One Word 2020

Do you have One Word for 2020? It is a personal choice to find, choose, or receive a theme for the year that is represented by one word. Resolutions don’t work for most people, but many have found that #OneWord gives them the focus and simple clarity to make sustained life change over the coming year. If you'd like to know more, click here.

My one word for 2020 is "healing." This word surfaced for me during a sermon at our church, called "Beyond Confession" where Kyle Trigg led us through a type of year end "Examen". During the four step contemplative process, we were to individually ask ourselves various questions and listen to what the Holy Spirit was impressing on us. (If you'd like to step through this exercise, Pastor Trigg begins his message at the 13:04 mark of this video. Allow about an hour.) 

One of the questions was about "what I need" for the coming year. Spontaneously, I prayed, "Lord, I need you to heal my heart." Tears followed so quickly, I realized in that split second, God had gifted me with understanding there are deep parts of me that need healing. Emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual wounds exist. I have some in each area. In the same moment, he opened my eyes to several people in my circle who are in the same place, in need of personal healing. 

The scripture teaches we are to love the Lord our God with all our heart (emotional), soul (spiritual), mind (mental), and strength (physical). It's my conclusion over my 62 years, that if there are broken parts in any of these areas, it can be a barrier to loving God fully. 

So this year, I'm focusing my attention on healing.

Past Words

Previous words in past years have included gratitude, presence, love, good, depth and trust. Each year the word is different and reflects the context of my life at that time. Here are brief descriptors of how some of these words were chosen.

2015: Presence

Living present in this moment, today. Instead of making a future list of what needs to go away or come to your life, promise yourself only one thing this year: be present. Speak it only to yourself. Promises and goals spoken out loud trick the brain into thinking we've already accomplished what we've spoken and so we neglect to do the work necessary to actually keep our promise. Just whisper it to yourself: "Be present". In every moment, in every situation, in every joy, with every difficult person: be present, focused, attentive, fully engaged. Make this agreement with yourself. Honour yourself enough to keep your own solemn vow.

Release what you must.
Receive all that comes.
It’s the present.

2017: Good

As many people look back on the prior year, they seem to focus on the bad things that happened. “What a horrible year it was,” they lament. They list all the celebrities that died, the natural disasters, statistics on crime. Even "News" outlets have become purveyors of bad news to the point of fear mongering.

It's easy for me to do the same thing on a smaller scale. Whether it's my own thoughts, negative narrative, self-talk, the inner mean girl, the enemy of my soul, or sub-conscious fears and anxiety; negative perspectives creep into my consciousness (especially at night) and point out all the catastrophic things that can come of imagined realities. The thing is, whatever you focus upon, grows. Whatever you're looking for, you will find. So I have a choice: I can focus on worst case scenarios, or I can choose to tell myself the truth and seek out what is good.

Whatever you are looking for, you will find 

If you continue to look for evidence that things are bad, there’s plenty out there. I also know if you look for things that are good, there’s even more evidence of that. Here's some initial thoughts:

God is good.

The first recorded words from God were “It is good.”

God withholds no good thing from us. (Good by God’s definition, not mine).

God has shown us what is good: to seek justice, love mercy, walk humbly with God.

Look for the good, because whatever you are looking for, you will find.

Assume good will.

That’s good. 

Be good.

2018: Depth

This word came to me like a gift even before my birthday in December. It was inspired by this article: Go Deeper, Not Wider.

2019: Trust

Late in 2018, through several significant events, I noticed myself saying frequently, "I just find it really hard to trust people." As it became a pattern, I wondered, is it only other people I can't trust or does it go deeper? Is it based in a hesitation to trust myself? Or is it possible that I am unwilling to trust God?

As I sat with that thought over the next few weeks, I realized the struggle was real and the Holy Spirit was prompting me to attend to this matter in a very intentional way. What better way than to make "trust" my One Word for 2019? I began preparing my heart by looking in, while at the same time, attending to the places where trust was mentioned, or where I felt a struggle to trust people or God. I detailed some of these in my January 1, 2019 blog post.


Choosing your own One Word

Please remember, these are some of the words and ways God has spoken into my life in a language I can understand. God may speak in different ways and means to you. If you come to God with open hands, listening for guidance, pay attention to what surfaces. There is no one right way to choose your One Word. For more information, see this blog post.

