Growth Areas

2013:

- To be hidden in Christ
- To live selflessly and courageously
- To empty myself so that I'd be full of Him

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2011:

I don't normally do stuff like this but for next year, just feel like I need to take my growth more seriously and I want to be able to write CONCRETE things down so people can keep me accountable to them and I'd be able to measure just how faithful God has been by the end of the year.

So here goes:

1. I want to be less fearful of unleashing myself, of letting other people see the beauty that's in me. I want to overcome my fear of being amazing. I want to be bold like a lion, bold and unwavering.

2. I want to walk in such intimacy with God that my words and His words become one. I want to learn to exercise my authority more, to not let my fears or insecurities hold me back from reaching for the fullness of what God has for me.

3. I want to be more selfless and sensitive towards other people. Instead of dwelling on ways that I've been affected by other people's actions or words, I want to make sure that I learn from them how I myself should treat others and turn it into something positive. I will not overpraise the people that I like or am closer to and make other people feel left out or taken for granted. I will not forget the people everyone forgets. I will do all things out of a pure heart. I will not try to overlook anyone, especially the people closest to me, in my attempts to appreciate and support the underdog and make other people feel special, but I will try to see everyone through the eyes of Jesus, and give everyone the credit due to them. The world is so unkind to so many people, I musn't add to the unkindness that exists.

I want to learn again what it means to give in silence and in secret, to give in/with the love of God. To never attribute everything that I do to myself, but to thank God for every opportunity to love. To never seek for affirmation, but be thankful for every kind word that is spoken to me. To have less need for affirmation and recognition. To be okay when people underestimate me or think that I'm incapable of doing anything. To not want to do things out of a desire to prove others wrong. To have less of a need to defend myself, but trust God to be my advocate in all things. To be okay when people treat me like I can't be human. To have more grace towards others and not expect perfection from everyone all the time. To be more understanding of others and appreciate it when they make an effort. Don't let myself be chained down by others.

4. I want to grow in the knowledge of God. Past few days, I've been reading the Bible a lot and it's been so exciting I haven't had an appetite for anything else at all. When I watch the shows I used to watch I find them so incredibly shallow and boring and a complete waste of time I can never get back. When I read the ridiculous books I have to read for school, I just long for the richness of the Bible and thank God that I have with me a book of treasures that I can turn to for wisdom and help and growth.

5. I want to build a better prayer lifestyle. I am very bad at praying in public and in front of other people and I want to get rid of that fear and self-consciousness that paralyzes me every time I have to pray for other people. I want prayer to be something that flows out of my being. And I want to pray with conviction that my words and prayers are important, that they can truly change the world.

6. I need to guard my mouth. Let nothing that is not edifying come out of it. I want to be more gracious in speech, to be less judgemental, to be less frivolous, to be less loud. Get rid of idle talk, speak only words of life.

7. I need to guard my heart. Don't just share everything with the whole world, don't just let everyone in. Don't shrink back from other people's attempts to love me, don't completely close off my heart from others. Be careful of the things I allow myself to store in my heart, be careful that nothing can come in and steal the treasures of my heart.

8. I need to guard my actions. Make sure I do things because I really want to, not to be seen in a certain way. To serve others more, not wait to be served. Be a real light that isn't hidden under a bowl hahaha. But one that burns and burns and burns and attracts others to His light.

9. Build more deep relationships, but also avoid neglecting the ones I already have, especially with family. Be a friend to those who need friends. Never question what I have to give to others, but just love and give and trust God to do the rest. To be teachable and always open to learning more things from others. Never seeking to be important or significant in their lives, but to know that even if I don't make an impact on someone's life, I learnt something more about what it means to love like Jesus did.

10. Cultivate the fruits of the spirit. I don't think I have any of them, and I want to work on having at least 2 or 3 by the end of 2011.

11. Guard, honor and respect myself for the sake of the glory of God and my future husband. I must learn how to acquire more skills to ensure that I will be a Godly and competent wife who truly brings my husband only good, and not harm, all his life. I must make sure I have eyes for only him, that I place the deepest parts of my heart in Jesus's hands for safekeeping for him, that my relationships with other guys are pure and will never bring shame to him, that I learn even now how to respect and submit to him and allow him to be a man.

12. To have more joy in everything!!! To treasure and take every season and opportunity in my life seriously. Always ask for His heart no matter what I'm doing. To never seek to understand life from my own perspective, but to renew my mind with His Word and to grow in His wisdom and to bring God's life into my circumstances.

13. Be less socially awkward. Be less afraid of talking to people.

14. To procrastinate less and be more organised. :S

15. To be a better steward of my gifts and talents.

16. Pick up a musical instrument!

17. Pick up a random skill that I don't have. Shall decide what later.

18. Take more risks. Step out of my comfort zone more.

19. Write more love letters to God. :)

20. To reflect more.

21. Build my life AROUND Christ, not the other way round.

22. Find out more ways that I can help the oppressed and the weak.

23. To grow in my capacity to love!

24. Eat more healthily! Exercise more!

25. Buy less books!

26. Spend less, save more.

Haha okay, will add to the list later. :p

27. To see everyone the way God sees them: loved, restored, redeemed.