Focus in the New Year

Morgan Farr, who ministers with a group for military women and wives, is an inspirational and Word-driven woman of God. A great deal of her ministry revolves around being intentional. In this New Year's UPGRADE, she encourages us as we look forward to what the Lord might do in our lives in 2023.

"Nearly 80% of New Year Resolutions," Morgan says, "are abandoned by February!"

Oh, I (Dawn) believe that! Like Morgan, I have tweaked the whole concept of resolutions into something more manageable and, I think, God-honoring.

Morgan continues . . .

I learned long ago that goals and resolutions didn’t work for me.

I start strong, but then life happens, and I get frustrated.

Instead, I make a simple focal point for the year. To make that happen, I choose a word and a verse to go with it. I use that word and Bible verse to help me make choices throughout the year and decide where to focus my resources.

This is what that has looked like, practically, in the last seven years:

2016—Focus

“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit" (2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV).

2017—Prepare

“But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect" (1 Peter 3:15 ESV).

2018—Tenderness

“Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person” (Colossians 4:6 ESV).

2019—Forgiveness

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9 ESV).

2020—Boundaries

“I will not look with approval on anything that is vile. I hate what faithless people do; I will have no part in it” (Psalms 101:3 ESV).

2021—Reclaim

“See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ” (Colossians 2:8 ESV).

2022—Emerge

“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him,  rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving” (Colossians 2:6-7 ESV).

I can look back at my words and see what God was teaching me at that time.

In 2018, I had three kids, three years old and under. My husband is active duty military, so I was often solo parenting and overwhelmed. Tenderness and loving my kids well was a big goal that year.

In 2022, I was working on stepping out in faith in new ministry positions. I can confidently say that I emerged in 2022.

F - O - C - U - S

I challenge you to make a focal point for 2023 by using the acronym FOCUS.

1. Find the Issue

Play detective. Where are you struggling? What are you working towards or moving away from? What are your personal needs in the coming year? What are the needs of your family?

2. Own Your Word

Narrow down the list to what you can focus on. Instead of sticking with a word like “blessed” or “love” go to thesaurus.com and look at some of the incredible words that might help you narrow down your topic a little better. Some words are richer than others.

3. Claim Your Verse

If you already have a verse in mind based off of your word, use it!

If not, I like to use BlueLetterBible.org to search for the word or its synonyms.

4. Use Creativity

Get your verse and your word on the walls in your home. Stick it up on the mirror in your bathroom. Put it on an index card in your car. You can do this as big or as small as you like, but you are 42% more likely to achieve your goal if you write it down.

5. Start the Work

Now that you have your word and your verse it is time to live it out. As you make choices in the year and as you interact with loved ones check back on your word and verse often.

If you type “New Year Goals” into google, you'll get a shocking 5,170,000,000 results.

I have set a great many goals and resolutions over the years. Almost all of them were forgotten by spring.

The goal of a focal point is that:

• It is self-driven.
• It is small and manageable.
• It is created by your personal walk with the Lord.

What will your focal point be this year?

Morgan Farr, an Army wife, is a succulent-cultivating, book nerd and aspiring author. Morgan homeschools her four young children and trains her working dogs while leaning heavily on Jesus. Morgan is the Director of Publishing at Planting Roots, a ministry for military women and wives. You can connect with Morgan on all major social media channels using her handle: morgandfarr.

Graphic adapted, courtesy of Simon/USA Reiseblogger at Pixabay.

'Wait-Lifting' for the New Year

Kathy Carlton Willis, God's Grin Gal, always encourages readers to see life through a biblical perspective and not lose their joy in life. In this New Year's UPGRADE, she addresses the topic of patience—when and how to cultivate it.

“We often comment on how good or bad our waiter is at a restaurant, but I’m not earning any good waiter awards these days when it comes to waiting on life stuff,” Kathy says.

Waiting is hard for me (Dawn) too. Patience is definitely a character trait I need to cultivate! Kathy has wise, helpful counsel for all of us.

Kathy continues . . .

Probably the hardest thing for me, and most of you, is the trial of hurry up and wait. Left unchecked, it tests my patience, challenges my contentment, and sours my joy.

If you are in a season not of your own choosing, you might find yourself wishing for something different or more.

Answers or solutions.

In this era of supply chain shortages, there are much more serious shortages going on.

