Renewing My Mind

Having a yearly theme has been a very personal exercise for me. Looking back, I think maybe I should have shared it with others just to keep my momentum going. I didn't want it to become like a resolution where I was determined to achieve a desired result. I wanted to delve into an area abit more purposeful, but I didn't want it to be a pass/fail type of endeavor.

This year I chose a theme to 'renew my mind'. I initally thought that would be simply to organize all the Bible verses I have memorized. I had alot of verses rattling around in my brain, but couldn't locate them accurately so my hope was to use my mind in a very purposeful way...and to learn the verse and reference once and for all.

I wasn't sure exactly what I wanted the end result to be, I simply wanted to be more mindful of my thought-life and I thought it would be measureable if I concentrated on what was in my memory bank.

I wasn't going to do this to sing my praises that I memorize verses

I was simply putting Rom 12:2 into an organized way of 'renewing my mind'.

I had a great time trying different systems. I spent the first 2 months trying to get a system into place...and in essence avoiding doing the work that this theme required, memorizing!

I finally set up a simple system of recording the verses in a handy way I could review them and recall where I would find them in the Bible. Very simple. Very accessible.

I was very ambitious to begin with, thinking I could memorize a verse a day...365 verses in 2009. Then I realized I would be doing it for all the wrong reasons and i would never be able to recall them all.

So I became realistic and simply made a point of 'renewing my mind' daily with verses and spent alot of time in review. I became much more conscious of WHAT I was thinking on an on-going basis.

'Renewing my mind' became alot more than just memorizing.

My theme for 2010? I don't know yet. Several ideas intrigue me, but I have learned not to force a theme. God will reveal what He wants me to work on.

How about you? Are you ready to have a theme that will help you define 2010 for your life?