So I guess you can tell by my last entry why I have not been blogging lately.
My husband left for a 2 week trip to Africa on the 11th and my life was complete busyness until today, when I finally had time to relax and do some things around our new place. Maybe someone was praying that I'd be kept busy so that I wouldn't worry or that time wouldn't drag by while Charles was gone.
Uhhh, thanks....?
blahblahblah: I had my own kids coming and going from Texas and California, my brother and his daughter coming for a rare visit from Maryland and Georgia, a wedding to go to, events to cook for, meeting one of my daughters' boyfriend for the first time, along with running realtor errands and emptying out our former home. Oh yes, and the kitchen sink fiasco....and figuring out how to move our old refrigerator to the neighbor's, which they bought from us. (Special thanks to friend Larry who helped me with both of those!) And while we were moving the fridge over, the neighbor said people had been at our old house and looked like they were having a party there, which explained why the doors were all unlocked.
So....very little time to process here on the blog. And when I did have time and came here to my blog dashboard, I would just sit here and go "duuuuuuuuuuh".
Yay: Charles comes home tomorrow morning *sighs of relief all around*, I met 2 of my neighbors, who were outside chatting tonight when I pulled into the driveway, and, of course, the shower curtain dilemma is over. I would jump for joy if I weren't so tired.
March 24, 2011
Laying it down
I think I've finally decided on a shower curtain. I am such a dork.
I promise you I have looked at every shower curtain on the internet....or at least all of them on Overstock, showercurtains.com, Linens and Things, Bed, Bath and Beyond, Kohl's, Target, Walmart, Sears and Penney's internet sights. That is a lot. And I barely liked any of them! I finally went back to one that I liked and stood in Target looking at for an hour one day. It's a Shabby Chic brand from Target. The problem....is the jade green tile in the hall bathroom. An ugly medium tone milky jade. bleh. So I chose one that is white with some pink flowery design on it and has some green stems and leaves.
My life is so hard, I know but that is what my week has been.....endlessly analyzing shower curtains.
Two hours later: I picked out a different shower curtain.
My daughter Hannah influenced me. (I am easily influenced) So...no pink flowers/french country look. Now it's this curtain with these wall decals. It should be cute and different. It is ordered from Amazon and should arrive by next Wednesday.
My search is over.... This is big! Now I can move on.
I promise you I have looked at every shower curtain on the internet....or at least all of them on Overstock, showercurtains.com, Linens and Things, Bed, Bath and Beyond, Kohl's, Target, Walmart, Sears and Penney's internet sights. That is a lot. And I barely liked any of them! I finally went back to one that I liked and stood in Target looking at for an hour one day. It's a Shabby Chic brand from Target. The problem....is the jade green tile in the hall bathroom. An ugly medium tone milky jade. bleh. So I chose one that is white with some pink flowery design on it and has some green stems and leaves.
My life is so hard, I know but that is what my week has been.....endlessly analyzing shower curtains.
Two hours later: I picked out a different shower curtain.
My daughter Hannah influenced me. (I am easily influenced) So...no pink flowers/french country look. Now it's this curtain with these wall decals. It should be cute and different. It is ordered from Amazon and should arrive by next Wednesday.
My search is over.... This is big! Now I can move on.
March 15, 2011
Catching up
I can't believe I haven't posted in almost a month! Sorry mom...;)
We got our big move done and I feel pretty settled into the home we will rent indefinitely. So far the girls all feel like it feels homier than our last house. I have to agree. It's more of a have a garden, bake a loaf of bread, open the windows kind of home.
The main problem with living in an older (built in the early 50's I think) home is the maintenance. You never know when an emergency home repair will be needed. Saturday night I had the kitchen all cleaned and ready for company that was coming the next afternoon. I just had to get the carrots peeled and onions cut and ready to accompany the roast in the crockpot the next morning. I washed the peelings down the disposal and turned it on. Wow, that was a mistake.
Water and bits of carrots sprayed violently all over the cupboard under the sink. The pipe had come loose. So I mopped it up and put buckets under all leaks. Sunday morning our friend Larry said he would come over and fix it. Charles is gone on a mission trip, of course. I have used that disposal several times since living there and it waits until the husband is gone to explode. Murphy's Law or something I guess.
It is all repaired and the pipes are tight and non leaking now. I already had 2 buckets under there for various drips that we thought we could wait on....sometimes we are not so wise.
