I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first dayuntil now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:3-6
Are you ever a little spiritually ADD?
Feel like it’s one step forward and two steps back in terms of spiritual growth?
Have you forgotten your One Word ? The one you prayed about and was sure God was going to use to make 2017 the year of AMAZING JESUS AWESOMENESS?
Well sister, here are my three words for you. YOU. ARE. NOT. ALONE.
I checked in with some from our blog community about how their “One Word” focus is going this year and thought I’d share their thoughts with you.
A reader who lives in the mountains in the middle of Jamaica sent me a note after my last post on my “one word” .
“My 2017 word is LIGHT and I am not doing too badly with it, trying to be intentional at least once weekly.
I chose to use a separate journal and am glad I did. Using the word in my centered prayer practice which I’m just learning, is helpful too. He is truly the Light and brings light to my understanding as I seek Him.”
Heather: My word is BRAVE – learning what brave looks like when I need to say “no” even to good things or when it means disappointing someone…Learning that brave looks and feels different than I sometimes think it will/does, and learning how to be brave in situations that are beyond ME.
Carrie: My word(S) (because you know I can never choose just one) is “YOU WILL”. I need to be steadfast in that God will provide, God will fight for me, God will lavish love on me and those around me, God will move among our students and our church, God will meet me wherever I’m at.
To me, it is more than “God can“. I need to believe and live out of the truth that he will because he is FOR me and good to me. I’ve struggled with believing that over the years. I’ve thought He was good in nature and good to other people and good for me but not always good to me. The verses that I was drawn to on this were Mark 11:22-25 and Ephesians 3:20-21.
Theresa: I couldn’t decide on a word…I’m in such a period of survival. But I do feel now like I’m almost to the top of this mountain and looking forward to what God has in store!
Jesus is about infinity do-overs!
I didn’t choose a word either. But then it seemed to be chosen for me by my supervisor in my review: Courage. She felt it was my positive attribute. I thought really? Oh my, that feels like something heavy to live up to. Some days courage is just not there, it’s part time leave itself. Maybe I look courageous but don’t feel it. Guess I can fake my way through a situation at times when my heart is racing and I really don’t want to have a certain conversation with someone. But I take that deep breath in regarding something new that’s in front of me such as being frank with a family member about something done and said that was so hurtful, tackling some crisis at work with my head spinning, trying to remember how to do a task as some things are just not coming back easily post health crisis. I try to remember that HE is with me. A friend said I have good judgment. That’s another word I seem to be saying to myself a lot lately. You can do this as you have courage, good judgment and GOD by your side.
Thanks for sharing, Kim! I know you’ve made courageous choices to trust God and persevere even when you haven’t felt like it.
My word is gratitude….I have a plaque in my bathroom that I read as I’m getting dressed for work each day, “begin each day with a grateful heart”. God has been speaking to my heart about being grateful, and sometimes it washes over me in a wave….hard to describe but so peaceful. The little hassles of every day don’t seem to matter much anymore, I’m choosing to live intentionally grateful.
Love that, Charlotte! Isn’t gratitude a great spiritual practice that helps put things in perspective? Press on!