What's Your One Word for a New Year?

What’s Your One Word?

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34

I was getting one of those blinking neon sign messages. You know the kind—the same message over and over, everywhere you turn. Eventually, you realize you have to pay attention.

That’s the way it was for me with this idea: Choose just One Word for the New Year. I read through a number of emails and websites in the few days before Christmas. So many espoused the value of just picking One Word to guide us through the New Year, instead of a long list often forgotten before January 31.

So I prayed about it, thought about, reflected on this. What should my One Word be?

Here’s a little Christmastime story that led me to my word.

I was so excited about Christmas. Every one of my kids would be home. These days, that is rare indeed. My married daughter would be home for a couple of days with her hubby. My living in D.C. full-time working gal would be home for a week. My college senior would be home for a month (and even her boyfriend would be visiting!). And my youngest would be home for another year and half before she left my nest empty. This would be a full family Christmas. I was overjoyed!

But all too soon I was thinking about how short-lived this scenario could be. Maybe this was it? Maybe it would never happen again? Once my kids all live in their own homes, they won’t always travel to mine for the holidays. And once they start having kids, well, they’ll want to be in their own living rooms.

My joy quickly turned to grief, despair, fear…”Poor, poor pitiful me…Nothing lasts forever. What will I do when this happens?” I was beginning to get anxious, edgy, and angry about the upcoming reality.

But was it a reality? Or was it my imagination? My thoughts took me away from the beauty that was right in front of me and transported me to a place where my mind wandered through the pain and loneliness that might lie ahead.

If I kept thinking along these lines, I threatened to make life miserable for everyone. I might be lying on the couch crying, cranky, resentful, instead of contentedly munching on the Land of Nod coffee cake, sipping my Starbucks Mocha (yes, even on Christmas!?), and enjoying the glee as each one of my kids went to their stockings and opened up their gifts.

Which would I choose?

Snap out of it. “Be here NOW,” a not-so-quiet voice rang in my head.

NOW. That’s my word. It’s a good word. A constant reminder of living in the present.

NOW is the time you have.

NOW is the time to move forward on your passion and purpose.

NOW you have an opportunity to exercise or put it off.

I asked my family members to think about their One Word and the results have been revealing, touching, and even helpful as they guide my prayers for each person.

So what’s your one word for 2012? Think about it. Pray about it. And share it!

(If you want to read more on One Word, go to Jon Gordon’s site at http://jongordon.com/newsletter-010912-oneword.html. You can even print out a FREE poster.)

Holiday Relief in the Midst of Grief

For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

I'm delighted to welcome to Joy Kay, Guest Blogger!

I love the holidays. But really, I love Christmas so much that I listen to Christmas music year round and sing in two different choirs in December. My family threatens to put me out and will not let me listen to it in the car until after my daughter Justine’s birthday, which usually falls after Thanksgiving. That said, it is my favorite time of year. No matter what my life circumstances are, I find a way to celebrate and rejoice in the days leading up to December 25^th. I sing Handel’s Messiah with one local Baroque choir. Then I sing contemporary carols with my church choir. This concert is so popular that people line up hours ahead just to get a seat. I revel in this kind of anticipation from others who also want to celebrate Christ’s birth.

But this year is different. My mom passed away after a very brief illness in March. She was a vibrant, healthy, dedicated mother, grandmother, friend, and devoted servant of the Lord. I am an only child and I can honestly say that the world as I knew it has been changed forever. Losing my mother has put me in a tail pin that often causes me to sit still and hold on to the nearest chair. There are no words for how close we were, and there are no words for this grief that is so strong and so real. So Christmas is …I don’t know what it is really. However, in the midst of my grief, I am holding onto the words of scripture in The Messiah like never before. God is in my face at every turn. As I listened to the bass sing Comfort Ye My People during our performance this past Sunday, I was struck by the repetition of the word “comfort.” This word describes what I have been searching for at the oddest times of the day and night in this valley of grief:

Comfort ye, comfort ye My people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to
Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her
iniquity is pardoned. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness,
prepare ye the way of the Lord. Make straight in the desert a highway for
our God. (Isaiah 40:1-3)

Life on this earth is warfare, especially the Christian life. But trouble won’t last always and is removed in love by God. “Comfort ye, Comfort ye,” repeated twice, gives us the double assurance that He is our comfort. Having announced the coming captivity of the Jews in Babylon, God now desires His servants, the prophets (Isa 52:7), to comfort the Jews. The scene is laid in Babylon; the time, near the close of the captivity; the ground of comfort is the speedy ending of the captivity, the Lord Himself is their leader.

