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This is it. The last day of 2014. There have been so many great things that have happened this year (like the birth of my daughter and the launch of my photography business) that I could spend hours recapping, but instead I would rather talk about the future. Some people choose one word or a "word of the year" to focus on for the upcoming year. In past years, nothing has ever really come to mind. But the closer we began to approach 2015, the stronger I felt that this year... I needed a word. Not just to join in the "hype" or feel like I'm setting some goal for myself - no, this is a word that I believe God has specifically placed on my heart and is teaching me to live by in the upcoming year (and beyond!)

My word for 2015? Simple.

Yes, you read that right. My word is simple.

I don't believe I'm an extravagant person, by any means. But I do like nice things. And my taste is sometimes more extravagant than my lifestyle allows (pointed out by my husband just recently). But the Lord has been working on my heart most recently, through conversations and sitting in other people's homes, through random little things I've read randomly in random places (seriously, random) and through His word - that I need to live life more simply.

Getting rid of the clutter, the packed schedule and the need to stay updated on social media. Focusing more on heart work and less on busy work. Cleaning out the closets, literally and metaphorically.

Life with two small children is not slowing down any time soon. But what I can change is how many toys there are to pick up after playtime, how many clothes we wear, how often we go out to eat and how much shopping we do. I will begin this next year by purging and only keeping things that I love or use often. I've found some helpful tips here and here on how to help me do that (and if I don't return your text message, I'm probably head down in a box somewhere).

Again, we have never been extravagant people. This isn't just about giving up a life of luxury - I truly feel called to a simple life. I want to live simply, so I can be of more use for the Kingdom of God.

I've noticed that when my life is super-packed and busy, I have less room in my schedule for others. And with all the STUFF we've accumulated lately, it takes me hours to tidy up my house. I want to have a home free of clutter, so I can invite people over on a whim and they won't be sitting in my two-week-old clean, unfolded laundry. I want there to be freedom in our budget to buy (or make) someone a meal. And I believe the answer is simple. Less is more.

There are so many verses from Scripture that come to mind when thinking of the way I desire to live my life to the glory of God. Here are a few areas where I am striving to live more simply.

• In appearance - "Do not be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God."1 Peter 3:3-4
• In hospitality - "When you put on a luncheon or a banquet, don't invite your friends, brothers, relatives and rich neighbors. For they will invite you back, and that will be your only reward. Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. Then at the resurrection of the righteous, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you."Luke 14:13-14
• In my home - "She carefully watches everything in her household, and suffers nothing from laziness."Proverbs 31:27

I am super excited for this new year! Excited for purging? Not really. But more than anything, I'm excited to see how the Lord is going to continue working in and through our family. This year has been a growing one (literally) and more than ever, I feel this anticipation of what He is going to do! My prayer is that our lives point to Jesus in all aspects. May the desire to live simply in our physical lives, be a motivator to live more abundantly in Christ!

Have you ever looked at someone else and thought, "Man, I just wish I could be where they are?"

In life, in career, in marriage, in family, in social status... whatever it is, many times we want what someone else has. The whole deception that we are never quite doing enough or being enough leads us to jealousy and greed.

I remember just a couple years ago, the huge desire I had to be a mom. It drove me to tears to see a pregnancy announcement because I was praying so hard for that to be me.

Fast-forward to now and I am savoring every bit of my very precious alone time while the kids are napping. Today I'm blogging. But typically it wouldn't be far-fetched to find me snuggling up on the couch trying to play catch-up with my DVR. Which some days may, in fact, be the most fun thing I do that day. Depending on if the show hasn't already been spoiled for me. That's a buzzkill.

The truth is, I got everything I coveted for (a family) and yet I still find myself wanting to resort back to the days of wasting my time watching TV. I'm embarrassed to admit it, but it's true.

Matthew 6:33 says, "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

All these things. All the things that we need in life will be provided for when we seek God first. It's not prosperity gospel - it's thegospel. Because when we seek after God, when we truly chase after building Hiskingdom... we can do without and we feel blessed with little.

The reason we become greedy is because our kingdoms look small. Our jobs don't look important enough or our homes pretty enough. We can't seem to find the right friends or right clothes to make us feel good. And we are too busy staring at people who are too busy staring at people who are too busy building their own kingdoms.

Seek first His kingdom...

