One Word

I have been reading a blog lately by a lady named Casey.  Her and I have a lot of similarities and a lot of differences.  She is very artsy and free spirited in a way I could never be.  I am very much grounded and structured.  She has blogged about not being into a schedule where as I couldn't live without one.  But she has an amazing faith in God, one I hope I can share, too, and she loves her children so much. 

Sometimes when she's writing about her kids, I feel like she's taking the words right out of my heart.  Kind of cool. 

This is what I love about blogging.  A perfect stranger...so different, yet very much the same in all the places that count.

Casey posted yesterday about her word of the year for 2013.  I think this is a great idea.  Instead of a resolution for the year, a word.  A single word.  Makes it seem easier somehow.  Her word is HOPE and I'm going to make that my word, too.  Here is what she had to say about hope:

Sometimes I wonder if we as humans encounter heartache, loss and sadness not only because this is a fallen and sinful world. An imperfect world. But also so that we can truly appreciate the joys as well. On a new level of appreciation. A new level of thanks.


To balance out human perspective.

This isn't heaven so we can't understand the whole picture.

We must have hope to come out on the other side of tasting incredible sadness.

I have no idea what 2013 will hold for me. I don't know if I will encounter loss or heartache. But I know that I am going to choose to believe in hope. and in God's promises no matter what comes my way.

This totally fits how I feel as I look ahead to 2013.  2012 has had so many wonderful moments for Chris and I and our girls.  It's also had some really, really hard moments.  We have been praying for a change in our finances.  We have been praying that God would open the door for the possibility of something personal that I won't share here but is very much wanted.  We have been praying that some circumstances for our extended families would improve. 

In 2013 I am choosing to HOPE and BELIEVE in those things.  And even if our finances don't improve, and even if we never get to have that thing we desperately want, and even if circumstances don't change for our families, we have eternal HOPE in God.

And that's really what this is about.  Not hoping for more money or a needed change for our families, but HOPE in God and his grace and mercy. 

What's your word of the year for 2013?

Check out Casey's blog here.