A Word for 2021

What a year. I’m ready for 2021, and I’m sure you are, too. Despite the prevailing cultural narrative, I don’t think 2020 was a bad year. I think it was a learning year. A growing year. A refining year. After all, we can’t have gold without first melting down and refining dross—a worthless, impure metal.

“In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”

— 1 Peter 1:6-7

Look throughout the Bible and you’ll find many years, decades even, of struggle for God’s people. Think of the great flood, the 40 years the Israelites spend in the wilderness, and the 400 years of God’s silence between Malachi’s prophecy and Jesus’ birth. Difficult years are nothing new. And difficulty isn’t always bad.

My word for the past year was joy. I obviously had no idea what was going to come in the next 12 months, but God did. God knew we would face a global pandemic. He knew our way of life would completely change and perhaps never be the same. 

On a personal level, God knew that I would use 2020 to (mostly) take a break from writing. He knew I would focus on my health and resting whenever possible. He knew I would have a falling out with one of my best friends and struggle to make friends here in Colorado. He knew we would have car issues and various anxieties. He also knew I would grow closer with my family by making more phone calls and spending more time with them this year than ever anticipated.

The Father knows everything about your life, too, and that should give us great comfort. 

“If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.”

— 1 John 3:20

 Throughout this year, I’ve felt God convicting me of my attitude. He’s been showing me the posture of my heart and, by taking away so many of the things I looked forward to for 2020, revealing my idols. Let me explain. Without mom groups, childcare, and a busy schedule of activities, can I believe that I’m more than just a mom? That my role as a household executive sans pay (😉) is a worthy one? Without freelance writing jobs or a high blog readership, can I trust that I’m still called to be a writer? That my words matter? 

I have wrestled with all of those thoughts this past year. When the things I looked to for contentment and fulfillment were stripped away, I felt somewhat lost. Perhaps you can relate. I think it’s okay to mourn what we lost in 2020, whatever that looks like for you. Let’s process that and then resolve to see the good in this wild season. How might God want to change your heart through all of this?

When we have Christ, there is always goodness to be found (Exodus 34:6). He came so that we might have life and have it in abundance.

Which brings me to my word for 2021.  

Abundance.

“...I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.”

— John 10:10

I want to shift my perspective to focus on the abundant life God has bestowed upon me. I have access to this abundant life through Jesus, regardless of the circumstances around me and within me. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). He is always good and always true.

Two years ago on this blog, I wrote:

What would it look like to live out of abundance, rather than focus on what we lack? 

What do you feel like you are lacking? Money? A job? Health? A spouse? Children? Friends? A home? You are not alone in feeling like you lack something. As humans, we are going to feel that on this earth. But the thing is, we all have everything we need in Christ. He provides our souls with abundant grace, love, forgiveness, strength, and justice. 

This year, I’m praying my heart is fixed on God’s abundant mercy (1 Peter 1:3) and that I would experience an abundance of joy, even when I’m tested by severe affliction (2 Corinthians 8:1-9).

I’m ready to step into the abundant life the Lord has for me. Are you with me?

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My Word of the Year: 6 Months In

Joy.

I chose joy as my word of the year back in early January, and, goodness, the world has sure looked different than I think any of us ever expected coming into 2020. We’ve witnessed a pandemic, stay-at-home orders and shutdowns, sweeping unemployment, brutal murders, peaceful protests, terrifying riots, and political division (to put it lightly).

I chose joy because of my own internal circumstance—hormones, lack of sleep, self-doubt, anger, and anxiety. I chose joy thinking of my physical and mental states. I had no idea what would soon be happening all around me.

Can I still experience joy when the world feels like it’s falling apart?

As a believer in Jesus Christ, the answer is yes. It’s not an easy answer, but it is a simple one. Christ provides joy in all circumstances, trials, and tests. He provides hope in the situations that feel beyond hopeless. He offers rest for our weary souls and the peace that surpasses all understanding.

The big question is whether we believe that.

Here’s what James had to say:

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.”

A little background: James is the half-brother of Jesus. He was with Jesus for most of their lives, but he was skeptical of His ministry. After seeing his brother die and then seeing the resurrected Christ, James became a strong believer, disciple, and pillar of the church. He also was martyred for his faith.

So James understands the testing of his faith. He understands trials and persecution. He was living in the time of Jesus, and he was one of the very first disciples of our Lord at a time when people weren’t exactly super friendly toward Christianity. Sound familiar?

James tells us to consider it pure joy when we face trials of many kinds. The testing of our faith produces perseverance. I often have to repeat that to myself and meditate on it—and still the wonder of this truth continues to awe me.

Can I have joy when:

• COVID runs rampant

• Business shut down

• The economy tanks

• I lose my job

• I feel depressed or anxious

• I have to home-school my kids

• All mom’s groups are called off

• My marriage is falling apart

• My retirement account looks bleak

• My wedding is postponed

• The long-awaited vacation is cancelled

• A friendship falls apart

• A loved one receives a diagnosis

• The pregnancy test is negative, again, after months of trying

• Riots continue throughout the country

• Church is still online only

• My friend is far from God

• And I am exhausted, frustrated, sad, angry, overwhelmed, all of the above?

