Welcome back for part two of “All The Lonely People”.  You can read part one here.

This year my “ONE WORD” is { INTENTIONAL }.

I’ve decided I live way too much of my life on auto-pilot.  A revelation that came to me while I attended Brave Girls Camp back in May of 2012.  I was awaken to the fact that it’s hard to enjoy life when you’re on auto pilot.  You miss out on all that it has for you.  So this year I am focusing on living my life with intent.  Intentional time with my Lord… with self care… with relationships… with inspiring, creating and sharing.  This new Blog as a big part of that.

One thing that I’m going to be intentional with is sending out more cards. You may think that is a no-brainer since I’m a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator but I actually was better at that before I became a Demonstrator.  I get so busy with the prepping of classes and events that I don’t take the time to make them for myself to give. Or worse, I actually do get them made but never manage to get them sent out.  I have stacks of unmailed cards to prove it. Sad but true…

To continue from part one of “All The Lonely People” I am also going to be intentional with awareness of those around.  Again it’s so easy to overlook others when you are operating on auto pilot.  So many around us are hurting or lonely.  I need to have my eyes open and we all need to be gentle with one another ~ Lives depend on it.  My dear friend Melody Ross from Brave Girls Club shared in THIS incredible blog post about how it would be so propound if we could all wear a sign proclaiming what we were going through or what we needed.  We are all so afraid of what others would think… our weaknesses would be exposed.  So instead we tend to hide behind the pain, behind the loneliness, behind the screen and pretend everything is okay.

I’m working on being intentional with growing and my time with the Lord as well.  I’m in the middle of Beth Moore’s “Sacred Secrets” Bible Study where she just shared with us that secrets manifest.  We may think that what is going on in our lives is hidden but it will manifest itself one way or another.

It may be that the disengaged or grouchy girl whose path you just crossed was up all night with a teething baby, or she has been taking care of her own mother who doesn’t remember who she is, or she just got the test results from the doctor, or someone she cares about deeply just tried to end their own life, or she lives with the memories of child abuse, or the father that she finally was able to forgive and build a relationship with is dying, or her husband is dealing with depression and she yearns for him to just and hold her tight, or maybe he just told her that his business is going under and they may lose everything they’ve worked so hard for, or her closest friend just betrayed her, or she has unfulfilled dreams and desires, or fear has paralyzed her, or she can’t remember what it’s like to not feel pain, or she is so very lonely.

Anyone of us could be that girl.  I know because I’ve been that girl. We all need a little grace at times.  We all need someone to really see us… to hear us.  So many are screaming without uttering a word.  Let’s look up from our screen and see past others eyes to find a soul.  Intentional living matters… kindness matters… love matters most…

Casting Crown does a beautiful job reminding us of this in their song “Does Anyone Hear Her”.

If you are the one that is crying out and feel like you are not seen or heard please know that you are not alone.  You are truly loved.  God has not forgotten you.  He sees you.  He hears you when no one else does.  I hope and pray that you can be brave enough to come out from behind your screen and ask for your deepest needs and desires.  We were not meant to do this journey alone.  Seek out a safe place of community where you can be encouraged, thrive and grow.  The Lord has promised to never leave you.  He has a plan for your life… a plan for an awesome and wonderfully fulfilled life even more than you can possibly dream or imagine.

{ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ~ Jeremiah 29:11 }

So now I’m off to getting some cards sent out… because it matters…

{ Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. ~ 1 Peter 5:7 }