Okay guys… you know the drill… it’s that time again…….
YOU HAVE TO COME UP WITH A WORD FOR THE YEAR!!
Last year I came up with words (plural), and related Bible verses, and do you know I can’t remember not one of what I chose. I guess I could look on my post for last year, or back at my journal, but it’s not really worth it to me. They didn’t stick. I overwhelmed myself with too much.
My head swims with Bible verses all the time. I can never repeat them word for word, but I can paraphrase them. These paraphrases pop up in my head frequently, but not any of my words or verses for 2024… I seem to remember they may have come from the book of Isaiah… sigh...
This year I decided to make it easy on myself. I wanted one word—that’s it. ONE!
I first thought I wanted the word CLARITY. But then I realized what I really wanted was “CLARITY OF MY PURPOSE” (p. 25 of The Success Principles, by Jack Canfield). And God’s already done that for me over the last few months of this year.
One good thing about starting a New Year that is so very amazing… YOU CAN WIPE THE SLATE CLEAN. You can wipe it clean of 2024, but you can also wipe it clean from your past… from all you mistakes, failures, wrong paths, and the need for clean ups on aisle five.
It’s past.
Gone.
It’s a NEW YEAR!
I’ve been reading lots of motivational books lately. Here are two that I think are great so far.
The first one, John Maxwell’s book, The Maxwell Daily Reader, provides daily encouragement. You want to know what it said today, December 30th?
“GET UP, GET OVER IT, GET GOING” (Title of today’s entry)
John Maxwell begins, “Undoubtedly some great task lies ahead of you. Maybe you suspect that accomplishing it is the key to your purpose, but you’ve been afraid to tackle it….Plan to do it. Don’t jump into it frivolously. (If you’ve tried and failed at it once already, then you probably wouldn’t be frivolous.) Get back up on your feet…”
He then gives this “strategy to move forward”:
F — finalize your goal.
O — order your plans.
R — risk failing by taking action.
W — welcome mistakes.
A — advance based on your character.
R — reevaluate your progress continually.
D — develop new strategies to succeed.
Isn’t that motivating?
Now to the other book…
Jack Canfield’s, The Success Principles How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be.
Principle #1 – Take 100% Responsibility For Your Life
Jack Canfield says, “…there is only one person responsible for the quality of the life you live. That person is you. If you want to be successful, you have to take 100% responsibility for everything that you experience in your life.” (p. 3)
Jack was told by his boss when he was one year out from graduate school…”It is only by acknowledging that you have created everything up until now that you can take charge of creating the future you want…. Jack, if you realize that you have created your current conditions, then you can uncreate them and re-create them at will. Do you understand that?” (p. 5)
“Ninety-nine percent of all failures come from people who have a habit of making excuses.” – George Washington Carver
Jack says, “You have to give up all your excuses. If you want to create the life of your dreams, then you are going to have to take 100% responsibility for your life as well. That means giving up all your excuses, all your victim stories, all the reasons why you can’t and why you haven’t up until now, and all your blaming of outside circumstances. You have to give them all up forever…. The past is the past. All that matters now is that from this point forward you choose—that’s right, it’s a choice—to act as if you are 100% responsible for everything that does or doesn’t happen to you.” (p.5)
Jack’s book has 587 pages in it, but it’s only around $14.00 on Amazon for the paperback version. I started it this morning and I have learned more ways to improve my life (hint: take 100% responsibility for it) in the 27 pages I’ve read so far than I’ve probably learned in a lifetime.
I highly recommend both of these books.
And now… for my word for 2025…
TRANSFORM
The Online Bible definition of transformed is, “to change the form or appearance of something. To change a person’s natural disposition and temper from being hostile to God to being conformed to God’s will.”
I want to transform, not only myself, but my entire life, and fulfill the purpose God has called me too.
And be not conformed to this world: bet be ye TRANSFORMED by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. — Romans 12:2
Do you have a word or verse for this year yet? If so, would you share it in the comments below?
AND
I am not one to pick a word for the year. And I stopped making resolutions many years ago. If it works for you and others, I fully encourage it! 🙂 What works best for me is to ask God each day to do His will, and pray about how God wants me to spend my time and energy. I do have projects and goals I want to complete, but I find if I set a calendar or a deadline and I don’t achieve it, I am discouraged and feel like a failure. Again, I pray everyone finds what works for them to help them do what God wants them to do. 🙂
I like how you do it too, Joni. There’s never only one way, and you definitely can’t go wrong by asking God to help you do His will each day, and asking how He wants you to spend your time and energy. I want to apply those tips and do them myself. Thanks for sharing that. I always learn so much from you.
Jane,
A favorite Scripture verse. I understand why you chose it . . . or rather, it chose you. I wasn’t planning on choosing a word for 2025. Like you, often I forget what it was. This past year was certainly one of those. But this year, every time I turn around, a verse, or a blog post, or something simply says REST. So I think I’m being reminded that I’m not just to simply rest, but to rest in the LORD. I’ve sung solos and anthems all my life with the word Rest in them. “Oh rest in the Lord. Wait patiently for Him and He will give you, your heart’s desires. Oh, rest in the Lord.” But a favorite, from Messiah, “Come unto to Him, all ye that labor. Come unto Him ye that are heavy laden, and He will give you rest.”
I’m not sure how well I will rest with so much on my plate in the early months of 2025, but I know whatever He takes me to, He will be with me and I will find rest when I lean on and into Him and His word. I may have to turn this into my blog post for this week.
Thank you Jane, for always giving us things to ponder in our hearts. You are a terrific writer!!
Love you!
Deb
Awe, thank you so much Debbie! You are a great encourager. I like your word for the year, too. REST! But I like best how you apply it… as “to rest in the Lord”. I think you might be saying a rest for you might be a mental/mind/spiritual rest versus a physical rest. A rest in letting God rule the day for you. I love the words of your first song especially — to rest, wait patiently for Him, and He gives you the desires of your heart. So sweet! ❤️