“…Think of this new year as a white page given to me by Your Father, on which He will write, day by day, whatever His divine good pleasure has planned. I shall now write at the top of the page, with complete confidence: Domine, fac de me sicut vis, Lord, do with me what you will, and at the bottom I already write my Amen to all the proposals of Your divine will.” ~Taken from Divine Intimacy by Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen, OCD
I resound my sentiments from 2011.
It’s a new year and I desire to be transformed, to live e
ach day as though it were my last. I pray to die to self and become a true slave to Jesus through Mary.
A new year, a new creation in Christ. – Time is a Treasure!
I struggled with finalizing my word for the year. There were three words that kept coming up. All of them were relevant and remain promptings on my heart. Still, I knew that the ultimate prompting was not coming through with two of the words.
I continued to pray and be patient. As always, He came through in a grand way. The word was made known almost instantly after my first prayer request for clarification. It was a test of sorts for me to act promptly – to lay down my doubts and desire for better understanding (another one of my many crosses).
My word for the 2013 is………
Word of the Year ~ 2013 
I desire prompt obedience to serve Him – first time, without hesitation. I no longer want to stand in His way from doing great things. I don’t want to put things off because I seek a level of perfection that is unattainable. I don’t want to let my health be an excuse for not living and serving. I don’t want to pass up doing the small things with great love. I don’t want to spend my life in discernment when ultimately I am refusing to walk in faith. I don’t want to put Him on hold while I attend to my flesh and worldly comforts. I don’t want to wait one unnecessary minute and risk that His voice becomes a low echoing in the distance. I don’t want to not be ready to join Him!
The time is NOW! I must follow His will for me in the present moment. I must be willing to put aside my plans for His at any given moment, regardless of the cost. I must not let a day go by with speaking with Him, offering Him an act of thanksgiving, satiating His thirst. I must always be seeking to grow in virtue. I must only offer my FIAT ~ let it be done to me as You will.
Most importantly, I must seek to do all these things in my home with those precious little faces that He has so abundantly blessed me with. I must not set my eyes beyond my four walls and I must embrace His call for me through my vocation as a wife, mama, and homeschooler. (That means I can’t wait for my energy to return, the baby to be born, the baby to stop nursing, better school resources, money, the house to be clean, the blog post to be written,…or any other lame excuses that I have been known to muster up.) The time is NOW!
His grace will be needed for me to move forward but I have no doubts in His abilities. For I am completely nothing without Him and I desire to be nothing else but that which He has ordained me to be. I want only to love Him and serve Him – NOW!
…"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." I will all the more gladly boast of my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
~2 Corinthians 9:23
I am not moving out of fear. This call to action is made out of LOVE for the One who so dearly loves me despite all my failings. His love is my motivation to offer prompt obedience for His will for me.
May His grace help me to do His will NOW!
I’m not abandoning any of my previous words. In fact, through this practice, they have been imprinted on my heart. Perfection is not sought. My goal is only to move closer to Him and do His will.
St. Guy of Anderlecht, St. Bernard Scammacca, Bl. Teresa of Calcutta, and Our Lady of Mount Carmel ~ pray for me!
Word of the Year Posts – 2012 – Pray 2011 – Charity (LOVE)
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2013 Motto
This motto has been developing since 2011 and my inspiration from Melody.
Be Charitable. love others, especially family, the way He loves you.
Be Useful. serve always.
Be Gentle. have the loving heart, tongue and hand of Mary.
Be Joyful. stay rooted in the true JOY – JESUS. share the JOY with all.
Forget about yourself. die to self, live for God alone.
Pray. speak to God often and cover everything in prayer.
ALL FOR…Jesus through Mary with the intercession of St. Joseph.
NOW! offer prompt obedience to God’s will for you.
You may print my motto for your personal use.
O most loving Jesus, Who by Thy sublime and beautiful virtues of humility, obedience, poverty, modesty, charity, patience and gentleness, and by the example of Thy domestic life, didst bless with peace and happiness the family Thou didst choose on earth, in Thy clemency look down upon this household, humbly prostrate before Thee and imploring Thy mercy. Remember that this family belongs to Thee; for to Thee we have in a special way dedicated and devoted ourselves. Look upon us in Thy loving kindness; preserve us from danger; give us help in time of need, and grant us the grace to persevere to the end in the imitation of Thy Holy Family; that having revered Thee and loved Thee faithfully on earth, we may bless and praise Thee eternally in heaven. 
r most loving Redeemer, who having come to enlighten the world with Thy teaching and example, didst will to pass the greater part of Thy life in humility and subjection to Mary and Joseph in the poor home of Nazareth, thus sanctifying the Family that was to be an example for all Christian families, graciously receive our family as it dedicates and consecrates itself to Thee this day. Do Thou protect us, guard us and establish amongst us Thy holy fear, true peace and concord in Christian love: in order that by living according to the divine pattern of Thy family we may be able, all of us without exception, to attain to eternal happiness. 