Can you have joy in the midst of this? These situations are all very real. They’re just a sample of the circumstances affecting either myself or the people around me. They’re all difficult and anxiety-inducing. They all require us to put on the armor of God and trust that He will go to battle on our behalf.

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”

— Ephesians 6:8-10

I am continually learning how to have joy in all circumstances. God keeps pressing “joy” upon my heart, reminding me of my word for 2020 and all that He promises to do in His Word.

He is faithful.

He is righteous.

He is merciful.

He is just.

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that He may exalt you at the proper time…”

— 1 Peter 5:6

He can be trusted, always. We need more of Him and less of ourselves. Humble yourself and exalt the Lord. Put things in their right order in light of eternity, and the troubles here on earth won’t seem quite so terrifying.

I have to preach this to myself on pretty much a daily basis. I read the Bible, pray, talk with my fellow believers, listen to encouraging podcasts and sermons, and remind myself of the joy I have in God. It is the greatest gift. I’m asking God to cultivate this fruit within me, every day, no matter what circumstances I’m facing.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law..”

— Galatians 5:22-23

My Word of the Year

My nine-month-old son wakes up every morning full of joy. He still cries and fusses most nights for at least a little bit, but come morning, he is happy. Come morning, he is excited and ready to start the day. He’s babbling and rolling all around in his crib. As soon as he sees his mom or dad, he squeals with excitement. His delight is contagious.

When was the last time you woke up like that?

It’s certainly not my tendency.

Lately I seem to wake up feeling exhausted, not wanting to get out of bed, it’s cold, it’s dark, why was my son up so many times last night, I’m still tired, I’m not ready for this day…

The list rolls on.

What if I started the day with a grateful heart?

I’ve noticed that attitude is everything. I can choose to be thankful. I can choose to be positive. I can choose my reaction to situations. I can choose to worship God, even when I’m tired or anxious or simply don’t feel like it.

I too easily allow my hormones, the amount of sleep I got, and how much coffee I drank to affect my entire mood. I quickly snap at my husband with words that cut deep. I complain about my work as a stay-at-home mom, even though it’s a job I love and know I’ve been called to. I grumble at the dirty dishes and laundry piles. I berate myself not writing enough, not exercising enough, and even not praying enough. My peace is quickly shaken by my circumstances.

For the past four years, I’ve picked a word as we head into a new year. Rather than set a new year’s resolution, I’ve chosen a word that I’ve prayed about. It’s a word that I’ve felt God put on my heart. Sure enough, for four years, as each of those 12 months go by, I’ve seen God use that word in my life and show me more of Him through it.

That’s why, this year, I’m choosing a word that’s been right in front of me for a long time, and I’m finally claiming it for myself as we head into this new decade.

Joy.

For years, I’ve had a virtual sticky note on my desktop with James 1:2-12:

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.”

I recently took a moment to read this when I opened my laptop. James said we should consider sufferings, of any kind, as pure joy. What was he talking about? How could he say that?

James knows that all who would read the Word of God would have the story of Jesus.

We would be offered eternal hope in the Kingdom of God, saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8). James understood that no matter what we faced on this earth, we as believers in Christ would have eternal life to look forward to. We’d have an unshakeable hope, a future that’s secure, and victory over the enemy.

That’s pure joy.

I want that, and I’m committing to choose a life of joy in the Lord this year. It’s time I live in light of my salvation, remembering all God has done for me. Living in light of His promises as the free woman and the new self that I am. Maybe it’s time for you to do the same.

Colossians 3:1-17 says:

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. or you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

That passage is worth meditating on, friends. I’m choosing joy because I want to put off anger and obscene talk. I want to fight back against the lies of the enemy who tells me I’m not good enough and who tries to take away my contentment. I want to put on a compassionate heart, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Forgiveness. Love. I want to give thanks to God in all that I do.

So this year I’m praying for continual joy in this life God has given me and called me to. Pure, unadulterated joy in all circumstances. I have a living hope! And I’m ready to rejoice in it, with inexpressible and glorious joy.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you. You are being guarded by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. You rejoice in this, even though now for a short time, if necessary, you suffer grief in various trials so that the proven character of your faith—more valuable than gold which, though perishable, is refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him; though not seeing him now, you believe in him, and you rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy, because you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

— 1 Peter 1:3-9

A Word for 2019

Freedom.

Rooted.

Steadfast.

I’ve been choosing a word of the year since 2016. A new word for each year, and each year, God shows up. While I think about the word and pray about it some before officially choosing it, I’m still not really sure in January what it means for me or if it will affect my year ahead. But then God always does beyond what I imagine He will, revealing more of Himself through that word over the next 12 months.

