2012 Manifesto

Every January 1st people all over the globe make New Year's resolutions in an attempt to make this year better than the last. The concept behind it is great. Turn over a new leaf. Do something different. Improve. The problem is that most resolutions are forgotten by February 1st. So a few years ago I chucked the idea of a resolution. I created the manifesto.

The manifesto is like a mission statement. It is personal. It is mine. In it I detail the type of life I want to live, the type of person I want to be. It is a description of my best self. And it is visible. I post it on my bathroom mirror so that I have to look at it as I brush my teeth.

So here it is the 2012 Manifesto:

This year will be my year of obedience. I can not ask God to keep blessing me if I do not follow His instructions - all of His instructions. I can not pick and choose when I want to be obedient. And I want to be obedient so that my presence is always a blessing unto my family.

I want every generational curse to end with me. I want to be a person that leads with love. I want to be a person that forgives fully. I want to expect good out of people. I want my ears to be closed to those that mean me harm. I want to extend to others the mercy that God has shown me.

I want to walk fully into whatever God has for me. I want to consistently be in position to receive His blessing and work for His glory. I want my spirit and actions to always say "Yes" to whatever God asks of me.

I want God to be at the center of all that I do. For all that I do to be pleasing in His sight. I know that by keeping my eyes focused on Jesus that anything that comes my way can be dealt with the correct way. I know that trials will come, but I want to deal with them in the spirit and really learn to quiet/control my temper. I want my life to reflect my beliefs and to be a living testimony to the goodness, grace, love, and mercy of Christ.

See, easy peasy. Well, writing it is easy peasy. Now I just have to live it daily. So I encourage you to do your own version of the manifesto and place it where you can see it often. Keep your eyes on the prize!