I put in some flowers under the front window. Hopefully the neighborhood cats who have been using that area as a sand box will move on now if I keep it muddy enough. (any suggestions?)
Maggie and Emma even helped me put in 2 tomato plants and 5 different herbs in the backyard. I love a garden and didn't have space for it in the last house. For those of you in cold climates, yes, it's garden time here....it's been in the 80's and even supposed to be up into the 90's this week before cooling off a little again. I even had to dig out my flip flops from my stored box of shoes.
Less than a week after we moved, we saw Charles off on a trip to Mozambique, Africa. He and David Johnson, seminary director for Phoenix extension of Golden Gate Seminary, are teaching pastor training classes there for the indigenous pastors the missionary, John Dina, has raised up. They are a great bunch of God appointed men who are serving the various villages and churches in towns there around Quelimane, Mozambique.
If you pray for them, pray that they will sleep at night. It's warm and muggy right now and it's hard to sleep, for strength and for God given understanding of Scripture foundations and pastoral care issues that the men are teaching. Thank you!
And if you want to read about our trip to Mozambique with David and his wife Diana last August it is here.
We got our big move done and I feel pretty settled into the home we will rent indefinitely. So far the girls all feel like it feels homier than our last house. I have to agree. It's more of a have a garden, bake a loaf of bread, open the windows kind of home.
The main problem with living in an older (built in the early 50's I think) home is the maintenance. You never know when an emergency home repair will be needed. Saturday night I had the kitchen all cleaned and ready for company that was coming the next afternoon. I just had to get the carrots peeled and onions cut and ready to accompany the roast in the crockpot the next morning. I washed the peelings down the disposal and turned it on. Wow, that was a mistake.
Water and bits of carrots sprayed violently all over the cupboard under the sink. The pipe had come loose. So I mopped it up and put buckets under all leaks. Sunday morning our friend Larry said he would come over and fix it. Charles is gone on a mission trip, of course. I have used that disposal several times since living there and it waits until the husband is gone to explode. Murphy's Law or something I guess.
It is all repaired and the pipes are tight and non leaking now. I already had 2 buckets under there for various drips that we thought we could wait on....sometimes we are not so wise.
I put in some flowers under the front window. Hopefully the neighborhood cats who have been using that area as a sand box will move on now if I keep it muddy enough. (any suggestions?)
Maggie and Emma even helped me put in 2 tomato plants and 5 different herbs in the backyard. I love a garden and didn't have space for it in the last house. For those of you in cold climates, yes, it's garden time here....it's been in the 80's and even supposed to be up into the 90's this week before cooling off a little again. I even had to dig out my flip flops from my stored box of shoes.
Less than a week after we moved, we saw Charles off on a trip to Mozambique, Africa. He and David Johnson, seminary director for Phoenix extension of Golden Gate Seminary, are teaching pastor training classes there for the indigenous pastors the missionary, John Dina, has raised up. They are a great bunch of God appointed men who are serving the various villages and churches in towns there around Quelimane, Mozambique.
If you pray for them, pray that they will sleep at night. It's warm and muggy right now and it's hard to sleep, for strength and for God given understanding of Scripture foundations and pastoral care issues that the men are teaching. Thank you!
And if you want to read about our trip to Mozambique with David and his wife Diana last August it is here.
February 19, 2011
Past and present anticipation
There is a sad little corner in my house. Once upon a time it looked very festive and caused a tingle of excitement to come over my heart. Here it is, see if you agree:
I put up the set of little trees the day after Thanksgiving. Knowing that we wouldn't set up our big tree for 2 weeks, I did want some Christmas spirit around, so I set them up and carefully untangled the ornament hooks, little twinkle lights and hung the fun ornaments up. I faithfully plugged in the twinkle lights each morning and left them on all day, then unplugged the at night with a sigh. Sparkly, twinkly, shiny and sweet.....a hope of things to come.
It's all about the anticipation I've decided.
Once Christmas day has come and gone, the decorations, the lights and smells just do not thrill anymore. Around about November of 2011 we will break them out again and the anticipation will begin...it happens every year. But in February a little clump of trees only serves to annoy!
The anticipation of moving to another house is less than the thrill of Christmas, but it is still a bit exciting. The boxes and crates around those little trees are beginning to annoy also, but in two weeks the excitement of setting up house again will be overtaking me and I will bustle around making the next house a home. I do love that.
