Releasing 2021 and Leaning in to 2022! (A One Word 365 post)

***

Do Y'all still do this? I love the practice and even in those years where it seems my OneWord may have slipped away - I can always reflect back over the year and see how it was actually at work all the while!

Maybe you are not aware of the movement that is OneWord365... or maybe you are in the know and already have fully embraced your Word for 2022! I didn't write much in 2021 about my One Word and to be honest, I kind of forgot all about it for months at a time... but as I said, as I have been reflecting over this (past - almost!) year, I can see how it was always close at hand!

I've been doing this OneWord365 project for many years and yet, each December, I pray into what He may have for me and ask Him to lead my Word to me. (And --usually-- I argue and second-guess! It's fine. It's all part of my charm!)

My OneWord last year was RELEASE!

It was sort of a Do-Over word because I had picked "Releasing" about seven or eight years earlier. If you remember, I sort of argued with God about His choice because - you know - out of ALL the words...? Why use one so similar to something I'd already walked with? But I got confirmation after confirmation and when I allowed myself to sit still long enough to listen, I realized there were things I still hadn't let go of in 2021... things that were holding me back!

"Release" also showed up in laying things down (again) like old hurts and expectations, insecurities and doubts, but also releasing things like our small group and old traditions... It meant good things too, like releasing Hope and Peace into OH SO MANY anxious and stressful situations throughout the year, and releasing the false hope of trying to control or persuade something or someone into believing differently!

So... I'm so thankful I took a few moments to look over 2021 to see where or if Release showed up - because, well - it seems (even though technically I am NOT 'lighter'!) I feel much lighter going in to 2022! Less weighed down... less held back --by myself and by others! When I moved on and began praying about my NEXT Word for 2022, I asked the Lord to give me a Word that would stick with me all year long and would bring in me - if I was willing - a lasting change!

Enter the stirrings of Power and Strength!

When Your OneWord Revisits You... 2021

***
Maybe you are not aware of the movement that is OneWord365... or maybe you are in the know and already have fully embraced your Word for 2021! I normally try to post a few times a year about my Word and let Y'all know how it is showing up for me, but 2020 was far from 'normal' and those posts just didn't get written! 

I've been doing this OneWord365 project for many years and yet, each December, I pray into what He may have for me and ask Him to lead my Word to me. (And --usually-- I argue and second-guess! It's fine. It's all part of my charm!)

My OneWord last year was... --wait for it... : GATHER!

Yeah... GATHER, you guys?! (You can't tell me God isn't funny!)

I wrote this at the beginning of 2020, regarding my OneWord:

"We are awake to possibilities... and we are opening our hearts and our hands (and our home, because --obviously!) and we're, once again, desiring to be intentional in how this OneWord shows up and shows off!"

I was intentional in the beginning of the year - and then, COVID.  

When Your OneWord365 Refuses to Let You Ignore It! 2020

***
It's a little late to be posting about my OneWord365 maybe... I mean --I know normally I would have written this out in December along with other end-of-the-year posts! Well - 2019 was far from 'normal' and many of those posts didn't get written at all! I did write about all the books I managed to read. You can find that post HERE... and I did write the Annual Prophetic Post for the New Year! You can find that one HERE!

I have been doing this OneWord365 project for many years now and --again-- 'normally' I know my word by the beginning of December. Not this year... He snuck it in the last minute, probably hoping I wouldn't fight Him on it. (But, come on... Y'all know me better than that, right?) 

Listen,  here's the deal:
This is how I opened LAST YEARS' OneWord post:
"2018 has been so full of Heavy and Hard (even more so than 2017... which was pretty terrible, if you recall!) and somehow I completely forgot about my OneWord... 

Well, it seems it forgot about me, too! Or at least that is how I felt when I went back to look it up!"

It just--
Whatever, man! 
2019, 2018, 2017: All wretched.

BUT GOD... 
Seriously --even in the midst of all of these Heavy and Hard, Sad and Terrible-No-Good years...

