Abounding in 2021: Part Two

Happy New Year!

It is finally here! 2021. How did you celebrate the new calendar year? I went to bed around 10 pm and slept really good. No children interrupting my sleep. It was great. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to ring in the new year! If you would of told me this when I was 20, I would have thought it was very lame. Well…lame is my new awesome.

If you want to go back and read Part One, here it is.

I mentioned in part one that the Christian women I followed last year all had a “word” for their New Year. I shared that at the time last year, I couldn’t think of one.

I don’t know if it’s even popular this year to have your word, but this for sure popped into my heart, and I wanted to share it with you all.

The word is ABOUND.

I’ll even say ABOUNDING when it fits.

Why this word? As I shared in the last post, I was tossed around by my circumstances (as we all were last year, right?) and I had the choice to either fall into a depression or count it all joy.

Let me just say that if it was up to me and my own strength, it definitely would have been depressing. But the Lord and the prayers of His people lifted me up to where I could come out of the sad times even more joyous than before. This is supernatural and I am thankful for it.

This year, looking forward to how I want to live in front of my children, my family, and my friends, I chose the word abound.

The Lord has given me abundantly more than I could ever ask or think. I’m not reaching down into my being to find the strength to be better at my devotion time, to be better at housekeeping, or be a better homeschool teacher. I’ve tried my own strength and will power, and those things don’t last for very long. I’m looking to what I’ve been given in Jesus to abound more and more in His strength, love, and joy.

Jesus is always faithful and gracious, even when I blow up on my kids, smart off to my husband, and forget to have a heart of thanksgiving. Do ya’ll do that too? Well, if you are in Christ, there’s great news for you! Read these promises:

“And ^fthe LORD will make you abound in prosperity, in ^uthe fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your livestock and in the fruit of your ground, within the land that the LORD swore to your fathers to give you.” Deuteronomy 28:11

(I was reminded of this passage in Deuteronomy by my friend Abigail early in my pregnancy. I don’t know if she will ever know how comforting it was to me!)

“And ^yGod is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency⁵ in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.” 2 Corinthians 9:8

“…and may the Lord ^ymake you increase and abound in love ^zfor one another and for all, as we do for you, ¹³ so that he may ^aestablish your hearts blameless in holiness before ^wour God and Father, at ^bthe coming of our Lord Jesus ^cwith all his saints.” 1 Thessalonians 3:12-13

“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, ^7 irooted and ^jbuilt up in him and ^kestablished in the faith, just ^las you were taught, abounding ^min thanksgiving.” Colossians 2:6-7

So this year in 2021, I’m definitely not making a bullet list of all the grand things I want to accomplish. Don’t get me wrong, there are many goals I am aiming for in my home, my church, and my THM coaching. But instead of it being a checklist mentality, I’m going to work hard where I’m at and strive toward those goals with joy and thankfulness in the midst of the mess.

I really doubt I’ll come out of this year with a sparkling clean and organized house with four perfectly behaved kids. Probably won’t be making a full time income (or even part time) with my coaching biz. I wish! But instead, I’m going to keep working hard to find systems that slowly help me along the way. I’m really ok with that!

May we all abound more and more in the Lord. He has given us everything we need for our “success”. One of the words that surrounds “abounding” in Scripture is “steadfast”. What a great reminder. Firmly fixed in place, immovable, not subject to change.

What do you all think? Did the Lord put a word on your heart this year? Email me and share! I’d love to hear.

As always, thank you for reading! Be sure to subscribe to my blog! Just enter your email in the subscription box. Thank you friends!

Rachel