A weekend to grow from

This past weekend I attended our church's women' s retreat. It had a Spa theme - and we were pampered rather nice on Friday night with some real spa treatment, along with games, snacks and staying up late laughing with girlfriends! Restful? I don't think so but definitely fun!
I was really moved by the speaker on Saturday morning though. Her whole talk was an analogy of Extreme Makeover: Home addition. She walked us through the steps of looking at an old house that is deteriorating, then it is knocked down, built back up and of course the famous "Move that bus...welcome Callender family to your new home" is yelled out! How much our own lives are the same as this reality show. If we want them to be. We can easily live in our own bodies as they crumble around us with the stumbling blocks we have placed in our paths; our own weaknesses that we have allowed to control our happiness (or steal it away). I"m sure in a room filled with almost 100 women the "deteriorating walls within our own houses" (or lives) was very different for each of us. For me they were such small things that I have allowed over time to control me & my outlook on life. It's easy to justify or think to yourself that those things are not big enough to cause a house to crumble but if left untouched they are. Jealousy, gossip, envy, pride, anger...they can so rob me of my everyday contentment and joyfulness.
I told my mom that my word for the new year is "PROACTIVE"...I've never thought much about that word but it is so powerful and I think it will help me as I "redecorate" my house (or myself) for the new year. I want to daily be PROACTIVE and live not for myself but for the maker who created me. The One who wants me to have the fullest life I can have; one in which I am content in everything, free of judgment of others and full of patience with those I love!
Does your house need redecorating before it is too late and needs a full makeover? =)
Much love to all!