Happy New Year!!! Our Annual Prophetic Post for 2020

***
HAPPY NEW YEAR, Sweet Readers!

As has become our custom around here, today not only brings blank calendars to fill in and new Day Planners to let start bossing us around, but it is also time for our Annual Prophetic Post for the New Year!

I hope 2019 was kinder to you than it appeared to be to us, but either way --Here's to a shiny, bright, happy new year -- full of promise and possibilities!

New Years Day unfolded slowly, with gusts of wind and rain pounding the windows --of both my heart and my home! 

As much as I love to reflect over the last year before leaning into what God has to say about what's next... well --2019 was full of heartbreak and hard. Still, in looking back, I always see how even in the dark times, He was close and present. (Do you remember the discovery of last year, of where His Glory hides? Yeah... it's in the Darkness.)  

As a storm brewed around us, I settled my heart and curled up with a cup of coffee, a journal and pen, and an expectant hope... to tune and hear from God... --not only for me but for all of us who are willing to lean in a bit closer to God in 2020!

I always ask the Lord for a word or phrase that will speak prophetically over the coming year.  I also ask Him to lead me to a book in the Bible that He wants to be highlighted throughout the year.  

I'm consistently amazed at how much He wants to communicate with us!

When You Really Need a Do-Over... or more like a Do-Better! A OneWord365 post.

***
It's nearing the end of the year and if you've hung out around here in late December or early January, then you know that we do a few Annual posts...

* One is the post where I discuss All the Books... I already wrote that one and you can find it HERE.

* Another one is usually posted on January 1st or 2nd, and that is a Prophetic post revealing a Word (or phrase) and a Book in the Bible that I feel the Lord is highlighting for the year to come! This post comes after spending the first few hours of the New Year alone and cuddled in close, asking Him for His heart for what is to come. (So that will come soon!)

* And then there is this OneWord365 project that we have done for several years and counting now! (This is that post!)

Listen,  here's the deal:
2018 has been so full of Heavy and Hard (even more so than 2017... which was pretty terrible, if you recall!) and somehow I completely forgot about my OneWord... 

Well, it seems it forgot about me, too!
Or at least that is how I felt
when I went back to look it up!

A Wrap Up Post on my One Word DWELL... aka How It Bossed Me Around (PLUS A GIVEAWAY!)

Ahh - it's almost the New Year! 

There is something about a brand new calendar and a clean slate... a fresh start and blank page that just stirs up all the feels for me!  Also - who doesn't love a calendar or day planner to fill up with possibilities and dreams for what's to come? (Stay Tuned for more on that below...)

I joined this movement way back in 2012.  I've played along with the growing community ever since!

We pray and wait... lean in and listen, and we pick one little word... --actually, we allow one little word come and pick us! It seems to be more long-lasting than the resolutions I used to make and forget about in less than a week or two. 

This year, my OneWord365 was "Dwell" and in the beginning it felt Oh So Romantic and Swoon-worthy! I couldn't WAIT to invite Dwell into my life for 2017!

I wrote a bit about Dwell here and here and here and here and here--but really, a lot of what Dwell did was boss me around... from creating space for me to slow and rest and dwell with Him, to coarse correcting when I began to dwell NOT on Him --but other distractions that were stealing my peace and my joy, to causing me to Dwell when all I wanted (or thought I wanted) to do was cut and run!

In reflecting over 2017, I realized that Dwell was super bossy in both the good ways and the not so great ways, too. 

Define... a Five Minute Friday post.

You know the drill... 

This is Five Minute Friday (- a five minute timed free write) and our One Word Prompt for the day is: DEFINE

{GO}

I {heart} Words.  
 I love them. 

And I use a lot of them, whether it be in person over coffee, in prayer -just Him and me (although I'm learning to speak less and listen more!), or in writing... I tend to have a lot of words at the ready.

I love to pray into a Word --a single word or phrase, that God may desire to use to speak to me through over the coarse of a year.  I also love it when I come across a word that I think I know -or one that is brand new to me, and God prompts me to look it up.

Because, here's the thing: Sometimes we can think we know a thing... but we must dig deeper, look further, wait longer, for the full(er) definition of the word to unfold.