Today is a blustery day. I expect Pooh and Piglet to float by with the leaves and wind at any time. But it also stirs up anticipation in me that is hard to explain. Why does a day like this remind me of the Day when Jesus will return again? I do not know and can't possibly begin to analyze that...I have boxes to pack. But it does and it's giving me a thrill again today. Maybe it is that all of nature is rustling and dancing around in the wind....
I put up the set of little trees the day after Thanksgiving. Knowing that we wouldn't set up our big tree for 2 weeks, I did want some Christmas spirit around, so I set them up and carefully untangled the ornament hooks, little twinkle lights and hung the fun ornaments up. I faithfully plugged in the twinkle lights each morning and left them on all day, then unplugged the at night with a sigh. Sparkly, twinkly, shiny and sweet.....a hope of things to come.
It's all about the anticipation I've decided.
Once Christmas day has come and gone, the decorations, the lights and smells just do not thrill anymore. Around about November of 2011 we will break them out again and the anticipation will begin...it happens every year. But in February a little clump of trees only serves to annoy!
The anticipation of moving to another house is less than the thrill of Christmas, but it is still a bit exciting. The boxes and crates around those little trees are beginning to annoy also, but in two weeks the excitement of setting up house again will be overtaking me and I will bustle around making the next house a home. I do love that.
Today is a blustery day. I expect Pooh and Piglet to float by with the leaves and wind at any time. But it also stirs up anticipation in me that is hard to explain. Why does a day like this remind me of the Day when Jesus will return again? I do not know and can't possibly begin to analyze that...I have boxes to pack. But it does and it's giving me a thrill again today. Maybe it is that all of nature is rustling and dancing around in the wind....
Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice!
Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!
Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy!
Let the trees of the forest rustle with praise
before the Lord, for he is coming!
He is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with justice,
and the nations with his truth.
Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!
Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy!
Let the trees of the forest rustle with praise
before the Lord, for he is coming!
He is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with justice,
and the nations with his truth.
Psalm 96:11-13 NLT
February 15, 2011
The daily touch
Have you ever taken account of how many people your life interconnects with each day? I'm trying to count them up today....and it's amazing.~My husband, morning chatter
~Daughter, quick hug and kiss before she left for school
~15 minutes with my mom as I took her to church.
~People at the church office as I manned the front office today--nothing more than a wave to 2, stuck tongue out at one (he started it), flirted with husband, small talk with another.
~Said hello to some ladies at the Bible study while I brought my mom in then I jetted off to the office.
~One of them pulled me aside (as she is always doing) and offered to prepare lunch for the people who help us move in 2 weeks.
~Chatted with a friend who is just getting out after major surgery as she popped into the office. Today was the first day she actually styled her hair (spikes...cute!) since it's started growing back in from chemo.
~Said thank you to a friend who came by with an unexpected gift. It was a very quick 'gift and run'. It blessed me.
~Sister on phone
~Dear friend, a new widow since December, on phone...plans to play racketball.
~A bed-ridden shut in on phone. Her back is very painful, please pray for RS.
~Man working on resume, just lost a good job because of the economy.
~A man from Liberia who is trying to make a living here now.
~Sent a text thanking someone (in Nebraska, not Texas) who said they were praying for me.
~Another friend who is a new widow since September. Nice to see her smiling, chattering, keeping busy.
~Theology of prayer discussion with husband over hot dogs and salad at Costco. ;)
~The man who rang up my things at Costco looked so familiar. I know him from my past...who is he? High School? College? I realized it was college as I wheeled my cart out. He didn't recognize me either so I didn't say anything. I remember his name now. But I had only given him a polite "thank you" in the store.
~An older woman who couldn't remember where she parked in the parking lot....she spotted her car just then and we laughed. I love encountering people who make me laugh.
~Waved and said hello to the neighbor who was raking up pine needles.
~Fussed at my dog for getting underfoot while carrying in heavy groceries. I forgave her quickly and we had some kisses.
~Sent a text to a very dear friend, who lives in another state, whose life is reeling with so many concerns and now she has to help plan her sister's funeral for Thursday.
~A 13 year old boy who rides home with us as we waited for my daughter to come out. We talked about Xbox and bowling.
