Decrease... Increase...

I know many who seek the Lord for their "word" for the year.  Something for them to focus on and strive towards as they go through the new year laid bare before them...  Something like JOY, HOPE, ENDURANCE, PEACE... something good and spiritual sounding...

This has never really been something that I have done, or pursued...  I didn't want to "force" myself to come up with a word.  Maybe I was afraid that I would not get a word, and then I would be left feeling left out...

However, in my lack of pursuit for a word for the year the Lord has laid one, or rather two, on my heart anyway!  Here they are...

Decrease...

Increase...

Real exciting aren't they??!

There are things in my life I feel my Lord would like me to decrease this year...  
For one, time spent on facebook... I have really become convicted of what a time waster fb is.  It causes me to waste time on trivial things; it can cause feelings of discontentment, jealousy, pride, and selfishness; it can lead me to be judgmental; and it can even cause me to feel offended.  So time spent in the fb world will be decreasing significantly! 

Less time on facebook means more time to read the Word, to pray, and to read spiritually nourishing books.  It means more time for real one on one fellowship, whether that is through a phone call to a friend or a visit.  It means more time to minister to my family, friends, and neighbors.  It means more time to get things accomplished around the house, more time to exercise, more time to cook for my family... and maybe more time to blog again!!

There are other things I will be decreasing... the amount of clutter in my life, the amount of "stuff" I spend money on, the "stuff" stored away in closets and drawers...  Through the power of His Spirit I hope to decrease selfishness, decrease self-sufficiency, and decrease the desire for the approval of others...

And then there are things I feel the Lord would like for me to increase:

More time in the Word and in prayer...
More time reading spiritually nourishing and encouraging books...
More time actually discipling my children...  (Less time getting frustrated and irritated,  hopefully!)
More quality time with my husband...
More time spent on His purposes, His plans, and His agenda...
More dependence on Him...



So hopefully this year I will be decreasing and increasing... in the right areas... in the power of the Lord...

John 3:30
"He must increase, but I must decrease."