We're a few days into the year 2020. If you're from my generation or before, you might have seen the memes and jokes about how badly we wanted Barbara Walters to show up everywhere saying, "This is 2020."
Since it's the start of not only a new year, BUT a new decade, it's a PERFECT opportunity to get clear about who we are and our purpose in the new year.
Today, I'm excited to offer you a fabulous opportunity to take some powerful and practical next steps on getting yourself focused and ready to be your best as well as walk closer with Christ in the upcoming year.
Are you ready to get clear about your new year?
In the video below, I'm sharing with you a NEW special tool that I developed called Focus 2020. I will walk you through how to choose your word of the year, verse of the year, and help you identify three practical ways that you can be more intentional, let go, and practice self-care.
Getting started is easy! Just click the video below! The FREE Focus 2020 worksheet can be downloaded by clicking here.
One final thing...Even if you don't feel like doing this, just watch the video. I've got an inspiring and encouraging word for you, no matter if you do the Focus 2020 exercise or not. Please let me encourage you today!
Praying God's best for your new year!
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Originally posted to social media on December 24, 2019.
This little tree sits right outside my apartment door. I bought it last year. Before this little tree, my family had a ceiling scraping tree that took hundreds and hundreds of lights, decorations and muchas time to decorate.
But this little tree represents something very sweet to me. It was a new beginning, even though it was a small, difficult start.
We often get frustrated with small things. We underestimate little moments. We discount tiny gestures.
Yet I love the wisdom in Zechariah 4:10 when a messenger of God told the people: “Do not despise small beginnings.”
Ahhhh, that is so true isn’t it?
We treasure the biggest, best, fastest and most impressive. Yet, Christmas is a reminder that the very best does really come in a small package.
God’s people expected a Savior that would come guns - no - swords blazing. So they rejected the quiet arrival of a babe born in an unimpressive space with a lot of run of the mill company.
But there were a few people, some wise men who knew the power of a small beginning!
See those little boxes? I bought them at the same time as my tree.
Those boxes remind me of the precious gifts that the wisemen brought for that tiny heavenly king. They didn’t bring truckloads of stuff, rather a small priceless treasure that they carried close to their hearts.
Gold. Frankincense. Myrrh.
The value would have been enough for Joseph’s family to live well for some time.
Small gifts can a big impact.
This Christmas, give yourself permission to stop stressing out about not being able to give or get enough.
Truth is, you’ve already been given everything that will ever matter.
That small beginning in Bethlehem thousands of years ago set the stage for a world-changing event decades later.
Jesus came so that you could have peace. He came to bring you hope. He died and then conquered death so that you could let go and find freedom from your past and look forward to a purposeFULL and eternal future.
Don’t overlook the small beginning of Christmas because you’re too busy going after the bigger or shinier things.
Everything you’ve ever needed is already given to you.
Be wise. Don’t miss him.
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” -Luke 12:34 NIV
Are you looking for an excuse to postpone taking down your Christmas tree?
Do you need to do something with your hands other than eat another cookie?
Would you like to read some good news since things have been pretty tense in our country lately?
If so, I can help!
Here's my end-of-the year ministry and personal update. As you're reading this update, I'm cleaning up my apartment. I had a wonderful time celebrating Christmas with my three adult daughters. Last Christmas, my oldest daughter was on deployment in the Middle East, so I loved having her home this year. We enjoyed created special memories together during family game nights, a hysterical escape room adventure and visiting with extended family.
Speaking of blessings, I want to shout about how God has blessed my ministry this year. If you've prayed for me this year, purchased one of my Bible studies or attended one of my speaking events, TOGETHER we shared in what God was doing in and around me.
I'd love to share some of the highlights of what God has done through my ministry this year. Here are some photos that capture a small snapshot of all that God blessed me to be a part of in ministry this year. After the photos, I'm sharing an update on my family and marriage.
In 2019, my word-of-the-year was HOPE. That was inspired by my verse of the year below, which is Romans 12:12.
I chose the word HOPE because for the past few years, my greatest spiritual challenge has been learning to how to keep my focus on giving God glory, no matter the outcome of my personal story.
For those who are new to my email list, my family has been in the midst of a long and hard season due to an addiction issue in our home. I've refrained from sharing a lot of details because my family wanted - and at times - needed the privacy. I wrote a few blog posts in July and August 2018 about what was happening, so if you want background information, you can read here.
I've been grateful for the prayers and notes of support from so many of you. Over the past 16 months, I've heard from a heartbreaking number of wives who were dealing with addiction issues in their marriages and families. If you've been afraid to speak up or feeling ashamed of speaking up, please know that you've got nothing to be ashamed about. Most of all, you aren't alone. You are not solely responsible for saving your marriage. Be wise and talk about what's really going on - and be wise about who you choose to talk to!
For the past 10 years, I prayed and asked God to rescue my marriage and restore our family. But, that didn't happen. After 26-years of marriage, my spouse no longer wanted to continue being married even after numerous pleas for counseling and reconciliation.
