Day 63 Grateful for New York, "New Me"
Day 63 of a Grateful Heart... Jeremy and I find ourselves in a very busy period in both our lives, one that I welcome. We both put a lot of value on hard work, and we are certainly up for the challenge. In fact, the first year living in New York, I prayed for a purpose...I believe in order to have your best life, there is a need to have a sense of purpose and meaning. I was a teacher's assistant before moving here and really enjoyed it. But now the BIG question, for myself, what in the world was my new purpose now that I lived in New York???? At the time it was January and bitter cold, snowy... Perhaps a ski instructor, a "professional snow shoveler", or an ice fisherman would be the best option haha...
In that year after we moved, I learned a lot about myself.. so much so I decided to write a mission statement. It might sound a little nuts, but why not? Businesses do it all the time, why shouldn''t I know what I stand for. I have witnessed so many people that aren't sure, they blow in the wind, not knowing what they love or value. I have been guilty of that myself. To me, it made sense to write it down, the things I truly believe and hold onto tightly, so I don't sway so easily.
My mission statement starts out, "My mission is to grow more and more like my Creator and to continously seek Him. I want to love and serve my family unconditionally. To support my husband and love selflessly. To have a home where my kids feel safe and nurtured, and their friends feel the same. I want to embrace my children as my first ministry, to train them up in the ways of the Lord. I want to help serve others when I can, be an encourager and lift others up. I want to continue to grow spiritually and pursue my relationship with Jesus by daily readings, prayer, and fellowship with others. To show love and grace like He does and be used for His glory. To remind myself that the goal for my life on this earth is not comfort, but character development! I want to live with a grateful heart and truly count my blessings every single day!"
This mission statement is something I aim to do each day. Do I fail?? CONSTANTLY! Is it a goal?? YES! My very wise sister reminded me of 3 BEAUTIFUL WORDS our pastor, Dave Stone said. The key to life is "Direction NOT Perfection. I try to not beat myself up if I don't live up to this everyday, knowing I have a God that gives grace and mercy, thank you!! I do try to refer back to it often and see if my choices align. What can I do differently? What can I learn from a situation I'm facing? How can I improve? How can I make this world a better place to live?
Each night as I go to bed, I can rest knowing I tried, and the next day is a new day, that comes with new joys and challenges, and a time to do better. I am SO grateful for that!
Love,
Lisa Ray