Happy New Year, friends!
I’ve taken a break over the Christmas season to rest, reflect and live in the moment with my family. Our family holiday was full of memory-making, laughs and a little too much baked goodness. The season of caring, sharing and hot cocoa with marshmallows did not disappoint! To be honest, I’ve dreaded New Year’s Day. There is always so much excitement and fullness leading up to the holidays, that January 1 seems like kind of a let down.
Well, thanks to my friend, Angie Ryg, for pulling me out of my New Year’s funk and inspiring me to welcome and embrace 2014 and all it will bring. If you haven’t met Angie, you can visit her here. Well, today Angie shared her word for 2014. This is a fairly new thing. A few years ago, I began noticing some of my blog friends were choosing words rather than drafting New Year resolutions. One word, people. They picked one word. One word that would embody all their hopes and dreams for the upcoming year. Not an easy thing to do, right?
Last year, I decided to give it a try. I asked God for a word, and He gave me grace. I wanted to bask in God’s grace every day of 2013. I dreamed of extending grace, receiving grace, and generally not taking a single day of God’s grace for granted. Weeell, I have to say…it was life changing.
Ephesians 2:8-9
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.
Nope, it wasn’t a perfect year, but God did give me new eyes to see and appreciate grace. Last year was the first year for Girls of Grace Ministries, too, so grace fit nicely all around.
As I began to pray for a new word, I asked my family to participate this year. I asked A, my oldest tween darling, who responded with success. Those of you who are thinking this is a typical first-born response would be incorrect! Instead of resolutions, the hubs and I write what we call our annual Sunday House prayer. NWOK, thank you for introducing this to us! Each year, T and I sit down and write a prayer with our hopes and dreams. Then we lay our prayer at God’s feet and tuck the words for safekeeping in our Bible. Throughout the year, we occasionally sit down to remind ourselves how wondrous God’s plan is…even if it’s not OUR plan.
This year, we asked our girls to help us write a family Sunday House prayer. My oldest baby girl’s word was to help remind us that it takes all of us to be faithful and all of us to work together to see the success of our dreams. I love how her mind works.
Hubs’ word — Open. Open to God’s will. Open heart. Open mind. This is huge for him.
EK — Hope. Now, peeps. My little EK lives in the most amazing world. I heart her perspective. We need more spirits like hers. When I asked her what she meant, she said there are people in the world who don’t have hope because they don’t know God. She hopes they will open their hearts to God in 2014 so they can know how good hope feels. No words…
My word seems anticlimactic after EK’s, but I know God picked it just for me. Grow. GROW. Geez, just typing the word scares me, so I know God’s all over it. Growth means discomfort and stepping outside that sweet, balmy comfort zone. You know what, though? Even though I’m a little apprehensive, I am totally on board with growth in 2014. I really am, Lord.
Grow. Closer to God.
2 Peter 3:18
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity.
Grow. To be a better wife, mommy and friend.
Colossians 1:10
Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.
Grow. Unfathomed possibilities.
I am no longer dreading the unknown of the upcoming year, but rather nervously anticipating what wonders God will reveal over the next 12 months. It’s okay to be nervous. What can I say? I’m a work in progress. 😉 What is your word for 2014?
