Finding Me in 2016

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There is a moment in life when you sit back and think . . . Who am I? What moves me? Am I a good mom? Am I a good friend, sister, daughter, wife, employee? That moment for me to ask and answer those questions is now. This year, 2016, is a fresh clean book to write. Will I go on as I have these past 35 years just being, or will I let 2016 be extraordinary? Will I be open to being the woman I was created to be? The answer is YES! I want 2016 to be the year I lived every moment embracing love, embracing JOY, embracing peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Now, how in the world do I go about doing those things? Over the past few days, I have been dwelling on that thought: How to truly turn over a new leaf in this crisp new year? Here are some things I am committing to in 2016 to help me embrace me, and in turn embrace life to the fullest and be the me I was created to be.

  • Wake up EVERY morning with a thankful spirit, a spirit of JOY. Thanks to my baby brother (who now has a baby of his own . . . eek, how is that even possible!), I have the perfect reminder to embrace JOY every morning when I wake up. Funny thing, when you commit to embracing joy every morning, you are happier. I love waking up and squeezing the ever-lovin’ sweetness out of my sleepy eyed, messy haired babies . . . talk about JOY!!

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  • Set aside 15 minutes to breathe. Breathe in the good and breathe out the busy, the stress, the worry. Be prayerful, asking God to fill you with the fruit of the Spirit and breathe that in so you can trust that as you breathe out all of the junk that God’s got you . . . always has and always will!
  • Drink something hot in the perfect mug for you. It is funny to me how much comfort I get from holding a piping hot cup of coffee or tea, especially if it is in a great mug or cup! Today my cup of choice is this one . . . why thank you cup of hot tea . . . you’re not looking too bad yourself.  *sidenote* Anthropologie, thank you.  You get me 😉 and thanks mom for this delight.

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  • This one is IMPORTANT . . . Laugh, like hard, like to the point where your eyes leak! That happens when I am sitting around the table with the fam. My brothers always seem to have everyone in stitches. Full disclosure . . . during Christmas dinner, I shot tea out of my nose because they dad-gum caught me off guard and laughed so hard I couldn’t swallow. That is good for the soul. Maybe not the tea through your nose, but definitely the laughter. For instant laughs, try this game. Gramps was a good sport. 🙂 PIE FACE!!!

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  • Don’t forget the important stuff. Journal, ugh, I hate that word. I am NOT good at journaling because that word implies sitting down for long periods of time and writing paragraph on paragraph about every detail. I’m exhausted even thinking about that. Luckily, I found a great little journal by Emily Ley at Weirs the other day and am in LOVE! This lovely doesn’t have dates so I don’t feel guilty for missing one, or let’s face it five. It also guides you a little. On the left side you have a space for a “Brain Dump.” Mine usually consists of a bulleted list of things that have happened that I want to remember. The right side has a space for the date, “Today I feel . . .” “Thoughts,” “This went well today,” and “This was challenging today.” This journal has been a lot less scary for me as it is not just blank pages with lines, but it is like a friend asking me questions about my day, which I LOVE!

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  • Finally, sweet friends, doing all of these things are wonderful, and I feel will keep me on track to truly embrace who God created me to be in 2016. But, something is missing from this list . . . GIRLFRIENDS! Not just any girlfriends, but ones who know you, who can laugh with you, cry with you, and ask you those hard questions to hold you accountable. In October, some of my most dear friends met in Waco to check out the Magnolia Silos and just have some girl time. It was amazing. Of course, hanging out at the Silos was fantastic, but the true highlight was time spent with the girls digging deep, laughing, and worshiping together. God created us for community. We are not an island; we aren’t meant to keep everything inside, but to share community with those who will lift you up, pray for you, and who will be by your side during the good and hard times. This year my goal is to do this sweet trip again for some concentrated accountability, girlfriend time! DO IT! Find those true friends whether at your church, in your yoga or Camp Gladiator class, or in your mom neighborhood group.

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2016 will be amazing! For me, embracing the fruit of the Spirt and truly living each of them with the help of my people will be what make 2016 amazing . . . not free from hard times but embracing each moment as a part of my story.

What are some things you are embracing in 2016?

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Joanna
Joanna loves doing life in Fort Worth! She has two cutie pie kiddos, Rhett, 5 and Layla, 4. She works full time in marketing and loves to run. Let’s be real . . . she likes to run because she loves donuts! She and her family are in a fight to find a cure for Cystic Fibrosis because Layla has the disease. They could not be more in love with their team of doctors, nurses, and dietitians at Cook Childrens. Joanna says she tries to find joy in each day even though life gets absolutely crazy at times with a full-time job, two super fun and active kids, and doing treatments with Layla daily. She can many times be found in her kitchen trying out a new recipe from Cooking Light Magazine or Pioneer Woman. (Photo courtesy of: Beyond the Blue Studios).

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