March 19, 2014

Renew 2014

                 ---------Go Spread Joy-------------

The definition of RENEW is to resume an activity after an interruption. How fitting is it that this is my word for 2014! My life truly interrupted the continuing of my blog. Had to laugh to myself when I went to dust off the cob webs from my blog, to RENEW it and discovered that I was missing all my headers. In the year since I last tried blogging I have forgotten how I even create my header and the dear girl who helped me does not have my file any longer.... So for the first blog post in a year it will look as if my blog needs to be RENEWED! Pray along with me that God gives the time and know how to fix this quickly...the pictures were 2 years old...so it needed updating. Anyone for helping me let me know =).

So how have I been doing in the past year? I am still in my New Normal after surgery and still seeking help from Physical Therapy for ongoing health, pain issues. Now it is in my knee, yet I do not let this stop me from exercising and trying to continue to stay healthy. I have lived almost completely without dairy and gluten for much of a year in hopes to help my body heal. It has been so much fun to discover new recipes with our family. I will start including some of our favorites here once a week. Yes that seems realistic to blog at this time in my life.

Part of how God has used the word RENEW is in an area I never imagined...I now substitute teach 2-3 and at times 4 days a week in my children's school district. This experience was necessary when we lived in unemployment for 8 months which is when God began his showing me what needed to be RENEWED. This is one of the many changes and blessings that came out of our my RENEWAL. I have gained such appreciation for what my children's teachers go through and have to do to be successful. This winter we have endured a lot of snow storms and missed school so this has made for LONG days to make up. Which is another part of RENEW, how to work and still manage to feed our family healthy and now economical meals.

All that to say that most importantly, this year has taught me to daily RENEW my MIND with time in the WORD. I have so enjoyed doing two online bible studies with Good Morning Girls and YouVersion app https://www.bible.com/! I am about to sign up for a new one to prepare for Easter.



RENEW is how God is working in my life in 2014...He continues to show me how I must renew my heart, soul, mind and body for His purposes each day. I have loved for Lent how I have RENEWED my looking for and writing down the JOYS he is Spreading in my life. One of those is my Weight In Wednesday on Facebook where women connect from all over the country about food and faith. Not all of us have pain, some have weight to lose, some want to maintain, not all are as verbal about faith, but we all connect and find the one thing women do best...TALK and ENcourage. 

Here is to the RENEWAL of my blog and my embracing where God has me in the year 2014. Below is my verse for the year and one that He daily writes on my heart when I want to complain about all the changes in my life, he gently and yes sometimes boldly reminds me to not grow weary!

But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31


This is the picture I have on my phone from one of our frozen bushes this winter and I see it every day to remind myself to RENEW my mind and spread joy in this new year!

Keep Spreading Joy,
Shari

2 comments:

  1. Great post my friend! Love RENEW!!!! And love all the renewing you are doing.... very inspirational. PS ~ With a little googling and using PicMonkey... you will have a great header in no time! :-)

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  2. LOVE THIS! What a fantastic word to be focused on, and what a great verse! I look forward to reading your weekly weigh-ins and seeing the renewal of your blog as it comes back to life! ^_^

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