Last year, I decided to remove the word resolution from my

new year vocabulary and instead use the word pursuits.

I think  it helped make me less fearful of falling flat or

giving up completely.

Over the last couple of months, I feel like God has been telling

me a few things.

One is that I have been seeking the Father more than the Son.

I feel very vulnerable admitting this but it is valid nonetheless.

He was tender  towards me as He knows my ways and needs

intimately.

This year will be spent more in the Gospels, kindling my

love for my Savior.

For this word-loving girl, I will be hanging out in  this Bible.

I  “cheated” and started last month.

I  loved spending December  reading and reflecting on

this book, it has been the most gentle catapult as I have meditated

on my Redeemer.

Which points to the word that I hope to lead me into the year ahead.

I encourage you to pray for a word or a verse for your year.

I know many of you do this every year.

But I also want to add, that there is no magic in having a particular

word.

I have had years when I haven’t had a specific word or phrase or scripture,

but can you believe it, God was still there 🙂

It’s more important to seek Him, not a word.

Next week (I hope) to share about a rule of life.

But that is for another time, not today.

God has also been showing me that I don’t know everything.

Are you surprised?

In fact, I don’t know a lot.

I only see in part and sometimes not at all.

He has shown me day after day that what I think I see

isn’t the whole story or even close to what He has designed for completion.

I could look at a day and see blue skies and rejoice only

to look up moments later and see the fog rolling in and vision

obscured.

It is  easy to leap to a conclusion that is faulty resulting in

hopes dashed and discouragement, a permanent resident.

I must admit that I am weary of craning my neck to

see what I long to witness.

I am sore from whipping my head back and forth

looking for pieces of a puzzle that I am not assigned to

assemble.

His ways are better.

God whispered to surrender,

cease all  extraneous movements,

for He is King of an unchangeable  kingdom.

fixed

• secure

• immovable

• not subject to change

• firmly in position

• stationary

• determined

• established

• set

• steady

• resolute

I don’t need to look to the left or right,

I need to remain fixed.

I want my line of sight to be set on Him,

the One that holds the beginning in one hand

and the end in the other.

He calls me  to pitch my tent in the expanse  of those hands.

A few verses to hold before my eyes:

But my eyes are fixed on you, Sovereign LORD; 
   in you I take refuge—do not give me over to death.

Psalm 141:8

Let your eyes look straight ahead; 
   fix your gaze directly before you.

Proverbs 4:25

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen,
but on what is unseen,
since what is seen is temporary,
but what is unseen is eternal.

II Corinthians 4:18

Therefore, holy brothers and sisters,
who share in the heavenly calling,
fix your thoughts on Jesus,
whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest.

Hebrews 3: 1

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses,
let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.
And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,  
fixing our eyes on Jesus,
the pioneer and perfecter of faith.
For the joy set before him he endured the cross,
scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12: 1-2

This is my last post of the year.

Thank you so much for taking the time

to visit, read and leave comments on

A Work of Heart.

I have been forever blessed by your kindness.

I hope you will keep visiting in 2012.

Happy New Year to each and every one of you,

Helen