Tuesday, January 3, 2012

out with the old & in with the new

My word for 2011 was good to me.

peace bling

I'd chosen it shortly after my father-in-law's death, his battle with cancer and a whole host of other junk in 2010. It seemed the perfect word. Necessary.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

When craziness would abound, I'd meditate on the passage above. And I found great peace, despite the difficult circumstances surrounding me.

It was the perfect word. But a year has passed and it's time for a change. My new word [after much hemming and hawing] is:

inspire

In 2012, I want to get back to why I began this blogging journey in the first place. I want to seek out what inspires me in the hope that I will in turn, inspire others. To be all that God wants me to be. To be a better mother, wife, writer, and photographer.

I will be looking for inspiration in everyday moments, in God's word, through my lens, and in the world around me. Keeping my heart and eyes open. Not allowing busy-ness to take over and cloud my vision. To be motivated (and motivate others) to change. To grow.

How about you? Have you chosen a word for 2012? If so, I'd love to hear what it is! [Just add it as a comment to this post.] Or, if you have NO CLUE what I'm talking about and would like to learn more about Ali Edwards' "One Little Word" challenge, click HERE.

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6 comments:

Deanna said...

The last few years have been rough around here. Although I never officially.chose a word for any of them I think they could be characterized by words like....endure, persevere, trust, obey, believe.

This past year has had its rough spots- my dad had throat cancer, a mild heart attack, and his lung collapsed twice-but today he's fine and doing well. My husband took a job that initially looked like a solution to the job/financial situation of the last few years but immediately it all started to unravel-but he was able to move seamlessly into a better position with a better company that is allowing us to get a little more stable financially. My oldest daughter was in two serious car accidents but walked away from both. I've nearly lost her in more ways than one but she is at home and never leaves without saying "i love you" . My marriage has been in a rough spot but we are better now than this time last year.

I know this is kinda long but all of those things are only because of God's grace, provision, mercy, protection, and/or intervention

So I think my word is going to be gratitude

Tina Vega said...

Thank you so much for sharing this, Deanna. I love the word you've chosen, especially in light of what you've endured this past year. May 2012 be a blessed one for you and your family :)

Kelli said...

This is the first year I'm going to have a word. My 2012 word is Challenge. I have a lot of things coming up in the year that will be challenging, but I also want to challenge myself to a lot of new things in 2012. From simple things like challenging myself to use a new technique or medium in scrapbooking, to much larger scale challenges with my event styling business or even my faith. I'm very excited for what the year brings!

Crystal said...

I've decided my word for 2012 is Purpose. I've always known that my greatest purpose on this earth is tied to relationships, but I feel like over the last year I've awakened to my purpose even more. What really matters to me in life is being a good mother, wife, daughter, sister, friend, etc. I want to be very purposeful with my time in 2012. I'm only saying yes to things that are in line with my greater purpose. I want to take time to slow down and really be in the moment with those I care about. I always tell my husband "we are rich!" and by that I mean rich with love & relationship. In the end it's not what you have, it's who you have.

Tina Vega said...

Your word caught my attention on FB, Kelli - I'm so glad to be able to hear the meaning behind it! Sounds like you'll be pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. I can't wait to see what comes of it! BTW, loved your aprons - the one I received from Crystal is absolutely beautiful in person!

Tina Vega said...

Ohhhh... I love your word too, Crystal! My heart resonates especially with these words: "I want to be very purposeful with my time in 2012. I'm only saying yes to things that are in line with my greater purpose. I want to take time to slow down and really be in the moment with those I care about." It means so much to enjoy what we easily take for granted. Beautiful word!