Over the year of court hearings and delays, I slugged through crippling grief, anger, loss of confidence, shame and a two-week depression in late-March. The depression set in after an emotionally traumatic court date. I had the face the reality that I was not going to get the miracle that I prayed for. The pain of it all was too much. I lost the ability to speak for a few days. Other than a brief workout each morning, I stayed in bed for days. Thankfully, I had a break in my speaking and writing schedule so that I could get the help and rest that I needed.
This summer, I wrote the Surrendered: Letting Go and Living Like Jesus Bible study. This Bible study is about letting go of what we can't control. I focused on Jesus' time in the wilderness. I spent a lot of time meditating on Jesus' response to Satan in Matthew 4:4: People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
During those dark days in March when I barely felt like I had enough life to keep breathing, I would lay in bed and repeat every Bible verse I knew. I couldn't eat. I could barely move. But it was God's Word that sustained me.
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because the LORD is with you wherever you go. -Joshua 1:9
You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! -Isaiah 26:3
The Lord gives his people strength. The Lord blesses them with peace. -Psalm 29:11
These verses and dozens of others breathed life into me when nothing else on the planet could help. If you've read about my God-Morning/God-Night Technique from Winning the Worry Battle, you know that I repeat five verses every morning before I get out of bed each day. God has used this as a healing and strengthening exercise for my heart and mind.
Our divorce was settled at the end of September 2019. It took a few more months of final paperwork, but at the end of the year, the divorce is done.
During this long season, God also surrounded me with an incredible support system of friends, both from church and Al-Anon. My accountability partner and Christian counselor provided a safe spaces for me to be 100% real and deal with messy emotions. The truth does set us free - but first, it does hurt. And that's okay! Freedom is worth it!
I felt the God's conviction be vigilant about carrying for my body and soul. God created our bodies and commands us to take care of them.
I cried through a lot of workouts, but exercised anyways because it helped me stay upbeat and positive. Exercise energized me and even helped me with staying consistent with my own daily Bible study and prayer.
I've noticed that when I felt physically worn out or down, it's tough to be spiritually engaged. So working out helps me stayed engaged with God.
In addition to exercise, I've kept up a weekly fast for the past four years. This spiritual discipline built up my self-control and prayer muscles so that I could battle against the various temptations like emotional over-eating, control-loving issues or holding onto resentment. I need new spiritual muscles now that I am single. I'm still a whole woman so self-control is needed in new ways, like avoiding inappropriate relationships (which wasn't challenging, but a new aspect of life that I've had to adjust to this year).
I'm still trust God's sovereignty over how addiction and divorce have destroyed precious family relationships.
My adult daughters are still dealing with some hard things. I've dealt with family and friends who been critical, in denial, judgmental or cut off contact. It's painful. Yet, wise voices around me encourage me toward showing grace, keeping good boundaries and walking out Romans 12:18: As much as it is up to you, live at peace with everyone. So, while there are people in my family who no longer want to have a relationship with me. But I can let go of the hurt and forgive, even if there is no reconciliation. There is great freedom in forgiving and letting go!
As you know, my most recent Bible study is I'm Waiting, God: Finding Blessing in God's Delays. Not only did I experience God's provision while writing the study, I had live out the spiritual principles that I wrote about in the study. In the final week of the Bible study, I write about letting go when God's answer is no. This is a hard part of life that we don't like to acknowledge.
For reasons that we don't understand, God allows loss, pain, death, addiction, divorce, infertility, etc. He didn't cause these tragedies, but God is the only One who can redeem our pain.
God's glory is never dependent on how He answered our prayers. God's goodness isn't diminished one iota even though my marriage ended. He is still good. He is still a good God. At the same time, God is compassionate and loving. I've sensed His love and presence every single moment of this heartbreaking situation.
Divorce is the death of a sacred, holy union. If you've been through a divorce, you've experienced the shocking physical pain of being emotionally gutted by the ripping apart of that union. It's the death of companionship, love, intimacy and a future. I spent the first half of 2019 coming to grips with the loss of my marriage.
It was a spiritual battle for me to hold onto hope.
I ruthlessly cling to Jeremiah 29:11 - that even in this heartbreak that God's plan's for my life and my family's life are for good and not evil. I believe this for each one of us, including my former husband. I am grateful for God's mercy that my girls and I have been freed from the pain of living in addiction. Every single day, I pray that he will experience God's freedom and rescue as well.
Friends, in this 47th year of my life, I experienced the power of God working in my life in miraculous ways. This year, I've experienced the blessing of living for God's glory, no matter the outcome of my story. Too often we get wrapped up in the way that we think that our lives should look or turn out - and when God doesn't answer those prayers, we get discouraged.
In my I'm Waiting, God study, I say it like this: What if God has better blessings for us when He doesn't give us what we want?
That's a hard and scary question, isn't it? Especially if you're praying for something that means a lot to you. I get that. My marriage and my family meant a lot to me. I may never know why God allowed this to happen, but I don't need to know either. Even if I did know, the tragedy still happened.
So, I decided to trust God and focus on what I could do:
I can lean in. I can hold on. I can choose faith. I can be strong.
So much has happened this year, so it wasn't possible for me to get through what I've been through on my own.
