Last year I chose my “word” rather late in the year after my year just started having a common theme – Perspective. I realized that a lot of things in my life could take on a much different light based on my perspective, and I used that to carry a positivity through some hard times. Unfortunately, hard times are still upon us, and it’s not going to stop me from trying to “keep my head up.” In fact, a conversation with my husband about God’s Will is what is setting the tone and my word for both myself AND Pea of Sweetness for 2014 because it is fitting. “Refine.”
Definition of Refine from Dictionary.com:
re·fine [ri-fahyn]
verb (used with object), re·fined, re·fin·ing.
1. to bring to a fine or a pure state; free from impurities: to refine metal, sugar, or petroleum.
2. to purify from what is coarse, vulgar, or debasing; make elegant or cultured.
3. to bring to a finer state or form by purifying.
4. to make more fine, subtle, or precise: to refine one’s writing style.
Refine as it applies to myself for 2014
Psalms 66:10-12
“For You have tried us, O God; You have refined us as silver is refined. You brought us into the net; You laid an oppressive burden upon our loins. You made men ride over our heads; We went through fire and through water, Yet You brought us out into a place of abundance.”
You see, we may not understand trials, and we may assume we are gifted an easy road, but that isn’t true. Our family has had many trials, and they have only made us stronger. They refine us, and in the end we will see the blessings. This is yet another trial, and I feel 2014 will be the year of refinement – the year that the trials will continue to refine me into the person God intends for me and needs me to be to reach others. As He continues to refine me, I pray I can be a blessing to others. I have faith that 2014 will be a year full of blessings because with refinement comes blessings! I refuse to see trials as burdens but rather chances to grow and to be refined. It is in this place that I can be open to change and growth, and I am very excited for what 2014 will bring!
Refine as it applies to Pea of Sweetness
In the past year I took an unintentional direction with Pea of Sweetness. I had a love/hate relationship with it, but the overall feeling is that I felt I lost some purpose, and just as I continue to grow and will be refined in the new year, so will Pea of Sweetness. I have created a 2nd blog, Deals of Sweetness, where I will eventually migrate more of the reviews and giveaways – particularly those that don’t fit the homemaking, homeschooling, parenting, special needs parenting and homeschooling, Faith, natural living, etc. niches.
I LOVE doing them, but I don’t love that they seemed to have taken away from the content on Pea of Sweetness. I also love that Deals of Sweetness will give me an outlet to expand on sharing my passion for eco-friendly living and more so eco-friendly living on a budget while once again, allowing Pea of Sweetness to be refined and more focused on the content I would like to bring it back to – my goal of sharing My Journey to Proverbs 31. It will be a process as the other blog needs to grow, but it is a process about which I am excited!
I felt like I was teetering on a border of readers that were here for one thing and readers that were here for another, and they were totally different – and they didn’t have interest in the other. I feel like this change will help eliminate that by refining Pea of Sweetness to have a more clear goal and focus and those that have loved the reviews and giveaways and tips for eco-friendly living will actually have even MORE of that they can enjoy on Deals of Sweetness!
I admit I struggled emotionally with comparing myself and Pea of Sweetness to other bloggers and blogs, and that left me more confused and torn. Sometimes it also left me feeling completely torn up! As part of both my personal refinement and Pea of Sweetness’s refinement I decided to throw it all out the window! I make mistakes. I’m human. Because I’m human, not everybody is going to like me regardless. That’s OK. God loves me. He has a purpose for me AND what I am doing through my writing. I’m going to work hard not to let numbers, comparisons, or even the “no’s” from 2013 bring me down, but yet use them as one more tool to refine my talents and abilities – not for them, though – for YOU because I care about you. I do what I do BECAUSE of you and because I am called to do it!
I am truly excited for the changes that are happening in both myself and on Pea of Sweetness, and I know 2014 is going to be a year full of blessings. It is my heart to share my refinement with YOU and pray you are blessed by this journey as well!
Read More!
Many bloggers are sharing their “word” for 2014, and it is one of my favorite things to read! What will YOUR word be for 2014? You don’t have to blog to choose a word for 2014! See what some of my fellow Schoolhouse Review Crew bloggers have chosen by clicking on the button below!