One Word Check-Up

Just putting this back up here to keep it in the forefront of my mind. (If you're new to this blog or the One Word concept, see my January 3 post.)

On the upside: 

1. I've gone deeper in my workouts. Literally. I do deep water workouts at the pool three times per week, pushing myself to target specific muscle groups, mixing cardio with strengthening and stretching.
2. I've gone deeper into Bible study, pulling out the concordance and dictionary to expand my understanding. 
3. I've searched out new creative outlets via Threaducation (needlework, crazy quilt, banners, embroidery animation) workshops and visited a museum exhibit to delve into the history and view various examples through the centuries. 
4. I've gone deeper into my own personal soul care via a 30-day reflection as my choice for the lenten season.

On the downside,

1. It's touching some deep pain. Not quite what I expected with this One Word experience, but it's good. Delving into pain can be like diving. You need protective gear and plenty of oxygen. You can't stay down there forever, you have to limit the pressure and take it slow, surfacing to replenish yourself and rest before diving again. But you see things you wouldn't see if you didn't go to the depths.
2. I've discovered that being still is a skill I do not yet possess. I'm always thinking. Or doing. Or sleeping. Or talking. To "be still and know" seems counter-intuitive. I learn best by doing. Or so I thought. But it's impossible to "be still and do." So it follows that "knowing" is not the same as "learning." God doesn't say, "Be still and learn I am God." 

Going deeper:

How do I know my husband? I spend much time with him. I listen. I watch. I question. Some of my favorite times are when we are just sitting still, together, in the love-seat, his arm around me, and we are just quiet together. No music. No TV. No phones. Not even any talk. We have plenty of the rest through the day.

Why should it be any different with my Creator? 

Translating physical stillness to spiritual stillness will be a continuing part of this journey as I explore what it means to "know" God.

Of course I learn, study, pursue, explore, converse, engage, with others and with God. I regularly do this. But being still? That is going deeper. 

Please understand, this is not "all or nothing" or "one or the other." Nor is it an emptying of the mind. I'm no expert, but it seems it is making room, holding space, becoming mindful of God. 

Take a deep breath now. Exhale. Breathe regular and even. Dive into stillness. 

One Word 2018

Do you have #OneWord for 2018?

What is it?

The #OneWord movement began as far back as 1999 and became a best-selling book. It is a personal choice to find, choose, or receive a theme for the year that is represented by one word. Resolutions don’t work, but many have found that #OneWord gives them the focus and simple clarity to make sustained life change over the coming year.

This post is not about the book. It's about my choice of #OneWord for 2018.

How do I find it?

Don't get so mired down in the process of finding your word and “doing it right” (whatever that means) that you give up, so keep it simple. Look at what others have named for 2018: hope, focus, anticipate, soar, fearless, enjoy, attentive, commitment, light, release, embrace and on it goes, as unique and distinct between humans as each individual and different snowflake


Ways to Keep #OneWord In Mind

There are numerous options, but I have to find what works for my temperament and attention-deficit tendencies.

I love the idea my friend Kendra used in 2016 and I used with great delight in 2017: Establish a jar to collect good things that happen during the year. Put brightly colored note paper and pen beside the jar and write down the good things that happen each day, each week, or whenever you think of them. Or just put things in the jar that remind you of something good. (In the case of OneWord, I will include this year things that related to pursuing depth in my life). On the next New Year’s Day, open the jar and read them. This was a wonderful experience for me in 2017.

Make some kind of artwork with your #OneWord and hang it where you’ll see it every day. Perhaps a poem, a painting, a carving, glasswork, quilt, 3-D print, Lego build – the list is endless.

It’s a great idea to blog or journal around my #OneWord theme. It’s likely that I will write about the phrases above and other variations on the theme. Perhaps not. Either way, it’s all good.


If you want to know more

There is a book. I haven’t read it. It’s better that I keep things simple. But if you want to check it out, go to getoneword.com

I’m not trying to persuade you to do this or suggest this is an “Easy Button” to life change. It’s simple a clarifying tool that I have found helpful.


My Word for 2018

Previous words in past years have included gratitude, presence, love, good. Each year the word is different and reflects the context of my current life. This year the word came to me even before my birthday in December. Like a gift:

Depth.

It was inspired by this article: Go Deeper, Not Wider.