Word For 2013

2012 was an outrageously blessed year...

...it fulfilled the name I named it. 2012 so, so lived up to its name: "Cultivate"

Many amazing things were accomplished in 2010, named "Create". Create, I did...everything from a whole wedding event, to teaching myself how to knit.

Giving 2011 a name was life-altering. I was set utterly free from oppression I have yet to really talk in detail about...stories are still inside me, waiting for their time to be told. 2011 was named, "Sow!" There was an urgency to the word. I sowed with all my heart, in unexpected places, not where it was "expected" of me. I shook off the false expectations of others that year. I began to conceive of a life apart from the typical roles I had played all my adult life.

And it made me a far better wife, mother, and Preacher's Wife.

2012, I simply kept up the momentum. I continued to cultivate the conditions for personal growth, apart from the blessing of my sons, who are working on their testimonies, and even the blessing of daughters, who are working on their beautiful lives. The successes and perceived failures of daughters or sons didn't even slow me down. I just stayed rightly related, enjoyed life, and cultivated my own gifts.

The payoff? The Preacher's namesake now lives next door...an insanely perfect blessing. My grandson, daughter and son in law moved out of our home, buying the house next door. It felt amazing to know that living with us for a season (while Justin finished his Master's and internship) helped them achieve that dream.

A youngest son's high school graduation. A home education triumph, to be sure.

New business started. My art...in a Knoxville boutique! My art...sold as far away as New Zealand, the UK, and California.

New art studio designed and installed.

New car.

New granddaughter....who just last week moved to a cute house, with her mommy and daddy...a house with a studio and workshop for her artist-daddy...on 11 acres...2 miles away from my front door. Insanely perfect blessing! My cup runneth over.

And now...2013 also has a name. And it is big. For me, this is a leap of faith that excites me out of my mind! My word for 2013?

HARVEST



An explosion of new life. Abounding fruit. Abiding fruit. To my account.

Every prayer that I've prayed.

Every seed that I've sown.

Desires of my heart, He's preparing to grow.

Am I ready???


Written for you with love...
Sheila Atchley
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