Category: New Beginnings

It’s Almost February- got your Word done?

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Before we leave this month of new beginnings, January, I wanted to check in with you about your word for the year. I hope you have been following the progression- thinking and praying about your word for the year. God will give you one!! My next step is to take my word and search scripture to see how it is used in God’s Word. Often this step gives you additional insight into the word and how God will possibly use it in your life. After that, you need to meditate on that word and look up related words- kind of define it for yourself in actions, feeling or meaning. I love the art portion of this when you make a graphic image of your words that you can visualize.

What now? I have my word, my scripture and my picture. I usually put my scripture for the year on my email below my signature. That is a visible reminder to me of what my word is. I post my picture by my desk, too. Next, I pray and wait for God to show me how my word will be manifested in my life. This may happen slowly or rapidly as it depends upon God’s timeline. This year I have immediately seen how God wants me to be diligent in various ways. Our church is doing a read the Bible in a year program and it takes diligence to keep this going. I have various students that I have to diligently teach and persevere with so they can be successful. I see others that are coming up that I will need to walk with diligence alongside. I had a spine injection of cortisone recently and will need to be diligent in exercising. I know God will have other things as my list of what it means to be diligent expands.

Linda

Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”I would encourage you to persevere and seek His guidance for the year ahead. Here are mine- I’m ready to be diligent this year for the Lord!!

Proverbs 8:17 ” I love those who love me,  and those who seek me diligently find me.”

Words for Focus, Memory and Viewing!

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I have been praying about my Word for the year and God has given me diligent or diligently. I struggled with this idea even more after I identified my 8-10 related words that helped define what diligent means. They are: tenacity, firmness, grit, resolute, assiduity, determination, perseverance, and stamina. Wow! I was pretty intimidated by this list and what they mean. However, God would not have given me this word unless He has something planned for this year that my character needs to be uplifted in diligence.

My next step was to look for focus scripture or scriptures. The words diligent and diligently are not used that many times in scripture but I found several significant verses that spoke to my heart.

Proverbs 8:17 “I love those who love me,  and those who seek me diligently find me.”

Proverbs 21:5 “The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.”

Romans 12:8 “ if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

1 Timothy 4:15 “  Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress.”

Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

The two that I have highlighted are my chosen verses for the year. I know God has much to teach me but I’ll start with diligence in seeking Him. Hebrews 11:6 has always been a favorite verse of mine and promise from God of being rewarded if I diligently seek Him! It goes well with Proverbs 8:17 too.

The last step in this process is to take your word and the 8-10 others and put them into a program offered for free on http://www.wordart.com You can set up a free account to save your word art, print it out to post near your desk and/or send it to others to encourage them. Here are my 2 efforts at word art

I pray you will be able to make your own and find confirmation in your words. God has a great year ahead for you!!

Linda

Ready to choose your Word?? Start with Prayer.

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Have you ever thought of having a Word for the year?  I started doing this in 2019.  I was asked to choose a word for the year and then a Bible verse or verses to support me in that focus.  I prayed and asked God to give me a word to focus upon for 2019. He gave me the word Trust.  Right then I was going through some things that required that I Trust in Him more than ever and not the world, things or people around me.  The verses I chose were Psalm 37:5, “Commit your way to the Lord;  trust in him and he will do this” and Nahum 1:7 “The Lord is good,  a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him,

In 2020, God gave me the word Hope. I did not know a pandemic was coming but God did and it was the perfect word. In 2021 I found myself bogged down by the pandemic, life’s complexities with schooling my grandkids, working on Zoom and continued isolation. I felt I lacked something and the word God gave me was Joy. In 2022, God impressed upon me that I needed to seek Him and focus on Faith. In 2023, my word was Obedience. That word was wonderful and I saw spiritual growth in so many ways. In 2024, my word was Commit. As I recently reflected, God showed His faithfulness in different aspects of my life as I committed to serve Him. In 2025, I was moaning a lot over again and the aches and pains that were creeping into my life and clouding my perspective. God gave me the word Thankful. It only took about 3 months of keeping a thankfulness journal to turn my thinking around and lift my countenance.