~Chatted with daughter a bit in the car, we teased the boy and talked about Angry Birds, relatives, friends and why some girls are nice to boys but not to other girls (all in less than 10 minutes).
~Read messages from friends in far off places and wrote messages back to some ...people who I've connected with again from the past on Facebook and people I've chosen to connect with because of some similar interests on a forum. I breathed out a lot of prayers as I read along in each place. Dear people, all of them.
February 14, 2011
Crazy Love
This is real love—not that we loved God,
but that he loved us
and sent his Son as a sacrifice
to take away our sins.
Dear friends, since God loved us that much,
we surely ought to love each other.
No one has ever seen God.
But if we love each other, God lives in us,
and his love is brought to full expression in us.
1 John 4:10-12 NLT
"God's definition of what matters is pretty straightforward.
Love someone...
February 9, 2011
Swirling restless stacks of ...ehn!
My head is in a fog and heavy today with a cold coming on...or something coming on.The boxes piling up around me are making me moody and restless. I had a feeling it was too soon to start packing. Why did I listen to my practical husband and start? Then I realize it is not too soon.....the move is three weeks away. He is right....he is practical and I am a procrastinator. I like for things to be done and over-with right away (especially things that are not fun). Why drag it out and do a little at a time? Restlessness is threatening to incapacitate me if I let it...I will shut down with just occasional bursts of getting things done. (maybe I should take a vacation until moving day)
I need a checklist so that everything didn't swirl around in my brain so much and overwhelm me. Organizing is not hard, but when it is never done, it grates. Too many details swirling around in my brain with no immediate resolution. (It could be a fever coming on too though, it's hard to tell.) We are just moving a couple of miles away, but we have to take everything with us and set up again. That is what I can do....work on a check list. Details are much more manageable on paper than they are in my head I think.
ehn, boxes.
I must distract the brain.....
So.....and here is my point, actually.... I read a few wonderful blogs today and thought I would pass along some wonderful reading.
The photography and beautiful story telling here are making me smile today.
I've heard of God reaching down this way a lot lately.
My good friend Kim is starting a brand new blog. God is stretching her lately and opening her eyes to things beyond her corner of the world. Go read about it at Neighbourhood Sprawl.
God is wanting to tell you and show you great things, even when your head is swirling, even if it is just a plan to keep boxes from incapacitating you). Pay attention. (I am reminding myself, but if the shoe fits....)
January 29, 2011
An honor
I was honored this week by a blogging friend at Chrysalis. She gave me a
.
You can check out her stylish e-zine blog here and make sure you check out her many articles and reviews....lots of interesting topics!!
Here are the Rules
• First, thank and link back to the person who gave you this award
• Second, share 7 things about yourself
• Third, award 15 recently discovered great bloggers
• Then, contact these bloggers and tell them they’ve won this award
Seven Random Things about Me:
1. I'm in the middle of a move to a different house, so I'm a crazy person (and I am sticking with that story even after the move).
2. As my children are leaving the nest and flying off to discover the world and what God has for them, my husband and I are finding it very quiet around here. It takes a lot of adjusting. And it makes our 13 year old a little restless being an only child after living in a house full of sisters and activity!
3. I started volunteering to do receptionist type of work at our church two mornings a week.
4. I love (and am quite good at) figuring out people's Myers-Briggs personality type. Oh and I'm an ESFP.
5. I do love January in Phoenix, even though I miss a snowy climate and having a nice wood stove.
6. I love Facebook and find it reminds me of living in a small town, the way that you can spread news so quickly, keep in touch so closely and stay in closer touch with friends on a daily basis.
7. My love languages are acts of service and really good chocolate.
Here are my honorees. Please feel free to follow these guidelines or not. =)
Great blogs I read and want to pass on the Award to:
1. Pioneer Woman Cooks is a great cooking blog. She makes each recipe step by step with lovely photos and hilarious commentary.
2. Pocket Lint has been a long time favorite of mine. It's written by my wonderful friend Gillian about life with two special needs children.
3. Tara's View of the World is written by my friend Tara about her life of raising three children, one with autism and being a minister's wife.
4. KQ Cards, a photography blog by my friend Kathryn who has a great eye for photography!
5. Penned in Orange is my wonderful collegiate friend Sara's blog. She writes poetry and is a great photographer also!
6. Veritas, my husband's blog..... a more serious and thoughtful blog.
7. Alive and Mortal is written by my friend Kim. It is an expressive arts blog for grieving people and a place for the grieving to share their journey.
