If you are serious about making changes and setting intentions to live a purposeful life, some considerations are in order.

²³Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. ²⁴Avoid all perverse talk; stay away from corrupt speech. ²⁵Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. ²⁶Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. ²⁷Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil.

Proverbs 4:23-27

I am easily sidetracked. Today as we hiked in Sedona, I used an All Trails app to keep us on the trail. At one point, we reached a fork — right or left? I thought we should go to the left. Dave thought we should go to the right. We went to the left but I agreed that in a few yards I would check the trail map to verify we were on the right course. We walked 20 yards. I checked the map. Nope! We needed to go to the right.

I was glad for the navigational help of All Trails. It kept me true to my intentions. You see, before we left the parking lot, we stated our intentions. We purposefully chose a course based on distance, difficulty and time. By referring to the map, we were assured of a desired outcome. At the end, we could say we did it on purpose, with intention.

How do I want live intentionally? What will I do to achieve that goal? What do I need to stay on course?

I want to be an intentional grandparent, so I participated in a class called “Grandparenting Matters.” In it I was affirmed in my role as a grandparent and equipped with ideas and resources to be intentional in my role.

I want to be intentional in my spiritual life. I regularly spend time reading not only scripture, but other spiritual writings that help guide me in intentional spirituality. I meet with a spiritual director once a month for accountability. I meet regularly with likeminded followers of Jesus for encouragement.

I want to be intentional in relationships. Busyness so easily robs us of meaningful relationships so we formed a dinner club with four other couples that meets once a month. I make time to spend time with women who encourage and challenge me. My sisters, mom and I regularly make time to be together even though we live thousands of miles apart.

I invite you to spend time exploring the ways you want to live with more intentionality. Consider relationships you want to maintain or develop, hobbies/ skills you want to explore, roles you hold in your social setting, organizations you are a part of, causes you would like to support — what is working well? What needs tweeking? What is just plain broken? Begin with this evaluation and see where it takes you!