It is God’s will that we are comforted, even in the worst of times. Through scripture, I have that double assurance that He is my comfort, and that the pain will subside.

And in the flurry of rehearsals from one concert to the next, I have had a chance to take comfort in what I am singing. God prepared me for this time and has gently instructed me to sing these scriptures and really get to know Him as I grieve. I am in the midst of preparing for another concert which will be filled with the contemporary praise and worship music that I adore and that allows me to adore Him. The message will be Glory to God in the Highest as we sing the song The Great Exchange:

Christmas means more than our gifts

What we receive no man can give

The gift of God revealed to us.

We sing Hallelujah Hallelujah

Glory to God in the Highest

We worship cause He so loved the world He gave His son

The Great Exchange (C. Bogan, J. Fisher)

So in this season, as I continue to sing, go to concerts, and take in the sights and sounds, I will be comforted by the message of the hope that is to come. Next week, I will go to a Messiah Sing-a-Long at a local church to get my double portion! This is a Christmas redefined for me, by the greatest story ever told.

Who Cares?

God Is Thoughtful and Mindful

“…what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?” Ps. 8:4

This past week my sister forwarded me an e-mail. The subject line read: 40% off ANY 1 item ends today. And the note stated simply, “You said you needed a warm coat…”

A warm fuzzy feeling flowed over me. “Wow! How thoughtful.” It just struck me. Here was my sister, at home and in a lot of pain due to a badly infected foot, and she was being mindful of me.  She actually remembered a need I had forgotten about. She recalled a desire I briefly mentioned in passing. 

I know it doesn’t sound like that big a deal, but it meant a lot to me…I felt remembered, cared for, known. I felt my needs mattered to my sister, even though she’s a very busy gal. 

I immediately started thinking about God. Actually, I think it was He who was thinking of me. 
“That’s how it is with you and me, Elise.” 
“Really?” 
“Yes…I think of you all the time. I know you by name. I know your needs and I remember them.” 
“That’s pretty cool. Thanks…” 

It was my turn to be thoughtful…mindful of God. I thought about all the ways God has cared for me. It might be a moment of grace, like my sister sending me that e-mail. It might be His perfect timing, His knowing what I need when I need it. It might be a song or a scripture that seems as though it’s been written just for me. Or it might be astounding provision at a time when I need it most. 

Talk about thoughtful! God has the whole world in His hands and yet His mind is on each one of us individually, you and me, His precious children. He is a thoughtful God who knows us, cares for us, and never forgets us or our needs. His thoughts toward us are incomparable and too numerous to count! (Ps. 139) 

What’s Your Story? 
Have you ever considered God as thoughtful? How has He been thoughtful toward you lately? Has He surprised you with a little something—a song, a scripture, provision, grace, a kind word—that seemed to come directly from Him to you, led you to think He is thinking of you? Comment just by clicking "Comment."

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This week in my Moms In Touch* groups, we’ll be praising God because He is Thoughtful and Mindful. If you’d like to know more, check out the scriptures below. I also found a song from Phillips, Craig & Dean on YouTube that you might enjoy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-STvEe-KQ8.

God Is Thoughtful and Mindful

He is attentive, considerate, and kind; given to heedful anticipation of the needs and happiness of others.

Psalm 8:3-5

Psalm 40:5 (NASB)

Psalm 115: 11-13

Psalm 139: 17-18

Jeremiah 29:11 (AMP)

Isaiah 49:1-15

Isaiah 55:8-9

Luke 1:46-49

*Go to www.MomsInTouch.org for more Attributes of God and to find out more.

Do you know the number of hairs on your head?

Who Is God?

God Is Omniscient. He has infinite knowledge and knows all things.

Today we met in our Moms In Touch groups and praised God because He is Omniscient. This led me to thinking about last week. On Monday evening, I received my first official rejection letter. I had submitted my manuscript to a publisher and she turned it down. I know that most writers are rejected several times before they’re published, but still I was devastated. The reality of cold hard rejection stings. I couldn’t help but take it personally and second-guess myself. For about 24 hours, I let discouragement and disappointment take over.