So what about 2026? Actually, the word God has impressed upon me is diligent. I started praying and thinking about my word in mid-December and God impressed the word upon my heart. I fought it for several weeks- in denial that this was my word but came to realize it was my word for 2026 for sure. In the next few days, I will pray about 8-10 words related to diligent that will help to hone and sharpen my focus. They can be words that help you to see that aspect of your life more clearly or how it can be used in relationship to others.

Pray about your 1 Word. Ask God to give you direction and focus that can carry and motivate you throughout the year. If you have it, send me a response, I’d love to see it. I’ll blog more about the related words in a few days.

Linda

(After I got started with this, I discovered there is actually a book called One Word that will change your life. It is written by Jon Gordon, Dan Britton and Jimmy Page. It is a short book that explains how they arrived at this discovery and how God has used it in their lives both personally and corporately. I got mine on Amazon.)

Happy New Year, Can you Believe it is 2026?

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New Year, new beginnings, new goals, new diet??? What I have to look forward to and think about is my word for the year. I have done this several years running and have found it better than a goal. Goals you either do well or fail, with a word you have a driving force to look to each and every day.

Last year my word was Thankful. I started the year keeping a thankfulness journal until I realized I did not need it anymore as my focus was turned outward instead of inward each day. I continued with various things to keep me focused on thankfulness as the year progressed. I always end the year by writing a Christmas letter and letting people know how the word impacted my life for that year. It is amazing to me how God helps me choose just the right word and scriptures to make the word meaningful and productive in my life.

So how does the process of choosing a word begin? First, pray about what God wants your focus to be in the New Year. Ask Him for a word of direction to guide you. God is faithful and will provide. Don’t expect it to be instantaneous. Usually He impresses upon me the word He has for me over a series of day and events. Next, ask God to show you scriptures to claim during the year for that word. Search the scriptures and God will show you how you can define and refine this word. Then define the word yourself by choosing 8-10 words that remind you of your word or show your word in action.

That’s enough for now- pray and talk with God about your focus for 2026! I will leave you with my favorite New Year verse that I claim- Lamentation 3:21-23 “But this I call to mind,
    and therefore I have hope: 22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end;23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

Have a blessed New Year and depend upon His faithfulness!!

Linda

Got your Word yet? Can you picture it?

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After spending some time in prayer, God has impressed upon me that my word for 2025 is to be Thankfulness. The idea solidified for me when I was convicted to begin a thankfulness journal for the New Year. Many times life seems overwhelming, and it is easy to get bogged down in the literal aches and pains of the days. God reminded me that thankfulness is an attitude of the heart and one He desires for me to cultivate in all circumstances.

After choosing my Word, thankfulness, I needed to generate 8-10 related words that come to mind when I think about thankfulness. I came up with: gratitude, heart, appreciative, grace, pleasant, willingness, praise, desired by God, loving.

I then went to the graphic design so I could visualize my word at http://www.wordart.com I played around with different images and colors and found I liked the turkey the best. It made me smile!

I thought it was a perfect visual as I always associate thankfulness with thanksgiving. However, this year I am seeing each day that thankfulness is day by day.

My next task is find the scripture to go with my word. I look forward to the search.

Linda

I’ve got my Word, Now it is your turn! 2025

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Have you ever thought of having a Word for the year?  I started doing this in 2019.  I was asked to choose a word for the year and then a Bible verse or verses to support me in that focus.  I prayed and asked God to give me a word to focus upon for 2019. He gave me the word Trust.  Right then I was going through some things that required that I Trust in Him more than ever and not the world, things or people around me.  The verses I chose were Psalm 37:5, “Commit your way to the Lord;  trust in him and he will do this” and Nahum 1:7 “The Lord is good,  a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him,

In 2020, God gave me the word Hope. I did not know a pandemic was coming but God did and it was the perfect word. In 2021 I found myself bogged down by the pandemic, life’s complexities with schooling my grandkids, working on Zoom and continued isolation. I felt I lacked something and the word God gave me was Joy. In 2022, God impressed upon me that I needed to seek Him and focus on Faith. In 2023, my word was Obedience. That word was wonderful and I saw spiritual growth in so many ways. In 2024, my word was Commit. As I recently reflected, God showed His faithfulness in different aspects of my life as I committed to serve Him.

