Every year I try to choose a word to live. The last two years the word has chosen me. Last year was grace and this year is peace. When God gave me the word "peace," I was terrified. I had no idea what was coming down the pike and was scared that I would have to learn peace in some pretty awful circumstances. Guess what? I was right. At the start of the year, we were facing medical issues for my daughter and a surgery for me. Then there was the ever present financial stresses. I was … [Read more...]
Word of the Year 2015: Update
We're about a quarter of the way through the year so I thought it was time for an update on my word of the year. My word to live this year is peace. I'm going to be honest. I don't feel like I have much of an update. After last year's word (grace) where I feel like so many of the situations in my life kept pointing to grace and teaching me more, I don't really know what I've learned about peace. But maybe that means I've learned more than I know. Peace tends to be one of those gentle, under … [Read more...]
2015 Word of the Year: Peace
This year's word of the year was a struggle for me. Every time I thought I had a word, it got replaced. Then I would get a word that I wasn't 100% comfortable with but I figured, hey, maybe that means God needs to work on me in that area. When I finally thought I landed on a word, a friend mentioned that her word was peace. I suddenly had an "ah ha" moment. I felt at peace. I had been going to choose trust but I just couldn't figure out why God wanted me to choose that. Trusting is easy. … [Read more...]
2014: A Look Back at Grace
This was not the Christmas I had planned. This was not the year I had planned. So much of this year has been hardship and heartbreak. There are certain things about this year I would love to change. I would love to have all of us 100% healthy. But other things, while hard and unpleasant, I would not change. God used so many things this year to teach me more about grace. I know I have a whole lifetime left of learning about grace, about how to show it, about how to accept it. But … [Read more...]
Grace….The Lessons Keep Going
I took one of those fun quizzes online the other day. You know, one of those "What Color Are You" or "What TV Character Are You" type ones. This one was a "What Disney Quote Should Be Your Life Motto" one. I'm not big on Disney but I took it anyway out of curiosity (and because I was avoiding actual work). This is what I got: This is one of the few times I have agreed with a quiz result. Not that my life has been crazy full of adversity. I have a roof over my head, clean water, no … [Read more...]
Grace: An Update
When I decided that I was being led to choose "Grace" as my word of the year, I had no idea how much it would get tested in the first few months of 2014. I guess God had a reason for pushing this word on me. He knew I was going to be thrown into circumstances where I was going to need to have and show grace.I'm also learning how closely connected grace is with mercy and forgiveness. They are so closely connected, it almost feels like they are all the same thing. I feel like we have been through … [Read more...]