On Wednesday morning, the mail came in. Our local paper, a well-read and award-winning weekly, arrived a day early because of the Thanksgiving holiday. I flipped through and soon saw my mug smiling back at me from the front page of the community section. I had submitted an article that was accepted (yay!) and there it was. I didn’t know exactly when it would run, but GOD KNEW.

If God knows when I sit and when I rise, then surely He knows when I’ve been rejected (He also knows rejection all too well, firsthand). If He perceives my thought from afar, then my sadness and disappointment did not slip by Him unnoticed. He knew what I needed before I even asked.

What’s your story?

Can you recall a time that God showed you He knows? How has He demonstrated to you that He knows you?

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These are the scriptures we shared today as we explored God as omniscient:

* He has searched us and He knows us. He knows when we sit and when we rise;
He perceives our thoughts from afar. (Psalm 139: 1-2)

* When we are overwhelmed, He alone knows the way we should turn. (Psalm 142:3a)

* He is great, mighty in power, and His understanding has no limit. (Psalm 147:5)

* He reveals deep and hidden things; He knows what lies in darkness…(Daniel 2:22a)

* Before we call He answers; while we are still speaking He will hear (Isaiah 65:24)

* He is our Father and knows what we need before we ask Him (Matthew 6:8)

* Even the very hairs on our head are numbered (as we said today, even the gray, died, and hair that’s no longer there!) (Matthew 10:30)

* In Him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden. (Colossians 2:3)

* Nothing is hidden from God’s sight. (Hebrews 4:13)

* If you want to know more, visit www.MomsInTouch.org. You will find plenty of helpful information, including whether or not there’s a group in your area praying for your child’s school. The information and scriptures about God Is Omniscient is found in the Moms In Touch International Leader’s Guide and Personal Prayer Time Notebook, Praise Helps, Page 3.1. Lots of other Attributes of God can be found at http://www.momsintouch.org/leaders-corner/prayer-sheets. And if you’d like to ask me about Moms In Touch, please do!

Who Will Provide for You?

Who Is God?

Jehovah Jireh—The Lord Will Provide

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, here's one life-changing way God provided for me that I am exceedingly thankful for…

19 years ago, I moved back to my hometown. At the time, I really wanted to get to know God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I had been praying to this God on some level all my life. I knew about Him, but I didn’t know Him. I wanted that personal connection I saw others had.

My prayer was that I would meet another mom who was like me. Someone who would be willing to talk with me and walk with me on a journey of faith. I wanted to learn more about the Bible, God’s Word, as I hadn’t really grown up with the Bible stories some people seemed to know. I hadn’t gone to Sunday School or Vacation Bible School. Some scriptures were familiar to me. I had heard them all of my life in church. But now I wanted to go deeper.

Within a couple of years, I found that friend who was willing to join me on the journey. First, I met Cindy at the bus stop. She was friendly and reached out to me immediately. We chatted as I sent my firstborn, just four years old, off on that September morning on the big rumbling yellow school bus all the way across town. I felt a little spark throughout that year, wondering, “Could she be the one?” Then when I saw Cindy at my first Vacation Bible School, bible in hand, I thought again, “Maybe Cindy is the friend I’ve been praying and looking for.”

Within a month, we were stationed back at our school bus stop. We had both heard a radio show on Focus on the Family (www.FocusOnTheFamily.com). A woman named Fern Nichols was speaking about her desire to join another mom to pray for her sons as they entered middle school. With all the temptation that they would face, she wanted to protect and support her kids with the power of prayer, believing that “Wherever two or more are gathered, there am I in their midst.” (Matthew 18:20) As God so often does, He answered that prayer of Fern’s exceedingly and abundantly beyond what Fern had imagined. Now she was on national radio sharing her ministry, Moms In Touch International (www.MomsInTouch.org). Fern’s little group of moms had spread to groups gathering to pray for their kids and schools all over the country. Soon this national movement would even go global.

Cindy and I had both heard the radio broadcast and shared our excitement. We were eager to start praying for our kids and their schools as soon as possible. We started our little Moms In Touch (MITI) group. And our group eventually grew to many, with over 10 groups meeting for an hour a week in homes across our town.

