Personal post! I won't personally blog much, but if I do, it will be here. My business and my personal life are so intertwined that it would feel inauthentic to share my words any other way.

Instead of making resolutions in 2016, I chose a word. I chose "courage" - basically whenever I felt God had placed something on my heart, I was going to courageously follow through. Not just dream. Do. "Don't just stand there. Bust a move."

So I did. In the first month and a half of 2016, I had launched my website and got a "real job" in addition to owning my calligraphy business. Sidenote- I still have a hard time grasping the Lord's faithfulness in placing me in the job that I'm in. It is the best and I am just in awe that i get to work there. The rest of 2016 had lots of ups, a few downs, but was overall a pretty great year. I actually have been too busy to even think about the word for 2017, so that's why I'm writing this at 2:30 am on January 3rd. ;)

The word I chose for 2017 is wait.
I have been thinking on what it really means to wait on the Lord. Spoiler alert: I've been doing it all wrong. There are certain things in my life that I regularly ask God for and He has continued to place me in a season of waiting. Sometimes, I am so selfish in my prayers. They come from a place of so much frustration and hastiness in my heart. "Dear God, show me Your plan for this. Better yet, give me this. Please. Don't You see? If I just had this, then I would be that, and ultimately I could serve you better, Lord." Wrong! Other times, I really do feel like i am being patient. You see, I think I am waiting patiently, but what I am actually doing is passively waiting. I'm just letting time and my days pass by without actually seeking after His heart.

I think waiting on the Lord means to serve Him; to literally wait on Him. I'm picturing a waiter or waitress here. It is to seek His delight, rather than what He can do for me. In actively waiting on the Lord, we are forced out of our complacency, worry and anxiety, and filled with His peace. His direction. His alignment.

"Seek His face, rather than His hand."

So, my word of the year comes with resolutions that I am going to be intentional about sticking to.

Dive into His Word daily; studying ALL parts of the Bible... not just the verses about His infinite love and grace, but the nitty-gritty and hard to read parts too.
Praise Him through worship and art
Spread the Joy of the Lord to others through encouragement and service
Spend time in silence and prayer - resting in His presence
Community. Find a church home. Join a small group. (My legitimate excuse for not doing this already is that I was out of town for about 38/52 weekends this past year)

So I will be strong, have courage, and wait. And this kind of waiting is definitely not passive!

Here's to 20... wait for it... 17! Lol #wait