When it comes to waiting, a lack of patience will practically do us in.

Sometimes, we need the delay for God to prepare us for the answer He is customizing for His purpose to come true in our lives.

Our job when we sense silence on the other end of our prayers is simple.

Wait.

And in the wait, we trust.

And in the trust, we grow patience.

And when patience has grown up, it becomes endurance.

Then we’re ready to run the faith marathon designed with us in mind.

Isn’t it curious that the very thing that causes us to feel impatient is an example of God’s patience? We think He’s being quiet, or even absent from our lives because of our situation. The opposite is true—He is forever present with us.

Having God with us is more important than having—well, anything!

When we have that, the weight of the wait is lifted. (The best kind of “wait-lifting.”)

“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” (James 1:2–4 NLT)

Patience is only developed during the wait, never in the rush.

What happens when we wait impatiently? Whether we wait with patience or impatience, it takes just as long, but when we’re impatient, we’re miserable.

Let’s trade our impatience for a new coping skill to help reframe our outlook.

How to Develop Your Patience Muscle

Patience is never more needed and never less present than when we are dealing with a time-out or pause. It’s always best to develop patience ahead of time so that muscle memory shows up when you need it.

Here are some tips.

1. Galatians 5 lists patience as a fruit of the Holy Spirit.

That means it’s up to the Holy Spirit to act in patience through us, and it’s up to us to be yielded to the Spirit.

What does it mean to be yielded or surrendered to the Spirit? It involves us being willing to follow His lead instead of the selfish desires that contradict Scripture.

2. Don’t expect your circumstances to change.

Patience is pumped up just like working a muscle during weightlifting—when it is tested.

3. Know that all human beings struggle with impatience, and only a few learn to be patient during difficult times.

It’s easier to get frustrated than to have faith, and our go-to tends to be in crisis mode rather than choosing to be in Christ.

4. Patience needs to be stored up ahead of time for when you need it, and it gets depleted easily.

Being in God’s Word and talking with Him in the good times banks spiritual fruit for you to have available during the bad times.

5. If you find yourself lacking patience, look through God’s eyes of grace toward the situation or person frustrating you.

This will allow you to put up with much more.

6. Sometimes the person you need to have patience toward is yourself.

Reduce your unrealistic expectations. Allow more do-overs. Confess your flaws to God and ask Him to transform your life.

7. When you realize that your purpose in life is so much bigger than this current circumstance, your ability to be more patient will flourish.

Strive to look at the big picture—the kingdom picture.

8. Patience helps you trust God more.

Trusting God helps you build more patience. They go together. When you have something to hang your hope on, you can wait with patience for all the details to be worked out according to God’s purpose.

9. If you are a Christ follower, you are a temple of God, and conduit for the Spirit to flow through you.

Patience moves unhindered through open conduit but is restricted when that conduit is plugged with pride and self.

10. When you choose to be impatient, you willfully refuse God’s equipment to help you cope with your current situation.

Patience is an act of obedience—evidence of a yielded, Spirit-filled life.

11. Practicing patience is not the same thing as stagnating.

It doesn’t mean you are complacent or compromising. It means you are content in the wait but eager with hope for the next God-thing. It’s not passive.

Patience is active—acting on God’s Word to stand your ground until He moves you on.

12. Patience gives you time to grow a more intimate relationship with the Father.

What New Year’s goal will you set to strengthen your patience muscle?

Kathy Carlton Willis is God’s Grin Gal. She writes and speaks with a balance of funny and faith—whimsy and wisdom. Over a thousand of Kathy’s articles have been published and she has several books in her Grin Gal brand. Today’s Upgrade with Dawn is inspired by Kathy’s latest book, Your Life on Hold: Don’t Hate the Wait. Consider joining one of Kathy’s groups for 2023. More information at www.kathycarltonwillis.com.

Graphic adapted, courtesy of Andrea Piacquadio at Pexels.

Uplift Your Worship

Morgan Farr continues to amaze me by her determined mothering and ministry. In this Christmas UPGRADE, she gets personal—sharing how God taught her lessons through a classic Christmas carol, 'O Holy Night.'"People tend to love Christmas music or absolutely hate it," Morgan says. "There seem to be few people who are neutral in this debate."

Count me (Dawn) in the first group. Long before I became a Christ-follower, I believe Christmas hymns and carols played a part in drawing me to Christ.