So what about 2025? Actually, the word God has impressed upon me is Thankfulness. Unlike last year when I prayed for several weeks about the word, it came to me quickly and I feel assured this is the word God intends for 2025. In the next few days, I will pray about 8-10 words related to thankfulness that will help to hone and sharpen my thankfulness focus.

Pray about your 1 Word. Ask God to give you direction and focus that can carry and motivate you throughout the year. If you have it, send me a response, I’d love to see it. I’ll blog more about the related words in a few days.

Linda

(After I got started with this, I discovered there is actually a book called One Word that will change your life. It is written by Jon Gordon, Dan Britton and Jimmy Page. It is a short book that explains how they arrived at this discovery and how God has used it in their lives both personally and corporately. I got mine on Amazon.)

Scripture and My Word

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After God has laid upon your heart the word He has for you, you choose 8-10 related words to help you clarify and broaden the scope of the word in your mind. The next step is to go to scripture and search for your word. Most often there are many verses using your word and you need to read through them to see which ones resonate with your heart and capture the broadened meaning of your word. This year’s word for me, Commit, was used over 150 times in the Old and New Testaments. I sifted through and saw various meaning’s or uses of the word. As I studied the passages I began to focus on 3 different scriptures: Psalm 37:5-6, Proverbs 16:3 and 1 Peter 4:19. 

Psalm 37:5-6 ”Commit your way to the Lord;
    trust in him, and he will act.
6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
    and your justice as the noonday.” 

I love these verses and included them in my book Promises for Dynamic Living. God promises that committing your way to Him and giving Him your trust allows Him to act on your behalf. He will bring forth good things, help you to shine for Him and see that you are treated justly. Those are mighty returns for your commitment and trust! There are principles about God and His character embedded within theses verses. 1. God is good and wants only good things for me. Those things brought forth through our trust and commitment are in the light, righteous and just.  2. Following God requires trust and commitment. God promises action only if we do our part- trusting and committing. We know God keeps His promises so to receive his blessings we need to commit and trust in Him. Blessedly God knows us and our weaknesses and often acts in spite of what I do. Then I thank God for his boundless grace towards me.  3. God has the power to mold and shape my character. His actions will bring forth from me new light and righteousness in Him. God desires to make us more and more like Jesus as we walk with Him daily. 4. God is just and righteous. These attributes are an intergyral part of God’s character and who He is.

Here are 2 verses from Isaiah about our Just God. 5:16 “But the Lord of hosts is exalted in justice, and the Holy God shows himself holy in righteousness.” 30:18 “Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.” 

Here are 2 verses from Psalms about our Righteous God. 71:19 “Your righteousness, O God, reaches the high heavens. You who have done great things, O God, who is like you?” 145: 17“The Lord is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works.”

I pray you will find just the right verses to go with your word so that God can use them to imprint Himself upon your life this year.  The other verses I’ve chosen will be written about in future blogs.

Linda

Choosing a Guiding Word for 2024

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As we enter this New Year of 2024, it is time to think about what God has in store for you. One way to do this is to have a Word from His Word to be your focus. I have done this for several years now and have found it to be uplifting for my faith and walk with God. God amazes me how the Word He gives me is repeated continually thought-out the year. Many times it is encouraging to my walk, sometimes instructive but always guiding.

I would challenge you to pray about this as you read and study this week. Ask God what Word He would give you from His Word for this new year. He may give you more than one word to pursue so do that and see where He leads you. The Word you have for your focus has others that are or will be related to it. Make a list of your main word and then 5-10 related words. God will guide you to hone and zero in on the Word He has for you. Now that you have your list, look to scripture for verses that use your word or words and see how God guides in choosing focus verse for the year. I generally end up with 1-2 verses.

Here are some verses and words to get you started:

Joy- Psalm 16:11, Psalm 63:7, Habakkuk 3:18 or James 1:2

Hope–  Psalm 62:5, Psalm 147:11, Jeremiah 29:11, Lamentations 3:21-22, Romans 5:4-5 or 1 Timothy 4:10

Trust- Psalm 28:7, Psalm 31:14, Psalm 37:5, Proverbs 3:5-6 or  Jeremiah 17:7

Grace– John 1:16-17, Romans 3:24, 2 Corinthians 12:9, or Ephesians 1:7

Peace- Isaiah 26:3, Matthew 5:9, John 14:27 or Philippians 4:7

Obedience– Psalm 128:1, Deuteronomy 10:12

Or you may choose to examine words like: unity, compassion, mercy, steadfastness, stability, generosity, service or enough. When examining words like these you need your list of 10 related words to aid you in your search. Have fun with this and make it an adventure in listening to God and hearing what He has to say to you about your New Year!

