Something I’ve done the past 5 years in January is pray and ask the Lord what word or theme I need to focus on in the new year. It’s been a sweet way to focus on one thing throughout the year that I want to grow in.
2013 my word was GIVE.
2014 We did a word together + it was “LIVING ALIVE”.
[which we hashtaged on social media #livingalive2014]
Our word for 2015 RECEIVE.
our family word for 2016 was THRIVE.
my personal words for 2016 were GATHER + BE.
The word(s) the Lord has put on my heart for 2017 are LIFE + LAUGHTER.
Earlier this week I talked a little but about what I wanted less and more of in 2017, and the end of that in my personal goal setting/vision notes I wrote, “this is the year for life and laughter”. This is indeed the year for new life, as we will be welcoming baby sister in February. She is such a picture of coming out of a desert season, into a season of new life. We have been waiting for her for 7+ years, and this is the year! In 2017, I’m looking forward to new life in our family, new life in my business, new life in friendship, and new life in my soul. amen.
Behold, I am doing a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.
Isaiah 43:19
Laughter is sort of a random one, but as I’ve been praying about it – I can’t let go of this word! This is how I see it: speaking into what will be, and not focusing on the negative. It’s easy to think “things won’t change”, or “that will be really hard”, but I want to focus on the positive and expect all the good things the Lord is going to do in 2017. Laughter: not that I won’t cry, but that I will laugh when I want to, I will laugh when I need to, I will laugh when I want to cry (hello toddlers), I will laugh at the future – trusting god with it all.
Strength and dignity are her clothing,
and she laughs at the time to come.
Proverbs 31:25
What about you? Do you come up with a word for the year? I’d love to hear it!
*also, I’ve been loving going through Lara Casey’s goal setting blog post series this week. you can find it here.
Hey, I'm Wynne!
Hi, friend! First, I truly am so giddy that you are here. I want you to know I believe in you and all the ways you are growing towards living a more intentional life. I genuinely hope you are encouraged from our time together here.
A little about me, I’m a type 7 on the enneagram, a total extrovert + people lover, entrepreneur, connector, storyteller, people gatherer, and passionate wife, mama + friend. I feel most alive when I’m exploring new places and surrounded by people I love. Give me a day in the outdoors disconnected from wifi, and I am a happy girl. I run on oat milk lattes, Jesus, gratitude journaling and kitchen dance parties with my four kids.
Welcome, come on in!
My family also does this each year. We pick a word, verse, or theme we feel God wants us to focus on. Our word for 2016 was Contentment, as we “learned to be content” (Phil 4:11). For 2017 our word is Simplicity. We too will be adding a baby to our family in 2017 (via adoption) and we feel compelled to strip away a lot of the excess in our lives…. things, excess of clothes and toys, vacations/trips, Disney passes … and focus on simplifying our lives!
[…] MY WORDS FOR 2017 WERE LIFE + LAUGHTER. […]