Sometimes we see something, or hear something, or feel something... and we jump to conclusions without taking a breath and waiting for the Lord to define it.

Treasuring the Kindred Heart of a Friend... A Five Minute Friday post

Oh man, y'all! It felt SO GOOD to be back in the flow of the twitter party that is #fmfparty! I {heart} my tribe.

This is Five Minute Friday (- a five minute timed free write) and our One Word Prompt for the day is: FRIEND

{GO}

So I have been making room to breathe... I have been settling in to my One Word this year (Dwell) and allowing myself to not only stand TALL in who I am, but to also sit BACK and relax into how He has wired me.

I wrote awhile back about how He has wired me slow.  It's part of who I am and when I do not fight it, I am able to more fully bring all of me to the table --whatever table it is that He is calling me to, on any given day.

This can prove to be counter cultural and easily pushed aside in order to keep up with my (self-imposed) bossy lists and (over?) full calendar(s)!

And yet... the Lord has been teaching me of the importance of self-care for awhile now too, so I'm catching myself before I hit the wall, full speed. #thankyouJesus!

This often translates to blocking out chunks of time to do things that help to fill me back up.  Even though it is not a secret that I love to introvert, filling back up often looks like this, too:

Because, of course! Right?

Because I need both alone time AND friend time!

Happy New Year 2017 - Our Annual Prophetic Post

HAPPY NEW YEAR, sweet readers!

2016, man!  It was rough.  From politics and elections, to violence and injustice, to finances and miscommunication... 
But God!

If you have been hanging around this little corner of the interwebs for very long then todays' post will come as no surprise! 





















It's the very beginning of a very brand new year! Blank Calendars, Day Planners, and Hope-filled Goals stare at us, full of anticipation and fresh starts!

No matter what 2016 held, here we stand with a clean slate, a new chapter, a brand new year...

New Years Day, for me, always starts out the same...

I Am So Done With Change... a OneWord365 Wrap Up Post

I found this movement way back in 2012.  Since then, I have joined with the growing community where we pick one little word... or actually, we allow one little word come and pick us! It feels a little more long-lasting than those resolutions I make and forget about within a few weeks time. 

What I love about OneWord365 is how by simply inviting one simple word into your life... it opens you up to find it all year long. 

As the OneWord365 website says, "Forget New Year's Resolutions.  Scrap that long list of goals you won't remember three weeks from now anyway.  Choose just one word.  One word that sums up who you want to be or how you want to live.  One word that you can focus on every day, all year long."

My OneWord365 for 2016 was "Change" and if you remember, I was not so fond of that idea! I felt like I had already DONE that! #pleaseandthankyou #movealongnow

I wrote a bit about Change here and here and here --but really, a lot of the Change that I encountered was deep and quiet... and it hasn't really fully surfaced yet.

In reflecting over 2016, I realized that Change was super bossy this year. I think he sensed my initial hesitation, even though he'd been courting me for years. 

How To Build A {New} Life: Take Notice of the Light

"Rest isn't inactivity. Rest, to me, is a place of total trust."   ~Bill Johnson

So good, right? And that is where I have been lately (and why I am not sitting in this chair quite as much!)

Still - you know how I love freewriting and my Five Minute Friday tribe... and also this: God showed up and showed off in such a unique way this week, I couldn't NOT write about it... even if just for five minutes!

The One Word Prompt for the FMF this week is: BUILD

{GO}

I don't know how many of you may know or remember that my One Word for 2016 is Change.  Let's just keep that in mind as we move forward here today.

Change.

I have dreaded it... I have fought it hard, only to lean in in surrender and learn to anticipate it, drenched in hope.

I have preached it time and time again --how kicking against it is fruitless but how embracing it with arms wide open makes for a harvest of goodness.

But I have not always lived it.

I am still learning...

For months now, I have noticed an unusual amount of Dragonfly sightings.  So much so that I have told both my girlie and my Honey that I need to look into what they mean. But I get home and I forget all about it.

There is an abundance of them surrounding me - sometimes one at a time in a parking lot or in flight around my car. Sometimes I find --wait for it, a 'beauty' (group) of them along a walk down through the Canyon or up around the orchards. But never have I encountered them like I did a few days ago!

