2015's One (Really 2) Word & Scripture Verse

“Don't use words too big for the subject. Don't say infinitely when you mean very; otherwise you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite.” ― C.S. Lewis

The past couple blogs focused on the end of the year and looking into the new year. In case you are still on vacation or haven't come out of your holiday slumber, the New Year has arrived. It's time to put your New Year's reflections and brainstorming to paper. Are you ready? 

I'm still working on my goals for the year but thought I'd share this year's "word". I started choosing a word and Bible verse back in 2011 after reading about selecting each on a friend's blog. In 2011, I chose "faithful", and in 2012, "Hope". My mother's word has been "HOPE" since 1994 and one she continues to hold dear to her heart until her youngest daughter, Heidi Allen, is found.

I write my "one word" and "Bible verse" on a bookmark that I tuck into my Bible. I've found this is the best way to remind myself throughout the year of the word and verse. I'm embarrassed to say I can't find my 2013/2014 bookmark. I've checked my favorite Bibles and it isn't there. I'm wondering if it's tucked within a book I was reading this summer. After wasting almost an hour searching, I decided to move forward with my word for 2015. 

My friend, Terri, blogged about OARS in living out your one word - click here.

In order to pick a word to motivate, inspire, and encourage you throughout the next three-hundred plus days, you must use all the information you've reflected on for the days (or possibly weeks) leading up to the end of 2014. 

Ask yourself, "Where do I see myself one year from today?", "What is a word I find myself saying when I talk about the future?", or "Will this word keep me focused to follow God's plan for my life?"  

It's only after asking yourself some questions and spending time in prayer that you can determine just the right word for the new year.

I left out the final, and probably one of the most important steps, SHARE your word with someone else. I encourage you to put it in writing, possibly even on a book mark to remind you throughout the year. Next, tell someone else. Similar to our goals, when we have someone else who knows, it helps to hold us accountable. Once you've written down your word (somewhere you'll see it often) and told someone else, it's time for the final step. LIVE IT!

After reflecting on last year's events, I struggled to choose a new word. "Faithful", "Hope"x2, and "Trust" continue to be one-words to carry me forward. While many moments were spent on the deck, at my parent's kitchen table, and surrounded by friends as we waited to hear if my sister's body was found...faith, hope, and trust were necessary parts of my prayers and being. 

Since this past July, life has swirled in emotions, questions, and nightmares similar to those of the early nighties after Heidi's kidnapping on Easter Sunday, 1994. I've narrowed my "one-word" to two, "courage" and "strength". So, since the act of picking one word is an individual mind-set, I'm choosing two this year. 

COURAGE: 
mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty

STRENGTH:
: the ability to resist being moved
or broken by a force

My Scripture Verse for 2015...

"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. 
We do not know what we ought to pray for, 
but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 
And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God."
Romans 8:26-27 NIV

What is your "One Word" for 2015?
Do you choose a Bible verse of focus too?