8. A Holy Experience is a beautiful blog experience with lovely photography, devotional, inspirational and poetic writing.
9. Blackpurl's Knitpickings is not about knitting, but is a friend who knits, who also writes about life in Belize as a missionary.
10. Walking to China is another friend who is living in China and a surprise to her, foster parenting a special needs baby there as well.
11. Joann's Blog Adventure is written by another ministry wife friend of mine.....usually a very hilarious look at life in ministry and raising four children.
12. Laundromat is my friend Michele's blog. She writes from a very Canadian, very honest and very fun view of life married to a minister with two teenaged boys, one hound dog and has an interesting career as the director of a downtown cultural center for Native Canadians (because I forget the correct term).
13. Shasher's Life is an energetic blog for women by another Canadian friend.
14. Empty Handed is written by another ministry wife who lives in Australia....wonderful photography and cheerful blog.
15. Agape Life, which is my daughter Hannah's blog. She writes so well, but not often. Keep an eye on her though. She has great thoughts!
Whew! That takes a long time to get all of that together, but I am excited to show you the blogs I've been reading lately. Hope you take some time and look at them. Save the links for when you have time to peruse and read good things.
Thank you again to e-mom at Chrysalis for honoring my blog on her awards list.
.You can check out her stylish e-zine blog here and make sure you check out her many articles and reviews....lots of interesting topics!!
Here are the Rules
• First, thank and link back to the person who gave you this award
• Second, share 7 things about yourself
• Third, award 15 recently discovered great bloggers
• Then, contact these bloggers and tell them they’ve won this award
Seven Random Things about Me:
1. I'm in the middle of a move to a different house, so I'm a crazy person (and I am sticking with that story even after the move).
2. As my children are leaving the nest and flying off to discover the world and what God has for them, my husband and I are finding it very quiet around here. It takes a lot of adjusting. And it makes our 13 year old a little restless being an only child after living in a house full of sisters and activity!
3. I started volunteering to do receptionist type of work at our church two mornings a week.
4. I love (and am quite good at) figuring out people's Myers-Briggs personality type. Oh and I'm an ESFP.
5. I do love January in Phoenix, even though I miss a snowy climate and having a nice wood stove.
6. I love Facebook and find it reminds me of living in a small town, the way that you can spread news so quickly, keep in touch so closely and stay in closer touch with friends on a daily basis.
7. My love languages are acts of service and really good chocolate.
Here are my honorees. Please feel free to follow these guidelines or not. =)
Great blogs I read and want to pass on the Award to:
1. Pioneer Woman Cooks is a great cooking blog. She makes each recipe step by step with lovely photos and hilarious commentary.
2. Pocket Lint has been a long time favorite of mine. It's written by my wonderful friend Gillian about life with two special needs children.
3. Tara's View of the World is written by my friend Tara about her life of raising three children, one with autism and being a minister's wife.
4. KQ Cards, a photography blog by my friend Kathryn who has a great eye for photography!
5. Penned in Orange is my wonderful collegiate friend Sara's blog. She writes poetry and is a great photographer also!
6. Veritas, my husband's blog..... a more serious and thoughtful blog.
7. Alive and Mortal is written by my friend Kim. It is an expressive arts blog for grieving people and a place for the grieving to share their journey.
8. A Holy Experience is a beautiful blog experience with lovely photography, devotional, inspirational and poetic writing.
9. Blackpurl's Knitpickings is not about knitting, but is a friend who knits, who also writes about life in Belize as a missionary.
10. Walking to China is another friend who is living in China and a surprise to her, foster parenting a special needs baby there as well.
11. Joann's Blog Adventure is written by another ministry wife friend of mine.....usually a very hilarious look at life in ministry and raising four children.
12. Laundromat is my friend Michele's blog. She writes from a very Canadian, very honest and very fun view of life married to a minister with two teenaged boys, one hound dog and has an interesting career as the director of a downtown cultural center for Native Canadians (because I forget the correct term).
13. Shasher's Life is an energetic blog for women by another Canadian friend.
14. Empty Handed is written by another ministry wife who lives in Australia....wonderful photography and cheerful blog.
15. Agape Life, which is my daughter Hannah's blog. She writes so well, but not often. Keep an eye on her though. She has great thoughts!
