as 2015 came to a close, i read the following verse that really stuck out to me:
"the only thing that matters is faith expressing itself through love" galations 5:6
i felt it would to be the right focus for this new year.
this is most importantly true in regards to my tribe. i want all my interactions to be colored by my faith expressing itself through loving words and actions. i want love to be an umbrella over my thoughts and views of my place in the world. it can be hard to constantly give toward the elevation and achievements of those around me, while feeling that i am not achieving...but this is the place where love is at work...and where i believe i am called to be now.
i want to also focus on my faith being expressed in love towards those in need of hope and action... refugees, farmers, those who grow, dye, and sew our clothing, the poor in our city and those far away.
in a very small way, i want to focus on expressing my faith through love/appreciation of the things in my possession. excessive consumption can stem from a manifestation of fear of not having. i have faith that God provides. it is not always the amount i'd like, but it is always enough. :) i want to focus on extending the life of my things and therefor my capacity to love/appreciate them and use them.
extending more love toward my things in order to hold off consumption and waste...extending more love toward my people in order to fill my relationships with a warm glow of affection and a strength that can not be shaken...extending more love toward those who need to experience faith in action in order to live. i'm ready to try.
have you chosen a word or focus for 2016? i'd love to hear!
more love,
jane