It's a New Year

I am committing to reading God's word on a daily basis this year. I am going to bookend my day as a friend in Newcastle, John Moxen would say, no Bible no breakfast, no Bible no bed. Every morning I will read a short devotional focusing on one key verse. And every night I will read from my chronological Bible in a year. My plan to daily read truth is a pledge to be obedient to the call God has for my life. During training with John Andrews he said, "Your behavior is saying to your world what you believe." Last year at my job at Awesome Inc I had the opportunity to flesh out this statement through setting up meetings with the interns one on one to discuss core value number one. I started off asking the individual to explain to me what their own personal definition of good was and from there I encouraged them to share their personal and business metrics. Once establishing their definition we talked through putting in place personal and business metrics to reach the standard they had set. An example is one part of my definition of good, choosing to see the best in others, personal metric- give at least two compliments to someone every day, and business metric- submitting to my authority figures. It has challenged my way of thinking and inspired me to actively decide what kind of person I want to be. As I started trying to make my metrics smart (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, & time bound) I was tempted to adjust my metrics to my life. This exercise has been a time for me to reflect on what I do value and has challenged me to set metrics based on my beliefs and personal definition of good instead of the other way around. It is much easier to let my metrics ultimately determine what I am communicating my definition of good is. If I let my metrics define my life instead of letting my life define my metrics. Discipline is a word I want to be embracing in this season of my life like I never have before. Since I have been a part of CFC I have gained real clarity in the ways God has gifted and called me. I had several resolutions I thought would be great for 2013 that I knew were things God would honor. It wasn't until the 7 service in which Alan Graham spoke that two things were made very clear to me. And that is what I based my commitment to read my Bible every day from. First I know I want to spend my life sharing God's written Word with the spoken word. And secondly I know I am called to adoption. I have a deep desire for people who have never heard God's word to learn about the Gospel and for children unable to take care of themselves to be mothered. Alan posed the question what disturbs you? Many things in this broken world bother me, for instance poverty bothers me, sickness bothers me, condescending people bother me, birds bother me, apathy bothers me, divorce bothers me, technology glitches bother me, injustice bothers me, laziness bothers me, abuse bothers me, debt bothers me, insensitive people bother me, being lost bothers me, and the list continues each day. Knowing about these things in other peoples' lives or experiencing any of these things in my life is bothersome. But what I lose sleep over thinking about, what resignates with my heart, what I know I was made to partner with God to live for is to love orphaned children and speak God's truth over people's lives who haven't yet learned or heard about His goodness. I know my response to this revelation is to dive into His word. Reading God's truth strengthens my future purposes: 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 5:42, Romans 1:16, Jeremiah 20:9