The Theme for the Year: Radiate

Happy 2014! I took a nice break from blogging during the holidays and soaked up so much fun time with my sweet family. I'm glad to be back today, refreshed and renewed, and can't wait to share our Christmas celebrations, goals and so many other things with you!

Do you have a theme for your family each year? Last year was the first year I really had a theme and I knew I wanted to continue that for this year, but I was having a hard time coming up with what exactly would fit for our theme this year. Then, as I was sitting in the kitchen watching the boys play with some new remote control cars they got for Christmas and jotting down some goals for the new year (more on those later), Jack Johnson's song "Radiate" was going through my mind. A light bulb went off. Radiate. That's it! That's our theme! And it doesn't hurt that we all love that song. So, here you have it, our family's 2014 theme:


"Radiate what?" you may be thinking. There are a few things that we want to radiate this year.

1. Radiate our love for Christ. I can't tell you how much it thrills Kevin and me to hear the boys talking about Jesus. They love Him. It's clear. We talk with them about God daily, about His blessings and care and about His love for them. They know they are His perfect little miracles and it just makes me smile to hear them talk about Jesus. As a family, we want to radiate Christ's love this year. Now, of course, this is something we should do all the time, so it's not really just a year thing, but I want to make a conscious effort in 2014 to share the love we have as a family for Christ with others. We can share it through the way we act, the things we do and the things in which we participate.

You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. ... In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your father in heaven. Matthew 5:14,16

2. Radiate our love for each other. We love each other and we love our family. That's evident. This year, I want to continue to radiate the love we have for each other. We have been blessed beyond measure and that's something I want to share. Yes, we have our ups and downs, some days don't go as planned and we aren't sitting around a fire roasting marshmallows and singing "Kumbaya" at night, but we love each other despite our imperfections and cherish the little family we have. In 2014, I want to make a more conscious effort to radiate that love to Kevin, K.C. and Kaden. That means doing little things that show them I love them, slowing down and simplifying, being more patient and getting "off schedule" for indoor forts, movies and more Nutella dates (yes, the boys and I have these. Don't you think it's a great idea?)

3. Radiate love for others. I want this year to be about service (more on that one later, too). I want the things we do and say to show the love and compassion we have for others. There are so many ways that we - as a family - can do this. In 2014, I want to kick it up a notch.


Do you have a theme for the year?

What little things do you do to show your family your love?

Labels: , ,