Strategy
My theme this year is “Cultivating What Matters” and my word for the year is “Strategy”.
We spent all of last year digging into the book of Nehemiah, learning to rebuild with the blueprint found in these passages and finding balance in the rebuilding.
As I reflected back on this past year, I was so grateful that I truly felt more balanced, and that healing had come through the rebuilding process of mourning, fasting, praying, asking etc. We can keep using that blueprint as we discuss how we can create a strategy in living that cultivates the things that matter and helps us eliminate or dial down the things that really do not hold as much weight, if any.
Interestingly, enough I discovered that my abuser had been out abusing again. Not me, of course, but another unfortunate woman. Since, 2016 God has used me in the lives of these women in masterful ways. God’s strategy is perfect, and on time and on purpose. I began this journey with loathing, hatred, anger and fear in my heart. God has cultivated love, peace, grace and faith. What I discovered in God’s healing process, is that I find myself praying for the abuser too, not just the ones being abused. Growth is essential in our strategy, and in finding what matters most in our life.
In the coming weeks and months, we will strategize ways we can cultivate the soil of our soul and weed out the minor irritants and major destructive behaviors or aggravations that challenge each of us. For example, my abuser was a destructive aggravation and stunted the growth of my soul. Scrolling on the phone might be considered a minor irritant.
This is war, a spiritual war. We will strategize in the heavenly realm of life, making sure the steps we take, the weapons we carry, the words we yield are used in the battle so that the cultivation process does not have to be repeated, and our souls can be refined in the refiner’s fire. Diamonds start as black coal. Soldiers begin by learning discipline. Preachers become students of God’s word. We are clay in the Potter’s hand.
Let’s uncover the roots, plow our hearts, dig into our grand design and prepare our hearts to discover what really is important. We live in a world that has glorified living for yourself, making decisions based on how you feel, doing whatever you want and making sure you do for yourself before you do for others. There is time for self-care, but it is not at the expense of what matters.
I want to become a farmer that cultivates a soul that has soil rich in love, peace, joy, hope, faithfulness, goodness, patience, kindness, gentleness, self-control, grace and mercy.
Will you join me on this excavation? Will you consider the strategies that work to pull up roots, and plant seeds? Do you have any ideas you would like to share as we take this adventure?
Let’s make 2025 the year of winning the war on things that have beset you for far too long.
The Strategy for Cultivating What Matters will come to you around the 10th and 20th of each month and will be recapped in the Newsletter on the 1st of each month. I always appreciate grace, as life happens. God has big plans for each of you and I will be praying for you.
Dear Heavenly Father thank you so much for answering my prayers in 2024. You helped me learn the art of rebuilding my life with your blueprint and finding balance to do what is important. My readers came along with me, and I pray they too learned something and grew. Thank you for placing things on my heart to grow and allowing me the platform to share and help others. Lord, I lift up each individual who reads this that they begin to strategize alongside me to grow, sift, and till the soil in our souls to cultivate what matters most to you. In your precious son’s name I pray, Amen.
Stay Beautiful,
Susanne
Susanne Moore 