our blog
Mar
A “Word” Of Encouragement
For a moment, think back to how you felt after choosing your One Word for 2010. There was the excitement of a fresh start along with a renewed commitment to the things left by the wayside during the past year. The feelings of hope for change consumed you. This was going to be the year when things finally shaped up. Not only that, but in the midst of the spiritual change you found yourself in, you realized that you were not alone. An entire community was embarking on the same mission: to gain a deeper understanding of the heart of God and reflect that characteristic more profoundly in their life.
For some those feelings are matching up with the reality they are facing. Growth is happening and you have witnessed change in your walk with God. Disciplines that once felt awkward and unnatural are starting to be embedded into your character. We are excited that you are experiencing growth and we encourage you to continue with the momentum you are feeling!
Yet, there are others of you who have hit a wall of discouragement and trouble. Having encountered this plateau, change is more of a challenge and is less recognizable. For some difficulty with your word may have come almost instantly the first morning after you got out of bed. While for others it took a week or month before discouragement reared its’ ugly head in your lives.
If you are feeling discouraged or believe you’ve already failed and there is no hope for change, there are two things that you must cling to for comfort. First, change cannot and does not occur without struggle. The encouraging thing is that God wants to meet you in the midst of your struggle. If you have exhausted all your human strength, patience, and will and have nothing else to rely on but Him, that is exactly where He wants you to be. Second, one of the most beautiful aspects of grace is that every day is a new day. The moment you wake up is another opportunity for faith in a God who loves a good story of redemption. Although the road may seem long, we encourage you to continue to pursue God’s heart by reflecting His character through your One Word.
We want to echo the words of Paul in Philippians 3:13-14: “Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
Mar
Tackling The Swing Set
Many joys and benefits come with fatherhood. Having a little one tackling you the moment you step foot in the door after a long day at the office. A snuggle buddy who falls asleep on your chest, exhausted after a full day of play. An excuse for watching Shrek for the 1,247th time.
There’s also a special responsibility all dads share around birthday or Christmas time: being in charge of assembling the latest and greatest toy, bike, or swing set that will bring a smile to your child’s face. My last such task was building a kiddie swing set for my two daughters. Don’t let the word ‘kiddie’ fool you – there were more pieces, nuts and bolts than I could count. I could have built an ark with all the lumber at my disposal. Luckily, the 12 pages of directions were all in English, which unfortunately isn’t always the case.
I used the picture covering the box as a point of reference: a picture of Tommy and Suzie grinning from ear to ear because their daddy was clearly a tool whiz who put the thing together in no time. I, on the other hand, just learned what an Allen wrench was. I felt completely lost. How would all these random pieces and parts eventually end up looking like that picture staring back at me? At times I felt tempted to cut some corners to speed up the process. It was hard to see, in the midst of my assembly, how tightening this little bolt or following each tedious step was critical to the entire structure being sound.
Just like the kids’ swing set, when it comes to our relationship with Christ and the forming of our One Word into our character, ‘some assembly is required.’ The My One Word project is about learning and embracing something new. As you develop measuring sticks to track progress and growth, it is critical to have a point of reference to the person you are trying to become. What does someone who is patient, kind, loving, forgiving, (insert your One Word) look like? What qualities do they possess that you seem to lack? How can you learn more about these character traits? Who in your life most exemplifies the quality of your One Word? Have you ever asked how living out this character trait seems so natural to them?
Being a fool when it comes to tools, I quickly realized the need to call in reinforcements who were more skilled with the hammer, wrench and screwdriver than I. If not for my brother-in-law, the swing set would have been an unstable structure that would inevitably collapse, sending one of my daughters to the hospital. While we assembled the swing set together, I had the opportunity to ask questions, learn some tricks of trade and at times just sit back and watch. Over time, I gained more confidence in what I was doing.
During this upcoming week, we want to encourage you to establish learning goals. Begin this process by asking yourself a question: in order to grow, what do you need to know? As you study your word, you will begin to notice areas where learning needs to take place. These are starting points for your learning goals. Where can you seek out the necessary information to better understand the values and heart behind your word? What books or articles focus on the subject of your one word? What scriptures should you study? Who do you respect who could serve as a mentor?
The point of learning goals is to pursue growth and knowledge of your word. Take the time necessary to become a student of your word.
- Read Colossians 1:9-11. In order to grow through your One Word, what do you need to know? In what areas do you seem to be lacking knowledge when it comes to the heart behind your One Word?
- What steps do you need to take to gain the knowledge necessary for growth to take root in your life?
Are you looking for a way to keep your word in front of you all year long? Register for a My One Word account! One of the key features of a MOW account is an online Word Journal that allows you to capture your thoughts to reflective questions like you see above. You can go back at any time to read your completed journals to see how God has been moving in your life through your word in 2010. If you already have an account, the questions from this blog have been posted to your Word Journal — log in to your account to start your Word Journal today!
Mar
Celebrate The Steps
One of the great advantages of My One Word is the way it helps me see my growth as a process. When I think about my word and what I hope it will help me become, I get excited about the possibility that this could actually happen.
But it is not just a goal. The point of focusing for an entire year is to remind you that it is a process. It is easy to get overwhelmed by everything that remains unchanged and all the work that needs to be done. But we shouldn’t forget to celebrate.
Celebrating is an act of faith. It is a declaration of progress and not simply a destination. We don’t celebrate our birthday because it is the end—we celebrate it as a point on the journey. And you should celebrate these points.
The problem is that, too often, we have not identified these points. We don’t know what to look for, so we wait until the end to celebrate. And that is too late.
Our word reminds us that we are in process. Each step along the way is an opportunity to celebrate that progress. We are celebrating what God is doing in us.
If you struggle with discipline, celebrate the fact that you sat down and read or exercised or journaled. Our steps tend to remind us that we do not do enough, so our thoughts become clouded—we feel pressure to continue, or feel regret that comes from thinking, “Why didn’t I do this yesterday?”
If you struggle with your temper, celebrate the fact that what you were able to take a deep breath and deal with something that would have sent you reeling last month. And it was fine. You didn’t lose anything by not losing your temper.
Patience, kindness, worry, gossip, stress….whatever your struggle, make sure to celebrate your progress. Celebrate the fact that you believe that God is working in your life. This is faith. You are declaring that you believe that what He has begun He will complete. And until you are complete, you are in process. Do not wait until the end to celebrate—that’s too late. Celebrate the steps.
We’d love to hear your response to the following question: Read Philippians 4:4. One way we can encourage each other is by celebrating steps of growth together. As you look back on your My One Word journey to this point, what step do you most need to celebrate?