I Believe

For the past several years I've had a word to focus on for that year; I'm not exactly sure how it started, but it's been a rather interesting and helpful experience nevertheless. As 2015 is coming to a close, I've been thinking more and more about my word for 2016, having some moments of wondering if I'll even do it at all. But, last night during a conversation with a new friend it came with such clarity I could feel my insides smiling.

Courage.

My focus for 2016 will be courage and I couldn't be more excited and freaked out! (which is pretty much how I know it's the right word)  I've had people describe me as being courageous but I always find a way to diminish it because I have never ever viewed courage as part of something I possess. However, I have done this focusing on a word/phrase concept for enough years now to know, by the end I'll view courage and experience courage in ways I cannot imagine right now--and that makes me very happy!

When you have a word/phrase to focus on for the year, it doesn't mean every waking moment revolves around it; what it does mean is that you experience that word/phrase in new ways, you grow tremendously in the area of that word/phrase and by the end of the year it's been successfully added to your tool belt (not that you've nailed it and never need to explore it again, but more that you're now aware of it and open to that word/phrase). It's a very cool experience.

My focus for 2015 has been believe and balance (yes, it was a two-word year). Though I have more I plan to write in these final days of 2015, I will leave you today with this...

The word believe came last Christmas as I was setting out my Nativity scene and I saw the baby figurine that represents Jesus. I instantly thought "Do I believe this BABY was 'Lord at thy birth'?" I realized that I knew it was true, but somewhere between my heart and my head a disconnect was happening. I was saying I believed it but did I truly BELIEVE it? 


This year has had it's ups and downs, just like yours I'm guessing. Some days are better than others, some seasons are better than others. As I got the Nativity scene out this Christmas and I looked at that baby, I had a different thought than the previous year; this year I said out loud "Thank you for being Lord at they birth."  A shift has happened and though I still have my times of struggle, I'm definitely farther along than I was this time last year in terms of believe.

What about you? What will be your focus for 2016? We grow on purpose friend, we grow on purpose.