A new word for a new year

 Well, it's been a while.  Maybe I'm not a blogger after all?  I know I missed writing about the new year when I shoud have, in January, but I thought I'd get some thoughts off before we enter March.  There are a few blogs that I read regularly and I was surprised that they all seemed to have the same New Year's theme.  Each author picked a word to focus on in the new year; a word that God had placed on their hearts to guide and define all they would do in 2013. After some thinking and praying, I think my word is Action.
  Perhaps not the way you would think though.  It's not that I am going to be so active, as in doing a lot of things for God.  It's more about "putting into action".  I've been putting some roots in the book of James this year, which has some very telling verses about action.  James 1:22-25: "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it says.  Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.  But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it- he will be blessed in what he does.
  I wonder how long I have been deceiving myself?  Just reading the word and letting it pour out of me like some kind of sieve.  Have I really put the word into action?  Have I really loved my neighbor as myself, sacrifically given to the poor, submitted to my husband, had love that was not proud or self-seeking?  Have I really not gossiped and not shown favoritism, observed the sabbath, kept my heart pure, taken every thought captive? 
  So how do I now suddenly become this great practicer, not a simple reader any longer, of the word?  I think God gave me a hint in I Peter 1:13: "Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed."  Before I can jump into action I need to get my mind ready.  This will involve the "pick and shovel" work (as my pastor says) of being in the scriptures daily.  That is the only way he says, that a foundation can be dug.  This is not my strong suit.  The daily "grind" of disicplined behavior is always a struggle for me.  My friend defined attitude as "a consistency of behavior".  I need a better attitude!  That is where the self-controlled part comes in, which I lack in spades.  Thankfully this is a fruit of the Spirit.  I am praying for Him to develop this in my life, with each daily choice that is surrounded by prayer.  But the day in, day out long term scope of this discourages me.  I think that's why Peter calls us to  set our hope on grace, which Jesus gives us.  In the inevitable failure or weariness, there is grace.  His commands are not burdensome, in Him is rest.  The very thing which seems like work to me, is the very thing which will release my soul from all that drags me down. 
  That is my plan for putting the word into action.  I don't know what I'll actually do because as Casting Crowns sings, I often "lose my follow-through between the altar and the door".  But in the process of thinking about it and praying, maybe my mind can be prepared for action, and maybe, just maybe, I can become a doer of the word.  That would be God's action.