{connect}

New.  Have you ever thought about it?  The word.  Have you ever just stopped and recounted how new makes you feel?  Think about when you get new shoes.  New pencils.  A new hair color/cut.  What about a new toothbrush or a new phone even?  There's excitement there.  The anticipation of what will be.  It's that newfangled onset of something just a little bit different and what it holds for you.  Last year I went on a mission.  I chose a word in which to set my 2012 focus.  That word was rhythm. I looked for it.  I longed for it.  I pushed for it.  In those down dark definitives of my heart, in what I said, in how I operated, in the way that I lived and how I loved.  I successfully documented my 2012 pursuit of rhythm.  You can read about it here in my month-by-month breakdown. 2012 felt different to me.  I felt ownership over my God given 365.  Somehow the focus of what I wanted to be made my months take on a personality.  Each of the 12 became a memory with marked hopes of focus & fails.  Simply put, my reach for rhythm shaped me into a someone better.  Honest. Hopeful.  Happier.  Headed somewhere.  

So begins the celebration of 2013.  I say celebration because I long to live like I want to.  I want to live like life is a celebration of breaths.  It's a gift.  It's not a curse.  It's opportunity not a grudge to get through.  Life, on many levels sucks don't get me wrong.  {Thanks, Lucifer.}.  But, bottom line, I don't want my days alone in a recliner when I'm 85 and in constant search of my top set of dentures to be filled with regret that I didn't make the most of who God wanted me to be.  I'm not talking about traveling the world or taking trips of grandeur.  For most of us out there, that's not real.  The common community we all live in is our minds.  It is there where mountains can be climbed.  Sights can be seen.  And, life can unfold in a new direction without a dime in your pocket to spare.  

My word for 2013 is {connect}.  I've already begun my seek-n-find with this word and have some reporting to do for my month #1 too.  I am continually amazed at the heart of His hands.  God's placement in my life is right.on.the.money.  It's like the more I give of myself to Him the more treasures of growth and getuponitgirl He gives to me. His empty cupped hands reach out every morning and say, "Give it.  All of it.  Every doubt.  Every dread.  Every 'I can't'.  Give it over to me.  Now, get out there and get your MY shine on." 

Connect means to bring together.  I am so thankful for my laundry list of ways that I can improve my connections.  Potential is new like no other.  My logo above is to remind me of His new mercies, moreover His promise.  Arrows are what my mind immediately thought of when contemplating the word connect.  I began playing around with the arrow image to create a reminder for me for this new year.  The larger arrows pointed out are symbolic to my connections with the world.  I loved that when positioning these arrows, I found they created a cross. {He rocks every.single.time.} My heart naturally needed to be the center of that cross.  My heart is His as I am His child.  I added the smaller arrows inward to remind me that when I choose to connect with my heart outward, I allow His joy and journey for me to fill my heart even more.  For better or for worse, He is in the heart growing business.

I'm documenting my 12 month progress a little differently than last year.  I mean it's only fitting that I  change it up this year in honor of the gift of new that 2013 brings.

I am utilizing one of my social networking skills to enhance my year long commitment to {connect}.

Below you will find my personal billboard for 2013:

Connect is such a balanced word to the eye.  I love the double n in the dead center of the word.  It makes me feel strong.  The "c" and "t" on the end give off a vivacious vibe of personality & flair.  Kinda like life should be.  Adventurous.  Flirty.  Fun.  But, the "e" and the "c" on the tail of this word is where my heart focuses most. That letter combo has rhythm written all over it.  Holla if you hear me, God.  My mind rests at those 2 letters.  It is no coincidence; those are my boys' name initials.  See?  God does not leave out the details.  {He rocks every.single.time.} 

When you say it.  CONNECT.  It's sprawls out so that you can hear every single letter. Like a Brio train, each letter magnets up to the next to bring forth the sound.  I'm gonna do that.  This year.  I am bringing forth the sound of every letter of my life.  Each area will be heard.  Some sounds may come out off key, but I am anxious to hear them nonetheless.  January has already been a blast with my hunt for connections.

Each month I'm documenting in this space.  I'm never on time with presentation.  I aim to be, but my blood runs high octane Casey way more than Cobble in the area of punctuality.  I'm working on that.  Remember, this space is for honesty not perfectedy.  

I will be reporting my month recap using some fun eye candy this year.  Below are the following areas you will see on my monthly grade card. I'll leave you with the anticipation on what these will entail for now.  In celebration of my 2nd year of pursuing a better me, I wanted to have some fun with documenting my work.  Doing the deeds to be better takes just that: work.  Documenting that work deserves celebration even if my month didn't grade out like I had hoped.  

I'm connecting with you too.  In my attempts to carry out my 2013 goal, I plan to have more polls on my blog.  These are simple to answer with just the click of a button.  Answers are anonymous, so you can rest easy your honesty is protected.  I hope to be able to hear more from my readers with this tool.  I realize commenting on blogposts is becoming more a thing of the past.  By no means do I write to receive feedback.  I write because I love to let out what is in.  But polling is just a teensy way I can better commit to my 2013 journey to connect.  

Finally, I leave you with me.  My promise to be better.  My hopes for a heart that turns over the crusty soil in 2013 so to cultivate better connections with the who He wants me to be.  

In the the words of my husband...

"If you're waiting on me, your backing up."

Let's do this.

.mac :)