I didn’t spend a lot of time focusing on my word for 2019, because it came to me quickly, and I knew this word was the right one.

Peace.

Peace in my pregnancy, labor and delivery, and parenting.

Peace in my marriage.

Peace in our families and friendships.

Peace financially.

Peace with our jobs.

Peace at home.

Peace in my heart.

Peace with God.

This peace is the opposite of fear, worry, and anxiety. It’s the opposite of turmoil and war. Peace takes work. It takes trust in the Lord and faith in His plan.

The word “peace” occurs more than 400 times in the Bible. Yes, 400.

Try finding “fear” or “anxiety” that many times. Hint: You won’t. And when you do see “fear,” it’s likely referring to the fear of God, a holy reverence and awe of Him, not a feeling of danger.

A few weeks ago my pastor gave a sermon where he referenced Ephesians 2, and it has really stuck with me. He said Jesus Himself is our peace—and that God actually created peace. Meditating on that helps bring me peace. Our God is not a God of worry and anxiety but of peace.

“For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.”

— Ephesians 2:14-17

God sent his son, Jesus, to defeat sin and Satan. He destroyed the dividing wall of hostility between us and God, and He offers new, eternal life to everyone—simply asking we confess that we need Him and that we believe in Him. The cross that Jesus died for us on reconciles us to God and puts to death the hostility. It can no longer overtake us or rule us. It’s done for good.

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

— Isaiah 9:6

But Jesus is not.

He rose again and is now seated at the throne in heaven. He came and preached peace to all the ends of the earth. Peace is His mission. Peace is His message, and this is the peace that I want to guide my life.

The last few months of my 2018 haven’t been peaceful. They’ve been full of worry, anxiety, doubt, and fear. They’ve looked much different than what I had expected for newlywed life. My husband and I work opposite schedules. We have a few hours to be together on the weekend, but that’s it. There’s no time for joining a group together through our church or for making new friends. No time for the seemingly little things like having breakfast with each other or even washing the dishes together. We both value quality time as our top love language, so having such different schedules has been trying to say the least. I haven’t always run to God for comfort and peace.

My anxiety has shifted off of my body and food—praise God!—as He has brought significant healing into that area of my life. But when I’m not spending as much time in the Word, in prayer, or in community, the anxiety can crop back up in new ways. In these past few months, I’ve wrestled with anxiety in my pregnancy. I’ve worried about my baby and his health, and I’ve developed a rather intense fear of delivery. I’ve faced anxiety around my job, around Charles’ job, around our home and being “ready” for baby, around our finances, and even around my passion of writing and this blog.

This anxiety culminated last month in a panic attack, a first for me and something I felt woefully unprepared for.

It was terrifying, and I didn’t understand what was happening in the moment. After I calmed down, I fell asleep for over an hour. It was as though my body shut down, refusing to carry the weight of anxiety anymore.

As I’ve been processing through each of these things, I’ve written less and less on this blog. I’ve needed time to work through my thoughts and emotions with God, my husband, and those closest to me.

January feels like a new chapter for me and my little family. I keep thinking about the peace of Christ, and I pray this peace will rule in my heart as I have been “called to live in peace. And always be thankful.” (Colossians 3:15) Gratitude truly does change my perspective. When I focus on my blessings, like thinking about this baby boy as a literal miracle, my fear quickly dissipates. When I remember all The Lord has done for me, how He’s given me a new identity and a firm foundation in Him alone, then the stressors of this world become meaningless. Then all I want is to live for Him and to be more like Him.

I love the story of Jesus calming the storm in Luke 8:22-25:

“One day he and his disciples got into a boat, and he told them, ‘Let’s cross over to the other side of the lake.’ So they set out, and as they were sailing he fell asleep. Then a fierce windstorm came down on the lake; they were being swamped and were in danger. They came and woke him up, saying, ‘Master, Master, we’re going to die!’

Then he got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waves. So they ceased, and there was a calm. He said to them, ‘Where is your faith?’

They were fearful and amazed, asking one another, ‘Who then is this? He commands even the winds and the waves, and they obey him!’”

As I read this passage this week, I noticed the note I had written in the margin: Often we go through storms to experience more of God and more of His glory. He uses the storms to strengthen our faith and trust in Him. But He’s always present in the storm and all-powerful over it.

I imagine God has been waiting for me to come to this point, saying to me, Where is your faith? (Luke 8:25) I have created you for such a time as this. (Esther 4:14) Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. (Jeremiah 1:5) I know the plans I have for you, and I will give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11) Now trust in me with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5) Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with My righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)

Okay, Holy Spirit, let’s do this. 2019, I’m ready.

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If you want to talk more about Jesus Christ and faith and what-the-heck-is-all-this-stuff, shoot me a message. I love meeting new people, whether virtually or in person, and gabbing about life. 

And if you'd like to know more of my story, you can read my testimony here.

Truly, He makes beautiful things.