Word of the Year: Genuine

Ok, I'm two months late on the "word of the year" trend. I'll be honest, at first I thought the idea was kind of silly. But as I've been asked to ponder questions lately like, "where is your life going?" "where do you see yourself in 5 years?" "what are your long term goals?"...I started thinking about setting myself some personal goals. I tend to sell myself short, I have always lacked confidence, so having faith in myself and faith in my goals is new to me. 

But I do not lack hope. The past couple months I have been committing to tuning in to what God is saying. I have been consistent in reading scripture daily for the first time in years. I know that God is doing a lot in my life right now, not that this is new or anything, but I'm finally listening and it feels good. It makes me sad I've taken this long to wake the heck up.

In light of all of that, I want to commit to a simpler idea. And I want that idea to spread like wildfire in my life.

 I've decided to commit to the word:

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1.free from pretense, affectation, or hypocrisy; sincere: 

2.Truly what something is said to be; authentic

3. Or I also like urban dictionaries definition: 

Meaning "genuinely a good kid", someone who doesn't drink or do drugs, etc.

Yo dawg, you wanna go smoke?

Nah man, I'm genuine.

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I want to be genuine to everyone I am in contact with. I want everyone to know the same side of me, no different personalities, no switching sides depending on who my audience is. I want my attitude and actions to present someone who is genuine, who means what they say and who does what they say they're going to do. To actually pray when I say I will, to be the first one to resolve a conflict, to own up to my mistakes and sins, to be authentic in my love for the people in my life, and to do things with a full heart. 

I want my actions to be marked with an uprightness of character, not for my own glory but to the glory of Christ. It's time my life started looking more like Jesus and less like I'm over here running my own show. 

I want to finish what I start, go to the ends of the earth for people, I want to be genuine in my love. 

I'm joining in on this word of the year business because I need that reminder, I need something practically stapled to my forehead to remember it. My hope is that the practice of genuine-ity becomes over time not a practice, but just a normal way of life. That it becomes a part of me. 

I want to keep this in the forefront of my mind every day so that when I look at my life next year it will be marked by a more genuine spirit, not just marked but covered. 

Join me, friends, as I start on this journey.