Morgan continues . . .

I happen to be one who adores Christmas music. But this was not always the case.

Christmas of 2017, I had a breakthrough. I learned to worship more freely through the lyrics of "O Holy Night" and a rowdy two-year-old.

My family was stationed in San Diego, California, at the time. My husband was working with Naval Special Warfare and was gone more often than not. We had three children ages three and under, so my life was chaotic.

On a rare weekend when my husband happened to be home, we decided to take the kids to see a matinee of the Christmas movie, The Star.

The kids were three, two, and eight-months-old, so I wasn’t entirely sure how sitting through a movie would go.

I think I talked myself out of going twice on the way there. 

Mercifully, the only other people in the theater were a set of grandparents with their two young grandsons.

As the movie progressed, the song 'O Holy Night' played in the background. This song has been a favorite for most of my life, so I played it often in my house; but that afternoon it got a new place in my heart.

As soon as he recognized the song, my two-year-old son stood up in the aisle and belted out 'O Holy Night' at the top of his lungs.   

Listening to my two-year-old unapologetically celebrating was a moment that permanently changed the way I think of worship—and the lyrics of 'O Holy Night' were the catalyst.

Lessons from 'O Holy Night'

1. Raise Your Voice.

“O holy night! The stars are brightly shining; it is the night of our dear Saviour's birth.”

In the first part of the song, we simply call out the gloriousness of the night. Do you speak openly of God’s incredible gift to us? If not, what is holding you back?

Psalm 145:11 says,

“They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power.”

Speak boldly of the gift that God gives us. Share the news of His glory with those around you.

2. Recognize the Need.

“Long lay the world in sin and error pining, till He appears and the soul felt its worth.”

When I share with someone about why I follow Christ, is this what I say? Without Christ, we are lost to sin, permanently separated from God.

Philippians 3:8 says,

"What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ."

Do I explain that life without Christ leaves a hole that leaves me searching? Do I show with my actions that Christ is worthy of my worship?

3. Remember the Hope.

“A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.”

Jesus Christ was born, lived a sinless life, was crucified and buried, only to raise again three days later— redeeming us all from our depravity. He is the hope that generations cried out for and that we get to experience through salvation.

When I am weary of the happenings of the world, do I remember that Jesus is King of Kings and will return in glory?

4. Revel in Him.

“Fall on your knees! O hear the angel voices! O night divine, O night when Christ was born; O night divine, O night, O night Divine.”

Do I worship the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords with appropriate adoration?

1 Chronicles 16: 23-25 says,

“Sing to the LORD, all the earth; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods.”

Am I hesitant to sing out in church or with my family on the chance that I might fumble the words or miss a note? Not anymore.

My son’s rendition of 'O Holy Night' reminded me that when worshiping our Savior, the notes don’t matter, the stumbles are forgotten.

It is the act of worshiping the Most High God with everything that I have that matters. It reminds me to focus on the incredible gift we have been given in Christ, not just at Christmas, but every single day.

This holiday season, I want to encourage you to break free of any restraints that might prevent you from fully worshipping God.

If you need an example of what that looks like, check out the children in your church. See what it looks like to approach the Creator of the universe through the eyes of a child.

After all, that is how the Savior of the world appeared on that oh, so holy night.

How can you worship him more this holiday season?

Morgan Farr, an Army wife, is a succulent-cultivating, book nerd and aspiring author. Morgan homeschools her four young children and trains her working dogs while leaning heavily on Jesus. Morgan is the Director of Publishing at Planting Roots, a ministry for military women and wives. You can connect with Morgan on all major social media channels using her handle: morgandfarr.

Graphic adapted, courtesy of Angeles Balaguer at Pixabay.

Wrapped Up in Buried Treasure

Kolleen Lucariello is funny and witty, but also uncommonly wise, in this Christian Life UPGRADE, she encourages us to be aware of the need to store up "treasures" to help us in the tough times.

"I was wrapped up in many ways," Kolleen says, "as I sat on the porch that morning: a warm bathrobe, a heavy blanket, and my worries that had become the focus of my conversation with Jesus.

"That is, until I found myself wrapped up in distraction from the activity of a squirrel."

I (Dawn) laughed hard as I pictured Kolleen's squirrel story. I hope you will enjoy—and learn from it—too!

