Don't Miss Out!

 For the past few years, I have been choosing a word to focus on for that year. I find Bible verses and practical ways I can walk out that word. Now my word last year in 2021 was wholeness. I focused on being well in my mind, body and soul. Since that is an ongoing process, I will still be working on that this year 💗. But today, I want to introduce you to my word for this year 2022. When I was praying about and seeking a word for this year, several words kept coming to my mind- celebrate, growth, open, progress, grace, explore. All of these are good words! However, I kept praying as I still wasn't sure which word to choose. For the second half of 2021, I had been reading a book about destiny and one of the above words kept popping off the pages at me. The word kept showing up multiple times in one chapter! Now I had been reading this book for a minute as we would say, but I never noticed this word like I did the last week of December. You see, I had already started leaning towards this word near the end of 2021 in enjoying new experiences. Are you ready to hear it?! Have you guessed it yet?! My word for this year 2022 is open 😀. This year, I am going to be open to new experiences and new opportunities. I'm open to going new places and meeting new people. I'm open to listening to new music and podcasts. I'm open to watching new movies and reading new books by authors and topics I normally wouldn't. I'm open to learning and doing something different and shaking up the normal routine. I already started this in 2021 when I traveled in October and November to new places. To take you back further in 2020, I started trying different hairstyles when the pandemic started. Before that, I always played it safe with my hairstyle. Thanks to the pandemic, I became open to trying new hairstyles and I love it! You never know what hairstyle I may come out with next 😉. It was also during the pandemic that I became open to connecting on more social media platforms. Yes, social media can get overwhelming and you should have healthy boundaries and take breaks from it. I do my best to take breaks and not let it consume me. However, it can be beneficial and uplifting. Since joining in 2020, I have met and connected with some amazing people who I have become friends with and are encouraging and inspiring. Some I reconnected with and that has also been wonderful. Some of them, I've seen in person, while others I have just seen online. So, the word open has been slowly been creeping into my life since 2020 😀. Before I go any further, I need to share with you several definitions of the word open that stood out to me. One definition was having no enclosing or confining barrier and being accessible on all or nearly all sides. Another definition said available to follow or make use of. Still, yet another definition said being in a position or adjustment to permit passage. In other words, it is not shut or locked. Whew- powerful meanings right here! 2020 and 2021 gave me a glimpse of what it was like to be open to try new things and not limit myself. I liked what I saw! Therefore, I want to do more of that in this year of 2022. I do need to pause here and be very clear about something. I'm not going to be open to anything and everything. I only want to be open to what's healthy, uplifting, beneficial and growing me. If it's not going to add value and bring me down, I don't want it. If it's causing me to settle for less than the best, I don't want it. If it has me questioning my worth and uniqueness, I don't want any part of it. If I have to compromise my faith, it's a no. I want to be open to all God wants to do in, for and through me this year. I don't want to put a limit on what He can do (Ephesians 3:20).  I don't want to miss out on anything! Psalms 119:18 in the Bible says, "Open my eyes so that I may contemplate wondrous things from your instructions. God's instructions are in His Word. I want to be open and obedient to following them every day. I want to see Scriptures I've always read and studied and be open to seeing them in a new perspective. When I'm wrong, I want my ears to be open to correction and to turn my behavior in the right direction (Job 36:10). When I want to complain, I want to stop and open my mouth to praise God instead (Psalms 51:15). That's my word. Open 😀💖. As we continue to move forward into this new year, let's stay open to learning and experiencing something new. Let's stay open to what God wants to do in our lives. Let's stay open to not miss out on life itself. There are many wonderful opportunities awaiting us in this year of 2022. Are you ready to get them?! Ready. set, go👏!!