Little did I know that Moms In Touch would be God’s provision for getting to know Him better. Through MITI, I’ve grown in faith, in my personal relationship with God, my understanding and knowledge of the Bible, and my fellowship with many women who have become some of my dearest friends.

For 19 years now I have met weekly during the school year to pray for my kids and schools in Moms In Touch groups. We begin our time together Praising God for who He is, not what He has done for us. We choose a name, character, or attribute of God, i.e., God is Good, God is Faithful, God is Able, etc. This has been the key to getting to know God better.

So this week, as we meet in our Moms In Touch group, we’re praising God for being Our Provider, or Jehovah Jireh—The One Who Provides. This is “from the root word, ‘to see,’ God would foresee our need of redemption. The name tells us God is willing and able to meet every need of His people.” We’ll share the scriptures that speak of God as Provider and praise Him in prayer. (Genesis 22:8, 13-14, Acts 14:17, Romans 8:32, 2 Corinthians 9:8, Philippians 4:19, and 1 Timothy 6:17) *

As I think about Thanksgiving Day, I am thankful to God for many, many blessings. I am thankful that I met Cindy at the bus stop so long ago. I am thankful for the ministry of Moms In Touch, which has taught me so much about Who God is. He is my Provider.

What’s Your Story?

What are you most thankful for in celebration of Thanksgiving on Thursday? How has God provided for you? Do you have a favorite attribute or characteristic of God? How has He shown you Who He Is?

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* If you want to know more, visit www.MomsInTouch.org. You will find plenty of helpful information, including whether or not there’s a group in your area praying for your child’s school. The information and scriptures about God as The Lord Who Provides is found in the Moms In Touch International Leader’s Guide and Personal Prayer Time Notebook, Praise Helps, Page 3.3. Lots of other Attributes of God can be found at http://www.momsintouch.org/leaders-corner/prayer-sheets. And if you’d like to ask me about Moms In Touch, please do!

Light

Lessons from the Recent Blackout About Darkness and Light

Light

Come…let us walk in the light of the LORD. Isaiah 2:5

The freak snowstorm of Saturday, October 29, left millions of homes in the dark for several days, and mine was no exception. What I soon learned, however, was that I could use my gas stove regardless, so I could still manage to whip something up for dinner that night. A nice steaming pot of chili seemed just the thing. Only one problem, I didn’t have enough daylight time left to see what I was cooking. Thankfully, I was able to use all those candlesticks I got over 25 years ago as wedding gifts and fit them with the many candles I keep on hand. Plus I love using little votives outside in the summer, so I had loads of those around too.

This wasn’t so bad. Lit by the flicker of many candles, I was able to see what I was doing pretty well. So I made “Chili for a Crowd” and invited my sister and her family for dinner, since they too were in the dark. We had a cozy evening by the fire. And though a bit chilled, we were able to snuggle up in our beds and enjoy a good night’s sleep.

As the saying goes, after darkness comes the light.

When I awoke the next morning, I donned my cozy winter robe and padded down to the kitchen in my fuzzy slippers. A cup of something warm was in order…and I could still use my stove.

“Whaaa?” I uttered in surprise as I surveyed the kitchen. Despite the dim light of the night before, I thought I had done a pretty good job of cleaning up. In fact, I made a point of it, since I dread getting up in the morning to face a big mess.

So much for that…sloppy red spills dripped down the front of my porcelain stove, bean-ey chili sat in pools drying on my counters, and crumbs from a crusty loaf of bread were sprinkled on my kitchen table. I just hadn’t seen this in the dark.

And it struck me. This is just like my heart…If I don’t open up to God, come to Him and seek, ask Him to shed His light on and in me, I can miss the little mess building up inside. Comparison and envy can drip down over my heart. Pools of contempt can harden my heart. Little crumbs of unforgiveness can pile up.

Just like my kitchen, I want to come clean!

So what can I do about this? I have to come to God with an open contrite heart, acknowledge that there are probably a few dark thoughts, feelings, actions that need His light. Then, once I confess, I have to believe what God tells me, that I am forgiven and free.

Tell Me Your Story

What do you do to keep the mess of sin from building up in your heart? How do you invite God to shed light on your darkness? What did you learn from the terrible storm of October 2011?

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