My Star Word for 2014 is “Vitality.” (You can read more about Star Words and how to get one here…). I have been thinking about what helps me maintain my vitality, particularly in terms of my emotional and and mental energy.

One of the things I realized is that I have more personal energy when I am more organized. This translates into not procrastinating!! I can find five hundred ways to NOT do the things I know need to be done. It can be a case of the “I don’t wanna’s” or just not wanting to spend the energy to start something new.

So I started a little experiment on some little tasks for cleaning up the house after Christmas, (which is something that I find very depressing.) Normally, I wait until after Epiphany to put things away and it drags out all month. I have fewer work hours this month, so I couldn’t even use that as an excuse. So with both girls gone for their job/school responsibilities, I decided to punt and GIT-ER-DONE.

In the process of packing things up, I realized that I didn’t have to keep the tangled, impossible-to-use Christmas ornament hooks.  One of our biggest frustrations when we decorate the tree is this mess of hooks that we have to painstakingly take apart. It’s not even worth the time to untangle them. So I was radical. I threw them away! Nope. Didn’t even recycle them.

Maybe there’s things in your life that are not worth exerting energy on any more. (Not people, mind you. People are deserving of our best efforts and intentions.) No, I’m talking about STUFF or ACTIVITIES or CHOICES which sap your strength and deplete your love of living.

What brings me VITALITY is knowing that I can make changes that bring life and energy in my life and the lives of others. And maybe there’s other simple things that I will learn I can release and devote my time and attention to better things. Things that are for God’s purposes and God’s people.