One Word 365 Check in... How are you living with your word?

So... we are about a month (plus) in and I am just curious to know... how are you living with your OneWord so far?  How are you seeing it come forth in your day to day life, and what (if anything yet?) is it teaching you?

What is OneWord365, you ask? Really?  It seems like everyone is doing it... but if somehow you do not know what this is about, it is a movement, of sorts.  A shift from making resolutions, to choosing One Word to focus in on through out the year!  You can click the button above for more information.

For many, myself included, the word tends to pick you more than you pick the word!

For me, "Surprise!" has showed up in - well - unexpected ways!



I was surprised, as I posted earlier, at how quickly I let myself bow down to Intimidation... I was surprised at the lack of fear when sitting in a room in the ER with my daughter... I was surprised at the heart/attitude problem that rose up in me while trying to be spontaneous... I was surprised by checks in the mail, and lovely bits of encouragement from new friends and old that came in via this blog, facebook, twitter, and in person over coffee...

I have been surprised in both good and bad ways already this year! Already! It's only February!

I can feel a shifting taking place in me... an excitement and an openness for the unexpected.  I can feel myself leaning in.  "Surprise!" is teaching me - or reminding me - that we were MADE for adventure!  We were make for risk... to take a chance, roll the dice, expect the best.  To go out beyond our comfort zones and have only Him - ONLY Him - to depend on! This will require a few spur of the moment ideas or outings... it will require me to stay present and be available at the same time!  It will require me to keep my eyes and my heart open... I am seeing that not only does God intend to surprise me, He intends for me to be surprised by myself; by what He has done and is doing from the inside out in me.  He intends for me to be a surprise, a blessing, to others as well!  Is that not just how He works all the time?  How much fun do we get to have when we partner with Him to bless someone else... especially when it can be a surprise?

This shift is more than just expecting good... God has been changing my natural bent toward that for years now.  He has transformed the way I think so that I no longer expect the worse or daily give myself over to fear or worry, however I only recently noticed that that is only covering half the distance! It's not enough to NOT think negative... it's not even enough to mostly think positive.  We can think and over think and yet never move forward to action!  That is where I have been stuck!

But not this year! No, 2013 is a year full of Surprises!

I'd love to hear what your OneWord is this year and how you have seen it come into play!

~Karrilee~

P.S. I ordered my OneWord Necklace from Between You and Me