Kolleen continues . . .

I sat perfectly still as I watched my little squirrel friend.

When he arrived on the scene, his cheeks were bulging and s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d from one side to the other as he maneuvered over the grass.  

What is he looking for? I wondered.

Suddenly, little squirrel stopped and put front paws in action; dig, dig and dig some more until all I could see was its middle section down to the tail. Once satisfied, the squirrel sat upright and spit the nut from its cheeks into its front paws, gave it one last glance and plopped the nut into the hole.

Then, with great precision, the squirrel pulled the dirt over the nut and commenced leveling and arranging the grass. A little pat here and a little pat there until satisfied and then, little squirrel scampered away.

Amazed by what I’d witnessed, I wondered if I’d be able to find the location of the nut. I was stunned to discover I could not see—with or without my glasses—any evidence of where the squirrel had just been!

Two days later, I watched the same course of action take place in another area of the yard. The squirrel was preparing for winter.

But, how does a squirrel remember where it buried its treasure?

I thought to myself. If I can’t see it, how will the squirrel find it under feet of snow?

I did my own digging on the topic and discovered that, not only do they have great memories, squirrels also hide a food supply in several locations in the event they might forget or they are consumed by another.

My daughter-in-law shared a Snapple cap of “RealFacts” with me that said, “Squirrels lose more than half the nuts they hide.”

Mesmerized, I experienced an upgrade in my life as I watched the little critter bury its treasure in the yard that day.

1. The Importance of Reinforcing PREPARATION.

Just as that squirrel was preparing for winter, I was reminded of how we can prepare for the seasons of life that feel most like winter by burying the treasure of the Word of God within us.

“I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11, NLT).

When the Word is within us, it provides the warmth of hope when we feel frozen by fear or tossed by the storms of this life.

2. The Reality of EVIDENCE When Our Memory Fades.

My failure to find the exact location of where the squirrel’s treasure was buried did not erase its existence. It simply meant that I couldn’t see it; but, the squirrel knew.

It can be tempting to assume God is nowhere to be found when we feel buried beneath the heavy weight of circumstances. Life certainly has the ability to resemble winter’s harsh and bitter season.

However, I am reminded—often—that my inability to see God does not erase His existence. When I’ve buried the Word deep within, the Holy Spirit is able to bring to my memory and remind me of who He is—so it becomes easier to find where He is.

“But the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will help you remember everything that I have told you” (John 14:26 AMP).

We must never be fooled when our memory fails us or our treasure becomes consumed by another, such as with time and circumstance. the treasure is still there. He’s always there. 

3. The Need for MULTIPLE TREASURE RESOURCES.

In the same way the squirrel had buried multiple sources of supplies, we can do the same.

We can set up a system of support for the moments when we simply can’t draw from our memory bank the Word treasures we’ve hidden; or for—as the enemy likes to do—times when what has been planted is stolen (Mark 4:1-8).

“Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed” (Ecclesiastes 4:9, NLT).

During the storms of winter, when it can be tempting to isolate, there is treasure to be found in community.

God is your main Source, but where, or who, are the other sources in your life to offer life-sustaining spiritual nourishment when you most need it?

So on those dark days, ask yourself: what’s my treasure and where have I buried it?

Kolleen Lucariello, #TheABCGirl, is the author of #beYOU: Change Your Identity One Letter at a Time and is the Co-Director of Activ8Her, Inc. She is passionate to every woman realize her identity in Christ and live accordingly. Kolleen and her hubby, Pat, make their home in Central New York. She’s the mom of three grown children and Mimi to six incredible grands. For more information about Kolleen, visit www.speakkolleen.com

Graphic adapted courtesy of Alexa at Pixabay.

Advice from a King

Sally Ferguson always encourages readers to look at the plain truth of scripture and then apply it to their lives. In this Wisdom UPGRADE, she reminds us of a famous king who knew he needed God's help as he made plans for his future. Sally says we need to turn to the Lord regarding the details of our lives too.

"The world has been watching as the monarchy changed hands in England," Sally says. "A cherished Queen passed her torch to her son."

Like much of the world, I (Dawn) watched Queen Elizabeth's memorial service. The regal celebration of her life was only overshadowed by the sadness in her family at her passing. I watched King Charles' face—incredible grief—and wondered what he was thinking. Was he overwhelmed by the role that would soon be his?

