Happy New Year from Fruitful Vine!

2012 Has Arrived!

Image by Lance and Erin via Flickr

It seems like these days are flying by at warp speed around the Kilcoyne home. Christmas and New Year’s Eve are a blur to me- actually 2011 was CRAZY busy, exciting, challenging, and exhausting all at the same time… but now here we are in 2012! Whew!

The last time I posted I asked, What does the New Year mean to you?  I love planning and I love making goals, but I can also quickly become overwhelmed by them. I am such a visionary that I often bite off more than I can chew and this year is no exception. When I looked at all I wanted to accomplish this year I realized I was once again in the land of Too Much! My husband laughs at me often about this tendency of mine- I don’t just want to clean my house, I want to decorate too- all within a week’s time! (Yes, I am one of THOSE women!) I don’t just want to plant a garden- I want a small farm operation! Everything is BIG with me, and I wouldn’t change that about me at all, neither would God. I firmly believe that He gets a kick out of His Children who dream big dreams, we are crazy enough to think we can achieve them, and that sisters, is called FAITH.

However, big goals and dreams don’t get achieved by taking on too much at once. If you’re a visionary like me, then you know that you can quickly burn out speeding toward your goals. The key for sisters like us, is that we need to learn to take our visions and PRAY about them, asking the Lord to show us the step-by-step process of achieving those goals. He gives us the baby steps and shortcuts we need to see the vision through to fruition. Do you want to be more healthy this year? Take a few weeks every day before the Father to ask Him how you should approach health for your body. Keep a notebook close by and jot down the ideas He gives you. Do you want to be more connected to family this year? Do you want to run your home more efficiently? Write that book? Compose that song? Start that bible study? Sometimes, He’ll even tell you to lay a dream or two down because it wasn’t His Plan or His Timing for that thing. It is so important that, in everything, we acknowledge Him, consult with Him and follow Him. Only then can we have real success in life.

If you are just starting to seek the Lord for 2012, try listing all of the goals, dreams, & aspirations on paper. Take that sheet of paper with you to your prayer closet and pray over each individual thing. Ask the Lord what He would have you focus on this year, ask Him to give you scriptures to confirm His Will. I usually spend about three-four weeks on this process, and I usually do this in late September of every year, seeking the Lord about the coming year, but this past year has been a little different and I find myself doing it now rather than four months ago! Regardless of the timing, one thing I know without a doubt, is not to move forward without my guidance from Him.Take the time to seek Him now, and you will ensure success throughout the year!

All of that being said, God says, “For I know the plans I have for you…” (Jeremiah 29:11) He knows… it is important for us to ask Him what His plans are for us, amen? I remember one year, all He spoke to me in prayer about the coming year was that He wanted me to love my husband and children, stay home and keep my priorities in order. Seemed simple enough… ha! I sure learned a lot that year about how difficult it can be to keep priorities in order! But you know what? Had I not obeyed what He spoke to me, I do not believe that Fruitful Vine Outreach would have been birthed and my heart for God’s Woman would have never ran this deep. That was a year of divine revelation for me about what the Lord considers valuable in His sight, and He has continued to minister to me every year since then about priorities, family, women and ministry – what if I had not sought after and  listened to His plans? Sister, He has wonderful things in store for you this year- He is simply waiting for you to come to Him so He can tell you.

The following song is one that the Lord has laid on our family’s heart for the year and we feel it is not just for us. God is calling His people to Him and He desires to show His Plans to us. I encourage you to seek Him, you’ll not regret it!

embedded by Embedded Video

YouTube DirektAway With Me

So, come away with Him this New Year, open up your heart and let Him in to show you what He has in store for you!

Regular posts from Fruitful Vine will resume shortly, I am excited about the coming year and all that will be coming into fruition here. I’ll see you soon, but until then, here’s an older post that I think applies to this time of year:

On My Heart, Do You Fast and Pray?

Have a blessed week! Completely His, Nicci Kilcoyne