New Year, New Decade

Wow! Is it really 2020? If you follow me on Facebook/Instagram, you know that each year I pick a word for the year to be my focus. I started this back in 2013 and had to go back to see what I picked each year. Some years are easier to remember than others.

2013- sparkle
2014- intentional
2015- blessing
2016- joy
2017 - adventure
2018 & 2019 - I honestly don't think I picked one....but looking back on both years I know what my theme was - SURVIVE

That's right. These past two years, I SURVIVED. WE SURVIVED. Mike and I have been working so hard these past two years to build and grow our business.  And many days I felt like all we could do was take one step in front of the other and work together to survive. Many days and nights of tears, frustration, pain and feeling alone, we battled through what has been the hardest two years of our lives. I try hard not to let it show on social media, but please know, if you have been SURVIVING too, that you aren't alone. You are only looking at our highlight reel on social media.  How did we survive? By the grace of God and prayers from our family. God is good. Always. Period. I'm so thankful God has pulled us through this year and by his grace and for his glory, we are ready to make 2020 the best year ever! 

So about a month ago, I began thinking about my word for 2020. I began making a list of words I wanted to focus on and praying for God to lead me to the word. I thought I had the word picked out until two nights ago and I was reading some of my friends posts on FB about their word for the year and my word appeared.

I wasn't sure if it was the word for me or not, so I prayed some more about it and asked for God to show me if it was really the right word. And then...Jeremiah 29:11 showed up. And I knew the word was meant for me this year.  You see, this verse, is my life verse. It's the verse my Grandma wrote in all of her letters to me when she wrote to me while we lived in New Jersey. 

I was  praying GOD would show up big in that moment and he did. 

The definition of Prosper- 
1: to succeed in an enterprise or activity especially : to achieve economic success
2: to become strong and flourishing

transitive verb
: to cause to succeed or thrive

When I choose my word, I think about all the areas in my life and how that word can be my guide to make an impact in each area for the year. 

Although prosper can mean money, when thinking about my husband and family, it doesn't have to mean that. I want to prosper in my family. God is first, my husband is second and my family is third, Family is so important to me and they can easily be left behind when trying to pursue business goals and dreams. It isn't fair to any of them, so this year I am working on my relationships with them all. 
- Monthly date nights/days with not only my husband, but with my family members. In fact, many of them all received paper gift cards from me of my commitment to them for the year. 
- Putting the phone down and being present with each member of my family. Easier said than done. My phone is attached to me and between texts, emails, facebook messages and notifications for both MDT Woodworks and Thirty-One Gifts, it is so easy to get consumed by all the messages and never put it down. Even when I walk away from the business for the night. I want to do better this year.  Please know, if I don't respond to you right away, it's because I have stepped away to be with those who are most important to me and I will get back to you, it might just take a little bit longer.

After putting two very hard years into our business, I believe God has big plans for us to PROSPER this year. Every decision we make for our businesses has to help them prosper in some way. I don't want to waste my precious time doing things that won't have a big return on investment. These decisions, won't be easy, some will actually be hard, yet I am prepared and I know how important they are to allow us to prosper. One of these decisions I will be sharing with you all very soon. We have made a big goal for 2020, so now we must break down the steps needed to get there. All of it with the word Prosper guiding us through all decisions. 
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Prospering in my time with God. Boy oh boy, do I struggle in my quiet time. I want to grow closer in my relationship with God, including daily and nightly devotions, journaling and reading through the bible for the year. I want to make a better effort to keep my eyes on God's plan and listen to him for guidance before making any decisions. 

Prosper in my health -
Gosh, this one I really need to work on. I have neglected myself. Owning your own business, being self employed, your husband being self employed and working your tail off without much rest, takes a toll on your body. This year, I make a commitment to myself to give myself breaks, be more cautious of what I put in my body and make sure I am taking care of me. 

I'm very excited to see what God has in store for us this year. Prosper is a promising word and I can't wait to grow and prosper in all areas of my life! Have you picked a word for 2020?  I would love to hear what it is!

​~Dana