Whew! That takes a long time to get all of that together, but I am excited to show you the blogs I've been reading lately. Hope you take some time and look at them. Save the links for when you have time to peruse and read good things.
Thank you again to e-mom at Chrysalis for honoring my blog on her awards list.
January 19, 2011
Jesus in every book of the Bible
~author unknown~
In Genesis, Jesus Christ is the seed of the woman and the ram in the bushes.
In Exodus, He is the passover lamb.
In Leviticus, He is our high priest.
In Numbers, He is the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night.
In Deuteronomy, He is the prophet like unto Moses.
In Joshua, He is the captain of our salvation.
In Judges, He is our judge and lawgiver.
In Ruth, He is our kinsman redeemer.
In 1st and 2nd Samuel, He is our trusted prophet.
In Kings and Chronicles, He is our reigning king.
In Ezra, He is the rebuilder of the broken down walls of human life.
In Esther, He is our Mordecai.
In Job, He is our ever-living redeemer.
In Psalms, He is our shepherd.
In Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, He is our wisdom.
In the Song of Solomon, He is the loving bridegroom.
In Isaiah, He is the prince of peace.
In Jeremiah, He is the righteous branch.
In Lamentations, He is our weeping prophet.
In Ezekiel, He is the wonderful four-faced man.
In Daniel, He is the forth man in life's "fiery furnace."
In Hosea, He is the faithful husband, forever married to the backslider.
In Joel, He is the baptizer with the Holy Ghost and fire.
In Amos, He is our burden-bearer.
In Obadiah, He is the mighty to save.
In Jonah, He is our great foreign missionary.
In Micah, He is the messenger of beautiful feet.
In Nahum, He is the avenger of God's elect.
In Habakkuk, he is God's evangelist, crying, "revive thy work in the midst of the years."
In Zephaniah, He is our Saviour.
In Haggai, He is the restorer of God's lost heritage.
In Zechariah, He is the fountain opened up in the house of David for sin and uncleanness.
In Malachi, He is the Sun of Righteousness, rising with healing in His wings.
In Matthew, He is King of the Jews.
In Mark, He is the Servant.
In Luke, He is the Son of Man, feeling what you feel.
In John, He is the Son of God.
In Acts, He is the Savior of the world.
In Romans, He is the righteousness of God.
In I Corinthians, He is the Rock that followed Israel.
In II Corinthians, He is the Triumphant One, giving victory.
In Galatians, He is your liberty; He sets you free.
In Ephesians, He is Head of the Church.
In Philippians, He is your joy.
In Colossians, He is your completeness.
In 1st and 2nd Thessalonians, He is your hope.
In I Timothy, He is your faith.
In II Timothy, He is your stability.
In Philemon, He is your Benefactor.
In Titus, He is truth.
In Hebrews, He is your perfection.
In James, he is the Power behind your faith.
In I Peter, He is your example.
In II Peter, He is your purity.
In I John, He is your life.
In II John, He is your pattern.
In III John, He is your motivation.
In Jude, He is the foundation of your faith.
In Revelation, He is your coming King
January 5, 2011
Word of the year
Many thoughts overshadow and distract us as this new year begins. So many things are happening in the world and in our homes that it's hard to really focus and process what happens each day, much less each week or month....how about a whole year?
Miriam Webster Dictionary chooses a word each year. The way they decide on it is to review the major search engines of the internet. The word for 2010 has come down to Austerity. Yeah, I had to look it up too. It means "enforced or extreme economy" and was the most searched word in the dictionary after the European debt crisis last spring.
I don't really think it's a good word for a whole year. Internet searches are prone to very subjective audiences. The sixth most searched word in this past year was "doppelganger", which was a popular game on Facebook. You were to post a picture of your doppelganger (a famous person who looks like you) for your profile picture. A couple of years ago the word of the year was woot....more specifically w00t, with zeroes instead of the letter o. It is an excited shout when you are rooting for a team or person in an arena or sporting event.
It really has no bearing on our year, no real meaning to our lives.
So when I read about some friends choosing a word for this year to focus on, I gave it a lot of thought. I asked God to give me a word for this year. Then I waited. I didn't really hear anything, but started realizing in an off-handed, not conscious effort type of way (which is so often the way God shows me things...when I least expect it), that the word joy kept leaping up in my line of vision. It is all through our home with it being Christmas time. There are several words that are in multiple forms all over my house at the holidays, but the word joy kept catching my eye among the usual noel, peace, hope, love and believe.