God's kingdom looks a lot like giving with no strings-attached, loving with no conditions, serving with no reward. There is no status involved in God's Kingdom, no Pinterest board dedicated to it's cause. Because the things that actually give us value are not measurable here on earth.

I love being a mom. It has been the most fulfilling and God-honoring thing I could have ever asked for. But if I'm not careful, I could build my own kingdom around it. I could try and become "super-mom" with super kids who wear super-hip clothing and are the super-athlete/musician/student. Trust me, there are Pinterest boards for all that.

But more than anything, my desire is to raise children who are united in building God's kingdom instead of their own. It's going to take a lot of work and prayer - I can already see the sinful nature has been passed down from me and planted deep into my children's DNA. But if I can become good at anything, I want to become good at seeking first the kingdom of God. Not for my own boasting, but for the ones who will model their kingdoms after mine - most importantly, my children.

And so next time you are tempted, like me, to become envious of where someone else is in life - remember whose kingdom you are seeking. And that in order to build the Kingdom of God, our kingdoms must look small.

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Have you ever felt the need to be quiet? To not say anything, even when what you are watching/seeing/hearing is wrong, for fear of the backlash, the label, the stigma that you are "one of those" Christians who is all about judgment and little grace? This seems to be where I am finding myself these days. And it has caused me to retreat from blogging or sharing my heart on anything, besides what I know to be politically correct and accepted by all. Which is basically nothing. Because we debate everything under the sun these days, even down to what type of diapers we put on our babies' butts.

And so silence seems like the best position to take in the name of love and peace and, you know, actually having friends.

But the more I think about it, the more I realize that silence is less about loving people and more about them loving you.

We don't want to offend. So we tread lightly. We don't want to call out any particular sin in someone's life. Because, I mean, who are we to judge? We speak in generalizations and never really say anything.

And we feel validation in the fact that people like us. People find us approachable. People can be themselves around us - eat, drink and be merry!

And without even realizing it, we've made it all about... us.

I know some have come in the name of "Christianity," with their boycotts and picketing, and made the rest of us feel like we need to spend our lives making up for our tainted reputations. But we don't. Not really. That's just a lie that we've believed. Our reputations are always faltering and changing anyway, Christian or not. If there's anything we can be certain of as followers of Christ, it's that the world will hate us.

"And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world." - John‬ ‭17‬:‭14‬

"If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you." - John‬ ‭15‬:‭18-19‬

"And all nations will hate you because you are my followers. But everyone who endures to the end will be saved." - Matthew‬ ‭10‬:‭22‬

But, people loved Jesus. I hear you. That's always been my defense too. But did people really love Jesus? All the time? Like remember that time when he was preaching that he was the bread of life and that no one could come to the Father unless the Father gives them to him? (See John‬ ‭6) It said many people turned away and deserted him after that. Because it was offensive.

Listen, I'm not saying we need to join the protests or fill our churches with sermons of condemnation. But I believe there is a third option. Speaking the truth, in love. With gentleness. Proclaiming to a lost world that Jesus is the way! That sin is sin. And that repentance is necessary.

Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. - Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭15‬

I know just writing this out and reading over the Scriptures listed above has helped bring about a revival in my spirit. To quit seeking the approval of man. Forget silence. Forget political correctness... I'm mad at Hillsong! There I said it.

And not just them, but the whole movement that teaches you can't be straightforward about sin AND still be loving. I am a messed up sinner myself, and there are times my husband has been straight forward with me about areas in my life that need repentance. You know the one thing that never crossed my mind? He doesn't love me! If anything, I felt loved enough that he would point it out. And also, I felt loads of remorse and disgust for what I had done.

That's true repentance.

We're becoming a generation of "Thumpers." And not the "Bible-thumpers" that everyone loves to hate. The one from Bambi that coined the phrase, "If you can't say something nice, don't say nothing at all." (Some of you just learned that wasn't in the Bible) It's time to quit hiding behind the veil of wanting to show love to people and admit it, we just really want people to love us.

Update: Brian Houston, pastor of Hillsong Church, has issued a statement which clarifies the context regarding his first statement. While this issue was not the sole reason for writing this post, I do feel like it needed to be clarified that I am in no way discrediting Hillsong Church or their ministry. I believe they are doing great things for the Kingdom of God! Praying that the gospel continues to be preached!