Sally continues . . .

The logistics of rulership include reminting currency, updating police uniforms, and building facades to project the King’s image and cypher. The national anthem becomes "God bless the King," and His Majesty’s preferences will take priority. At the end of an era, the Queen’s deeds are memorialized. *

Another son also rose to power when his famous father passed from this life.

King Solomon

Solomon had big sandals to fill when the baton was passed to him. I can imagine his knees quivering as he asked God for help with his new role.

“Give me wisdom and knowledge so I can lead this people, because no one can govern this great people of yours without your help” (2 Chronicles 1:10 CEB).

Had God asked me about my greatest wish, I’m not sure I would have thought to ask for wisdom.

Solomon watched his dad struggle with political egos and expansions, and knew it was beyond his comprehension. David’s rule grew with the kingdom—now it was up to his son to manage.

Some of Solomon’s quest for understanding is recorded for us in the book of Proverbs.

1. Plan away, but God saves the day.

I’m a planner down to the last detail. Sometimes plans must be set aside.

Maybe you’ve experienced this when the phone rang, and your plans changed because of an emergency at home? Or work called and needed extra hands for the task?

It happened to me this summer when my carefully composed itinerary wouldn’t print for our family reunion. Hubby said, “Let’s just go with it,” and we did.

Everything progressed for a fun boating adventure and, as far as I know, we didn’t leave anyone in the middle of the lake.

Solomon says,

“A man’s mind plans his way [as he journeys through life], But the Lord directs his steps and establishes them” (Proverbs 16:9 AMP).

Have you been orchestrating details the Lord wants to direct? What would it look like to submit them to God’s guidance?

2. Dedicated plans. Successful outcomes.

When my friend’s Multiple Sclerosis advanced, she opted to seek relief with Stem Cell Replacement Therapy. She gathered a team to help with financial planning, physical care in traveling to Chicago, and practical help at home. It was daunting.

Our prayers felt like desperation knocking on heaven’s door.

My team brainstormed options for fundraising and decided to host a Harvest Fest with vendors, raffle baskets and children’s activities.

• We got on the phone and knocked on doors.
• We prayed for the Lord to do a mighty work for His glory.
• We cheered when people donated supplies and time.
• We celebrated when the farmer volunteered his wagon and horses for a hayride, and when the church rallied around our cause.

The day was a smashing success and a miracle to watch unfold. Six years later, we still marvel at what the Lord did in our midst.

Solomon says,

“Put God in charge of your work, then what you’ve planned will take place" (Proverbs 16:3 MSG).

Do you have trust issues?

God is able to handle the details.

How can you release your desires to God's undertaking?

3. Everything is potential for God’s redemption.

Some things in life don’t feel redeemable. Romans 8:28 reminds us every detail of our lives can be worked into something good for God’s glory.

I wrote a piece for Live & Learn: Unexpected Lessons From God’s Classroom that felt very vulnerable. It laid bare the outbursts I had when my kids were little. It exposed my impatience when life got out of control. And yet it became a tool for healing to see the Lord redeem life in the learning room with God.

2 Corinthians 1:3-7 says we give better to others what we learn from our own suffering.

Proverbs 16:4 says, “The Lord has made everything for its own purpose. . . “(NASB).

If everything has a purpose, then the junk you’re going through will one day be something you’ll treasure.

What part of life leaves you feeling vulnerable? Will you surrender it to God’s safe keeping until it becomes a blessing for someone else?

Solomon’s reasons for writing Proverbs are listed in Proverbs 1:2-6. There are 31 chapters—why not study one each day of the month? You’ll never lose your place when the chapter corresponds with the date on the calendar.

My prayer for today:

Lord, align my will to do Your will and grant me a dream worthy of the pursuit. May Your Name be glorified. Amen.

What dream will you pursue with the Lord’s help?

Sally Ferguson usually has to go through the school of hard knocks to learn her lessons. She’s learning to let the Lord use her foibles to help others and bring encouragement for the journey. Her story is available in Live & Learn: Unexpected Lessons From God’s Classroom. Sally lives in western New York with her husband and her dad and is working on a Bible study for caregivers. Catch up with Sally on her on her website.

* Reference: https://www.royal.uk/his-majesty-kings-cypher

Graphic adapted, courtesy of Daniel Kirsch at Pixabay.