regular prayer for everybody at work. See what this has done for me? Instead of letting my mind go to worries & uncertainties- I am trying to fill it with conversations with God. Being quite the talker, by nature, this has been working wonders for me! It was no wonder I chose “Pray” as my “One Word”. I really want to keep this up, all year long.

Melanie at Only a Breath is the sweet lady that makes our “One Word” buttons. This year she has given a nice tutorial on how to do it. Go here to read all about it. Whether you are a fellow blogger & use buttons or are just a wonderful person who loves to read blogs, making time to focus on “One Word” this year is life changing. Last year my “One Word” was Confidence. It reminded me stepping out of my comfort zone is ok. And that I need confidence to put more action in my life.

Maybe Paul telling the church at Thessalonica to

Pray without ceasing I Thessalonians 5:17

Was more than just a grand idea. Maybe it was for their own good. It’s for our greater good, too. So, I am hopeful this will encourage me & you to focus on an area of our lives that we need to be working on constantly.

I am so glad you have come by to visit with me today. I hope you will choose “One Word” to help you in your walk, too. As for me, I have to be going, because I should be washing clothes.

One word for 2013

January 2, 2013January 2, 2013 / kstrick7 / 8 Comments

I cannot begin to tell you how excited I am about my one word for 2013! What is “one word” for 2013? My sweet blogger friend Falen from Upward Not Inward, turned me on to this. Here is the post from OneWord365.com:

Forget New Year’s Resolutions. Scrap that long list of goals you won’t remember three weeks from now anyway. Choose just one word.

One word that sums up who you want to be or how you want to live. One word that you can focus on every day, all year long.

It will take intentionality and commitment, but if you let it, your word will shape you and your year. It will guide your decisions and help you grow.

Discover the big impact one word can make.

One word.

365 days.

A changed life.
Isn’t that amazing? Just one word to focus on & help us grow in 2013. I thought about it. What word do I want to use to make 2013 my best year ever? The more I thought about it, the more this word came to mind. With everything I want to do in 2013, this word fits perfectly.
Introducing my one word:

Courage to do what’s right.
Courage to help others.
Courage to make words actions.
Courage to be the person God intended me to be.

Thank you so much Melanie at the blog Only A Breath for making this beautiful button for me! I am also linking up with Melanie at Only A Breath. She is hosting a link up for all of our “one words”. Go on over & link up! I challenge everyone reading this to resolve to make 2013 a wonderful year. Start by using one word.