Last year the word hope was calling my attention and I can see that it was a theme to my year, which was wonderful and really encouraging. It wasn't hope as in a wish, but more of a hope as in a future. A noun, a place, a thing. Hope with a capital H. Our Hope in Christ....Heaven, our future Hope. All significant as it was a year that could have been called despair with so many losses and personal challenges. But God focused my mind on Hope and it was cool....as it always is when He is showing you something. It kept showing up, kept reminding me, kept focusing me.
It was not an easy year, but it most definitely was a year of having Hope, needing Hope and finding Hope. I had not thought about this until I began writing today. God often helps me to process things as I write and organize my thoughts. I don't usually take the time to do that. But even though I didn't name the past year, God did.
So my focus this year is turning to joy. That is nice. Joy is a good thing! Sometimes the practice and realization of it comes along with trials, so I am also steadying myself. Sometimes joy is the underlying strength that gets you through trials in life. I usually am a very joyful person (My parents almost named me Joy), but this year has taken it's toll on my spirit, I have to admit. I feel it almost physically.
Biblically, joy is a natural result if we are abiding in Christ:
You remain in Christ, obey His commands (to love Him and each other) and joy will overflow.
Sounds so easy, almost like a formula.
I guess we'll find out this year.
2011, the year of Joy.
Other word of the year blogs:
Holy Experience There are more word of the year posts linked at the bottom of this blog.
Blackpurl's Knitpickings....an expat journal
Miriam Webster Dictionary chooses a word each year. The way they decide on it is to review the major search engines of the internet. The word for 2010 has come down to Austerity. Yeah, I had to look it up too. It means "enforced or extreme economy" and was the most searched word in the dictionary after the European debt crisis last spring.
I don't really think it's a good word for a whole year. Internet searches are prone to very subjective audiences. The sixth most searched word in this past year was "doppelganger", which was a popular game on Facebook. You were to post a picture of your doppelganger (a famous person who looks like you) for your profile picture. A couple of years ago the word of the year was woot....more specifically w00t, with zeroes instead of the letter o. It is an excited shout when you are rooting for a team or person in an arena or sporting event.
It really has no bearing on our year, no real meaning to our lives.
So when I read about some friends choosing a word for this year to focus on, I gave it a lot of thought. I asked God to give me a word for this year. Then I waited. I didn't really hear anything, but started realizing in an off-handed, not conscious effort type of way (which is so often the way God shows me things...when I least expect it), that the word joy kept leaping up in my line of vision. It is all through our home with it being Christmas time. There are several words that are in multiple forms all over my house at the holidays, but the word joy kept catching my eye among the usual noel, peace, hope, love and believe.
Last year the word hope was calling my attention and I can see that it was a theme to my year, which was wonderful and really encouraging. It wasn't hope as in a wish, but more of a hope as in a future. A noun, a place, a thing. Hope with a capital H. Our Hope in Christ....Heaven, our future Hope. All significant as it was a year that could have been called despair with so many losses and personal challenges. But God focused my mind on Hope and it was cool....as it always is when He is showing you something. It kept showing up, kept reminding me, kept focusing me.
It was not an easy year, but it most definitely was a year of having Hope, needing Hope and finding Hope. I had not thought about this until I began writing today. God often helps me to process things as I write and organize my thoughts. I don't usually take the time to do that. But even though I didn't name the past year, God did.
So my focus this year is turning to joy. That is nice. Joy is a good thing! Sometimes the practice and realization of it comes along with trials, so I am also steadying myself. Sometimes joy is the underlying strength that gets you through trials in life. I usually am a very joyful person (My parents almost named me Joy), but this year has taken it's toll on my spirit, I have to admit. I feel it almost physically.
Biblically, joy is a natural result if we are abiding in Christ:
10 When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. 11 I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! 12 This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. John 15:10-12
You remain in Christ, obey His commands (to love Him and each other) and joy will overflow.
Sounds so easy, almost like a formula.
I guess we'll find out this year.
2011, the year of Joy.
Other word of the year blogs:
Holy Experience There are more word of the year posts linked at the bottom of this blog.
Blackpurl's Knitpickings....an expat journal
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)