On Monday, change came at us full force and stormy... a bit unsteady and spinning.

For the Love of Kicking Out Hesitation...

Remember back when I gave up Hesitation and Doubt for Lent? It was a couple of years ago now and what I remember most is that it was so freeing!  I remember that somehow, I was able to actually do it... and oh my, if only I would remember to do it all. the. time.

I should start off by saying up front that even though I have had this revelation on the power of hesitation, I am not in any way nailing it every day!  Oh no... but I wish I was! 

And here's why:

When we pause and hesitate... it opens wide the door to fear and doubt.  They actually tend to travel in a pack... you know, roaring about like a lion, seeking whom they may devour.


And no matter what form the enemy tries to come at me in, I remind him that he is NOT the Lion, and he may NOT devour me!

I am part of an online community started by Jennie Allen over on facebook.  In the beginning, there were maybe 50 of us, however it grew to over 5,000 in a matter of days. One of the answers to a question asked early on was consistently, bravely, "Yes!" to whether or not they battle feeling like they are not enough.  

It seemed to be a theme in this group of women from all walks of life, in all seasons of living... married, single; young, old(-er); in 'ministry', in the workforce, or working at home... it didn't seem to matter where they were or what they do - many if not most of them shared battling this feeling of not enough.

Apparently, this fight for feeling like we are enough (or not too much) is an actual thing.  It's something we all kick against from time to time.

The Glorious Return of Mondays...

Happy New Year, my friends!

Here we are... our first Monday of the year! 

We're now faced head on with the glorious tedious return of real life.

I wrote a post on this last year and my thoughts are still the same... I woke up early. (Check.) I spent some time in prayer and in the Word. (Check.)  I did a little journaling and dream/vision casting for the coming year with the house empty and hushed. (Check.) I even began hauling out the boxes and piling up the remnants of Christmas strung through out the house, while doing both a load of laundry and of dishes. Plus... I made myself workout before sitting in this chair, staring at this screen. (Check. Check. Check.)

How WONDER Showed Up and Showed Off this year (and my OneWord365 for 2016!)

For the last several years, I've joined in with the growing community who picks one little word... or actually, allows one little word come and pick us! It's not that I don't still entertain the idea of goal setting and whispering a few New Years' Resolutions... I am still all in for that. 

But the thing is, I want to make changes - to allow changes to come all year long and not just fade away by mid- January February! What I have come to love about OneWord365 is how by simply inviting one word into your life... it opens you up to find it all year long. 

As the OneWord365 website says, "Forget New Year's Resolutions.  Scrap that long list of goals you won't remember three weeks from now anyway.  Choose just one word.  One word that sums up who you want to be or how you want to live.  One word that you can focus on every day, all year long."

My OneWord365 for 2015 was "Wonder" - what a great word, right? (So much better than what I'm hearing for 2016, but I digress! Insert whiny voice there!)

I wrote a bit about Wonder here and here and here --but really, Wonder and how he showed up was sprinkled all over the blog this year! 

In looking back over 2015, I see how Wonder was peeking around every corner and just begging for a little attention! I suspect he had been there all the while, but it took my focusing on Wonder and actually looking for him for me to finally see that truly, He is everywhere! 

When we seek out Wonder, we will find it... Him... everywhere we look!

How Wonder Just Keeps Showing Up Whenever I Step Out...

My #OneWord365 is Wonder... 

I'm sure if you have hung out with me much around here, this is nothing new. 

Here we are in the beginning of June and less than 6 months in, and I can tell you that Wonder keeps showing up in big ways and small... taking my breath away and causing me to lean in to more adventure.

Me... the shy, quiet, reserved one.
The wallflower-until-you-get-to-know-me one.
The better-safe-than-sorry, fear-of-success/-of-failure one.

And yet... 

On How Declarations of Wonder Are All Around You...

A #OneWord365 progress post on how "Wonder" is showing up so far...

Here we are, one month in.  January has come and gone and with it, many lessons and revelations.  If last month is any indication, this year is going to be full!

