My Word for 2017

I just re-read my post on my word for 2014.  I had words for 2015 and 2016 also, but I didn't write about them.  Both years were hard.  They were just hard and to be honest, I can't recall what words I settled on.  This year I am going to put my word where I can see it.  Where I can remember.  Where I can focus.  

I still strive to live minimally (as in 2014), but it doesn't usually work.  I forget or find something we cannot live without or just can't get rid of that because, well, it's a memory, even if I haven't looked at it in 5 years.  

2015 and 2016 - I'm ready to break up with them.  We saw loss, those two years and I - loss of close friendships, of family, of faith.  Loss of self-confidence, of patience, and of grace - mine for others, not God's for me.  Don't get me wrong - we had some good times (Cookie Monster A) and honestly I can't really complain.  My home is intact, my family is healthy (enough), I have freedom to come and go as I choose.  I cannot legitimately complain.  I'm not living in a war-torn country, wondering if today is the day that my children die.  I'm not hoping to find enough food to feed my family.  We are so blessed.  I became so cynical anyway.

So my word for 2017 is restore.  So many things need restored in my life.  First and foremost, I have to work on restoring my faith.  Don't get me wrong.  I still believe in God.  I still believe and hope on Jesus.  But my commitment to my faith and to my church is lacking.  I have held grudges and not given grace.  I have allowed my faith life to be rocked to the core and not fought back to hold on.  Thank God for His grace, that will allow me to run back to his mercy seat where grace will find me.  

I need to restore my attitude, starting first with gratitude - restoring thankfulness in my heart will spin my world on its axis and will ensure that no matter what comes my way, 2017 will be okay.  I don't know what my future holds, but God does.  He has already seen it so is ready to carry me through.  How can I be anything but thankful for that?

My health and the health of my family is of utmost priority this year.  We have gotten a little lazy with our food choices and our lack of exercise in this joint.  You can surely tell when you look at a couple of us.  My health has tanked since I tore that first meniscus, then another, then the hubs broke his leg.  I got lazy on cooking and lazy on doing any type of exercise, since my knees just can't hang.  That is what I kept telling myself anyway.  There are other ways to exercise, besides walking and running (which my doctor has instructed me to absolutely no do) and I have access to those.  I have the head knowledge and the means to make sure that my family eats healthy.  If I don't teach my kids now to eat healthy and love it, why could I possibly think that they would suddenly learn it in their 20s?  So this is the year that we restore our health.

Friendships.  There is so much to say about friendships, but I'm gonna just lay it out there like this: I have a few friendships that have cooled tremendously.  I know I am to blame as the others are too.  I let *feelings* get in the way of keeping those friendships thriving.  My feelings get hurt and I just shut down.  There isn't anything I can do about that now.  But for 2017, I can start fresh and restore relationships that are salvageable.

There are so many other areas I can restore - my career (the annual question - do I go back to the state to finish or start something new), peace, furniture, to name a few - and I intend to do that.  To focus on restoring what can be restored and let go of what cannot (living minimally).  

Restore is my word for 2017.  What's yours?