My Word of the Year – Rachel Anne Hopper

We’re thrilled to introduce the next edition of “My Word of the Year” featuring Rachel Anne Hopper! Read below about how she’s implementing CONTENT into her life this year and how she’s making what matters happen.

Tell us who you are and what fires you up:
Hi y’all!  My name is Rachel Anne Hopper, and I am a wife, mom, friend, encourager, and a believer living life with an attitude of grace, gratitude and grit. I have a wonderful family, strong and beautiful friends, and I love my work as a college administrator.

What fires me up?

• My daughter’s laugh and the way my husband dances me around the kitchen
• Simplicity, joy and living a life on purpose
• Faithful friendships
• Hospitality
• Fresh flowers
• The perfect crescendo in a song

What do you value the most?

• God’s grace
• My husband and daughter
• Cultivating relationships
• Encouraging and caring for others

If you could envision your most fulfilling year yet, what would it look like?
I would see relationships flourishing, a year full of giving, and the knowledge that I made wise decisions.  I want to look back on 2016 and know that I chose the best yes’s in life, made good decisions for my family, walked with God, spent our finances wisely. Also, I would see relationships flourishing instead of accumulating stuff or status. I’d remember more laughing than crying, more date nights than meetings all night, and purpose over perfection. I would look back over my year to see gratitude and grace given and received. In reflecting over the past months, I realized I have lived out my most purposeful year yet!  Keep going lady, you’ve got this!

What is your word for this year? 
CONTENT

How have you implemented this word into your life so far this year?
My word for the year is content because God is enough, which makes me enough.  I want to bloom where I am planted within the season I am placed.  I don’t need all the extras in life.  I don’t need the next title or new, shiny thing.  God has called me good, and I want to rest in that.  One example of how I have implemented this is to evaluate my needs’ versus my wants’.  If I come across something that I want, then it goes on my wants list for 30 days.  If at the end of the 30 days I still want it, then we will figure out a way for it to go into the budget.  Another example is evaluating my motivation for my extra-curricular activities.  Am I part of an organization because of status motives? Do I want to attend an event because of who may be there?  These questions help me identify motivations and steer clear of what may draw me away from contentment.

What are you saying yes to this year?
I am saying yes to spending time in God’s word, meaningful relationships, focusing on my family, prayer, grace to myself and others, loving hard and laughing loud.

And, what are you saying no to this year?
I am saying no to comparison, lies of lack, 'need’ for things, status and perfection.

Where do you want to be when you’re 80?
In November 2015, I sat at MTH while Lara asked me to think about my 80-year-old self. When I closed my eyes to envision this, I saw myself sitting next to my husband, and we were watching our family (children, their spouses, grandchildren) laughing loud and loving hard. I looked at my children’s faces and saw joy. I looked at my husband and saw more than 50 years of better, worse, memories, hard work, commitment and dedication. I looked at my able body and saw a well-loved, yet fragile being.  Then, I started to look deeper at my vision. When I looked at my children and their spouses, I saw relationships thriving because we modeled marriage and therefore our children desired marriage. Likewise, when I looked at my children taking care of their own little ones, it told me that my husband and I modeled parenthood in such a way that our children wanted to lead a family. In my vision I also had an able body – strong, nurtured and cared for. I want every decision I make to lead me to that vision.

Thank you so much for sharing, Rachel! We’re cheering you on as you chase CONTENT this year!

Follow Rachel on Instagram at @rachelannehopper.