~  Happy New Year, friends!  ~

I hope your Christmas was blessed and you were able to spend a little time with those you love most.  We traveled to be with family and enjoyed a sweet time of love, laughter and fun as we celebrated the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

If you’re a regular reader (oh I hope so!), you may have noticed that I completely stepped away from this space for a couple of weeks to focus on the true meaning of Christmas.  Not the gifts, shopping, food or even family ~ just Jesus and what His birth and life mean to me.

And you know, I’m so glad I did.  It was scary to walk away and wonder if I’d return to the lonely sound of crickets, but I knew I needed to refocus.  I had time to rest, reflect, remember what’s most important and prepare for the new year.  I spent a lot of time in thought and prayer, and I’m fired up about all God has in store for 2012!

Have you heard about OneWord?  Basically, it’s a decision to focus on just one word for the new year, rather than making a list of resolutions that you may or may not be able to keep.  “One word that sums up who you want to be or how you want to live or what you want to achieve by the end of 2012.  One word that you can focus on every day, all year long.”

I have been thinking about my OneWord for a long time now. To be completely transparent, I have to admit I initially wanted to choose a word because I’m all about community. I love being part of something bigger than myself, particularly if I can make real, lasting connections with others in the process. (Not to mention I could really use a little improvement. *ahem*)

So I made my list of things I want need to improve: I need to live healthier, I need to be more purposeful, I need to make some sacrifices of my time, I need to strive for better balance in my life, etc, etc.  All good goals, to be sure – but none really resounded with the God-shaped space in my soul.

So I did what I thought was appropriate: I prayed God would show me which of these words I should pursue.

Still, nothing jumped out at me.

Oh sure, there were a few extra words that came to mind here and there, but nothing that felt just right.

Except that one little word that kept popping up quietly in the background, the one that didn’t seem to make sense. I already had a good list of inspiring words going, words I knew reflected necessary improvements, some of which are long overdue. My list of words could be quantified, measured, tracked and reported on.  Analytical, much?

But God doesn’t need a bar graph to gauge the value of my year. He doesn’t look at numbers to determine my worth or calculate the probability that my carefully thought-out plan will or won’t succeed. He’s not impressed with my blog stats or number of Facebook and Twitter followers, and He doesn’t really care if my word will make an intriguing series to attract more readers. (or not)

He just looks at the condition of my heart.

That’s all He really wants ~ my heart.

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider
his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him.
The LORD does not look at the things people look at.
People look at the outward appearance,
but the LORD looks at the heart.”
~ I Samuel 16:7

Many are the plans in a person’s heart,
but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.
~ Proverbs 19:21

I will give you hidden treasures,
riches stored in secret places,
so that you may know that I am the LORD,
the God of Israel, who summons you by name.
~ Isaiah 45:3

The more I thought about it and prayed about it, the more He began to change my heart.  I realized I was looking at life through my eyes with their faulty, selfish, short-sided vision that always tries to put a cartoon-character bandage on a mortal wound.  I was giving the God of the universe my list of words and asking Him to pick one.

So I set my words aside and asked Him to give me HIS word, one of HIS choosing to guide my life in the new year. I stopped generating possible solutions, stopped trying to self-diagnose for the Great Physician.

I decided to just listen.

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
~ Psalm 46:10

Your beauty… should be that of your inner self,
the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit,
which is of great worth in God’s sight.
~ I Peter 3:3-4

Do you not know?  Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
~ Isaiah 40:28

God is so faithful. He stands ready and able to bless us beyond measure, but sometimes He chooses to wait until we step aside before He shows us His glory.

Once I began to truly listen, that one little word that didn’t make sense suddenly made perfect sense, and became a scripture and a song as well.

Verses from His Word that I’ve known since childhood, and a beloved song to inspire on the rough days when I know I’m not enough and I’ve forgotten that He is.

My OneWord:
SHINE
 

My Scripture:
Matthew 5:14-16 (NASB)
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden;
nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket,
but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.
Let your light shine before men in such a way
that they may see your good works,
and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

My Song:
“The Way” ~ Jeremy Camp
Album: We Cry Out: The Worship Project

All creation cried out with longing
With groans only You could comprehend
And with wisdom, You always answer
And give the words of life so unfailing

And Your glory shines all around us
Your faithfulness shown for all to see
When we think of all of Your wonders
The beauty of Your plan that’s been revealed
We walk in Your light, we walk in it

Shine, bright
Let Your glory fill this land
Lift high, the King of Kings and great I am
Jesus, You are the way
You are the way

We can see the works of Your loving hands
With a hope and peace not made by man
When You poured out Your grace and Your mercy
And You held out Your arms so we could see
You bled for all mankind and set the captives free

Shine, bright
Let Your glory fill this land
Lift high, the King of Kings and great I am
Jesus, You are the way
You are the way

That’s what He really wants from me; to shine for Him, to share His goodness and love and mercy with a world that desperately needs to see it.

He’s not worried about whether my house is spotless and well-organized.  (It’s not)

He’s not worried about my dress size (bigger than it should be) or whether I’m on time to MOPS every week (not usually) or whether I volunteer for enough activities (nope).

I’m completely convinced ~ and convicted ~ that this year, God wants me to shine for Him. 

He is faithful, and I can’t wait to see what He has in store.