I could not have filmed two teaching DVDs in my own strength.
God's strength got to me through.
Not a chance I could have managed 31 speaking events across the country and given 70, yes 70 separate talks at those speaking events.
God's strength got me through.
I wouldn't have tremendous joy, peace, courage and strength to embark upon a new year with hope and excitement. All Glory to God!
Thank you for reading my long update. I know that I'm not the only one going through a hard time. If that's you, know that I am hugging you and praying for you, my friend. You are not alone! If you've got any questions about my ministry or family update, you're welcome to email me at barb@barbroose.com.
So what now? Well, next week I'm sharing a post about preparing ourselves for 2020. In fact, I've got a fun planning sheet for YOU! It's not a goals sheet, but a focus sheet to help you pick what's going to be important to you this year.
Do you realize that your encouraging words can give others courage?
I saw this little ginkgo leaf laying alone on a walk recently. Ginkgo leaves always remind me of Mr. Pete Frazier, my sixth grade teacher who was the first person who told me that I had a gift for writing.
He taught our class English for 90 minutes each day. We’d groan and complain, but he’d teach on. But he was also generous with extra recesses and taking our class on walks.
His house was near the school and one day he took us there to see his favorite ginkgo tree. I loved the shape of the leaves and Mr. Frazier’s enthusiasm.
My neighborhood is filled with ginkgo trees and each time I look at the leaves, like this one, I’m reminded of every time Mr. Frazier looked that tall, awkward, brown-skinned girl with giant glasses in the eyes and how he encouraged her to write on. His encouragement gave me courage! Ultimately, Mr. Frazier’s kind words paved a portion of the road that led to my life today.
Three years ago, I had the precious opportunity to email Mr. Frazier and thank him. It was a precious moment for me.
🍁 Here’s one of my very favorite wisdom sayings: “Kind words are like honey— sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.” -Proverbs 16:24
YOUR ACTION STEP: Today, find someone and call out whatever is special or wonderfully unique about them. Send a text, a note or make a call. Or, make that call and say “thank you” to whoever has made a difference in your life. This is a great time of the year to let people know that they matter!
I remember standing over my toddler’s crib as she screamed in her sleep. Bless her little heart, she was having a nightmare so I didn’t want to jar her awake by picking her up. It hurt to see that her little eyes were screwed shut while juicy teardrops clung to her soaked eyelashes. Each sharp cry bounced off each wall before slamming into my aching mother’s heart.
I leaned over her crib to rub her back and soothe her pain. I cooed soft words toward her little ears.
Shhhhh, don’t cry, sweetheart. Mama is right here.
Shhhhh, don’t cry. You’re safe. You’re going to be okay.
It broke my heart that she couldn’t hear my comforting words because of the fearful cries. As her mother, I knew that she didn’t have anything to fear because I was watching over her. It’s hurt to see her in pain, but I knew that she couldn’t receive the comfort until she was ready to stop crying.
I wonder if the sound of our cries often drowns out the comforting words and promises that God wants us to hear from Him? In times of hardship or pain, our fears can make us forget that God is near and watching out for us.
In Joshua 1, the Israelites prepared to enter the Promised Land. I'm sure that they had a lot of questions and concerns about what would happen next. Afterall, they’d heard about the giants and powerful enemies living in the land. I’m sure that a few people let their imaginations run wild, likely resulting in some anxious thoughts or fears. In fact, those fears led the previous generation to rebel against God many years before.
Yet, God speaks a series of powerful reminders about victory to their new leader, Joshua. In fact, there’s a well-known phrase that God repeats to Joshua. God uses the phrase “be strong and courageous” three times in Joshua 1:6-7 and 9. That phrase also pops up in various other scripture verses, too.
Here’s what God proclaims to Joshua in verse 9: “This is my command – be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
Before Joshua and the Israelites ever set one foot in the Promised Land, God promised them of His power and presence in their lives. This meant that even in the moments when they couldn’t feel God, He was there. Furthermore, even when their circumstances looked messy or they made mistakes, God was still here. Most of all, even in their darkest hours, God would still be there.
This is such an encouragement to us, isn’t it?! Especially since there are times in life when we feel like we’re lost, alone or in the middle of nightmare, God’s power and presence are with us giving us the ability to be strong and courageous in our circumstances.
For me, the practical application comes down to something that I write about in my Joshua Bible Study: The difference between worry and worship is WHO I’m talking to. The most powerful way to flip from fear to faith is to tackle every “what, if “ fear that keeps us up at night and instead pray with a “God, if…” faith that connects us to God’s power, presence and ultimately His victory!
Barb Roose is a speaker and author who is passionate about teaching women to live beautifully strong and courageous so that they experience God’s great adventure of faith and purpose for their lives.
Check out Barb’s new releases, Stronger Than Stress: 10 Spiritual Practices to Win the Battle of Overwhelm book and Stronger Than Stress: 10 Spiritual Practices to Win the Battle of Overwhelms Bible study.
Barb lives in NW Ohio and is proud mother of three adult kids. Whenever possible, Barb prefers to eat dessert first. Visit Barb’s online home at barbroose.com.