I know many of you are snowed in, storms - both literal and spiritual - are coming hurling at you, one after another... for some, this Winter is cold and long and dragging on slowly in other ways. Some of you, somehow --you love Winter!

For us, well-- I've written about it a few times already, but for us, we've been fogged in for what feels like forever... no sun in sight. With all the mist and fog hanging low for weeks, romance gives way to darkness and it can start to feel heavy, even if we know it is just an illusion.  

How Wonder just keeps showing up...

It's no secret... how my #OneWord365 is Wonder.  I've been working it into my daily life by participating in Ali Edwards' online class One Little Word and following the prompts of finding quotes and definitions... of looking for inspiration and processing what I will need to let go of in order to invite Wonder in in full force this year.

Isn't Wonder just like our God? He is just waiting to be invited in... just waiting with baited breath and a racing heart for our attention to but shift toward Him... He's so lovesick and contagious, it's wonder full!
(Ya see what I did there?)

SHARE - Five Minute Friday...

It's Thursday night and ya'll know what that means! Before Parenthood (which tragically only has ONE MORE WEEK... what the what?) - there is #fmfparty and the Twitter party where a Flash Mob of writers gather to encourage and inspire and then write for five minutes flat on one word and link up our Brave (unedited) offerings over at Kate's place!

Here is our Word Prompt for the day: SHARE

Yep... I guess I am still chewing on the interview with Tony Kriz that I blogged about last FMF!

{GO}

I know... 

I know I wrote about how I listened to Tony Kriz in this interview last week. I wrote about what he said in the last ten minutes about how we must stop being commuters and we must start being communicators... (my interpretation of his words there!)  He talked about how we must get out of our homes and cars and really meet our neighbors... I'm still thinking about it.

But I read words by him earlier this week and oh my goodness... they are just keep rooting down deeper in my heart!  

In his book, Neighbors and Wise Men, he said this: 

"What if sharing the gospel was not so much like sharing a chocolate cake, where one person has privileged access and the other has not? What if sharing the gospel was instead like sharing a sunset?"

Yes. That.

An Invitation to Put Down Your Mask, and Ask God a Question...

(and then WAIT, and Listen for the Answer.)

Don't you love it when you are digging in to something, and suddenly, that 'something' is all around? It seems like out of the blue, everyone is talking about it... you see it show up wherever you go, in whatever you read or listen to or watch? I know there is a scientific name or phrase for it (Baader-Meinhof) but really, to me it is God pouring out confirmation... 

For me, lately - it's been all about Identity.
   ~Who and Whose we are.

I have written about it all over this little corner of the interwebs and I will never ever stop shouting it from the mountain tops and whispering it soft into hair and hearts and tears... It is a vital message... and in order to answer the call to be real and live authentic and be vulnerable, well-- we simply must know who we are.

Too many of us... quite probably all of us -at one point or another- play act and put on masks and we will be whatever we think you need or want us to be... in all that pretending, we lose sight of the real us. But I am excited to tell you that those days are nearing an end!

Can I get an Amen?

For over a decade, God has been reminding me of who I really am... He sings it over me, He loves it in to me, and when I am tempted to believe old lies, to revert to old ways, to put on old masks, He laughs at me with wonder... because He knows...

He knows the truth.

Happy New Year 2015! My Annual Prophetic New Years Day post

I have this standing date...

I started this years ago, in the wee early hours of the brand new year.  The house is still festive from all the holiday fun but it's quiet... peaceful... a bit emptied out after all is unwrapped, and yet brimming with hope for what is still to come!  

So, as is the routine, I grab a cup of coffee, a blanket, my Bible and a journal, and I meet with God all cozied up on my couch on New Years Day.  It's just us two... (or 4, because Those Guys always travel in 3!)

I spend a little time praising Him, thanking Him and counting gifts and then I get down to the task at hand:  I reflect over the last year and how the prophetic word or phrase played out.  Next, I ask Him each year, on this - the first day, for a prophetic word or phrase as well as a book in the Bible that will be significant in the year to come.  He is faithful to meet me and to give me insight in reflecting back, and a glimpse into what lies ahead!