May God encourage you as you seek His face this week and look to Him for your Word from His Word.

Linda

Happy New Year! 2024

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Since this is January 1, 2024, Happy New Year is appropriate! What about this New Year to come? What hopes and dreams do you hold for the next 365 days? My daughter posted recently that the 365 days seem very long until you get to the end and then it seem like it passed in the blink of an eye. Since I’ve spent the last 5 days in bed with a virus cold, the first hope I have during the days to come is for health. This is such a fragile gift and yet we so often take it for granted. 

My favorite verses to begin any New Year come from Lamentations 3:19-24. The prophet Jeremiah, had seen and experienced great hardship both physically and spiritually. The people of Israel were rebelling against God and Jeremiah felt that deeply as he sought to speak to the people about God. I have given you 3 translations for this passage. Each one brings new things to light and causes us to begin this year anew for the Lord with great Hope.

Remember my affliction and my wanderings,
    the wormwood and the gall!
20 My soul continually remembers it
    and is bowed down within me.
21 But this I call to mind,
    and therefore I have hope:                                 22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
    his mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.
24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
    “therefore I will hope in him.” (ESV)

The thought of my suffering and homelessness
    is bitter beyond words.
20 I will never forget this awful time,
    as I grieve over my loss.
21 Yet I still dare to hope
    when I remember this:                                  22 The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
    His mercies never cease.
23 Great is his faithfulness;
    his mercies begin afresh each morning.
24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance;
    therefore, I will hope in him!” (NLT)

19-21 I’ll never forget the trouble, the utter lostness,
    the taste of ashes, the poison I’ve swallowed.
I remember it all—oh, how well I remember—
    the feeling of hitting the bottom.
But there’s one other thing I remember,
    and remembering, I keep a grip on hope:                           22-24 God’s loyal love couldn’t have run out,
    his merciful love couldn’t have dried up.
They’re created new every morning.
    How great your faithfulness!
I’m sticking with God (I say it over and over).
    He’s all I’ve got left. (Message)

In spite of last years trials, will you like Jeremiah place your trust and hope in the Lord? He alone is faithful and will give us new mercies each and every morning. NO Place else can we get that assurance and hope. If you don’t feel His mercy in the midst of your turmoil, turn to Him and ask Him for insight to see where He is being merciful to you. Through Christ we have received God’s greatest mercy. 1 Peter 2:9-10 “9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” Sending Jesus was God’s greatest gift of mercy towards us, begin this New Year with thanksgiving on your lips.

Happy New Year! Walk the next 365 with the Lord and experience HIs mercies each and every morning!

Linda

Reflections of 2023

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My word for 2023 was Obedience. To me and my rebellious spirit, that is a tough word. I have found it calming this year as I have leaned into my walk with the Lord and waited upon Him. Obedience goes hand in hand with patience as I sought to follow Him and must reign myself in so that I do not run ahead. Personally, I set a goal of reading the entire Bible in a year, it seemed like an overwhelming task. As I committed my days to Him, set a time and a place for my reading, God was faithful to meet me there. I was amazed that only 1 or 2 times during the year did I miss a day and have to catch up on the reading. Even during my trip to Europe, I kept it up. Even during my visits to relatives, with my busy schedule, etc., I kept it up. God met me each and every day in His Word to guide me through.  The two verses I choose for this year: Psalm 128:1 and Deuteronomy 10:12 have been beacons of hope and resolution throughout the year.

“Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to him.’  Psalm 128:1

“And now, Linda, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.” Deuteronomy 10:12

As we look forward to 2024, may we take some time today to reflect and thank God for His goodness and faithfulness to each of us. In this world filled with strife and turmoil, may we hold onto the Hope that we find in Jesus and know the God Keeps His Promises, all of them.

Linda