Tag: word of the year

Blog, Word

2021: Rest

Smoliver08@gmail.com

I can’t believe I’m finally saying HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Y’all when I wrote my 2020 post and talked about how 2019 was my hardest year to date, I genuinely thought we’d be better off in 2020. Instead we got a dumpster fire right after a gauntlet. While I could ruminate on all the things that sucked instead I want to look at what he REDEEMED in 2020 and how God gave me ANOTHER re- word for 2021.

The Lemonade Stand

I think I can best describe my list of silver lining that came this year like a string of lemonade stands….you know you get handed lemons you do the best you can and make lemonade, or lemon tarts, or lemon cake, or all the above when a semi drops lemons on your house ha!

For example I occationally suffer from cold sores or fever blisters along my lip line. They are the worst and something I’ve had forever. In the time of Covid 19 and masks I have had more than usual, i.e. LEMONS….However the mandatory mask makes covering those outbreaks easy, i.e. LEMONADE.

So here are the things I made out of this lemon of a year:

  1. Endless summer memories – I spent many months staying home with my son during the spring and summer. It was HARD and I got to watch in little moments every day as he went from a toddler to a boy.
  2. Time talking to my people – Without the easy in-person interaction I was forced to reach out to my core people in ways that would have felt awkward before.
  3. At-home therapy – I started seeing an adoption/trauma-informed family counselor in Dec of 2019. I am very awkward and self-conscious in person but found such freedom and depth in the flexible sessions that we’ve had since March.
  4. The author of my favorite book, Ella Enchanted, read the entire book on Facebook to help us survive lockdown.
  5. Hobbies, etc – I picked up loom weaving and an appreciation for Taylor Swift thanks to a less full calendar.

There are more micro things, but those are some good lemon tarts.

Now as we sit on the edge of 2021 I want to encourage you to take it slow, don’t hold this year under the microscope, it won’t be “all better” on Day One. We have to find the good and do the next right thing.

Which brings me to my Word for the New Year…

On Christmas Eve, in the span of 30 minutes, I lost my wallet and my car went haywire. I had to drop off my car at my mom’s, borrow her truck, and head back to my last stop to get my wallet. I had all this Christmas Eve stuff to do and I was wasting time driving all over the tri-city area (no one else watching Phienase and Ferm endlessly…just me, cool).

Anyhow, as I was driving to get my wallet all mad and put out I got that nudge. I could feel God recalibrating my perspective. A-my car was ok enough to get me to my mom’s, and B-a nice human had found my wallet and me on Facebook to return it.

I was upset when really everything was just fine. I could hear God say, – just rest. Not only in the calm down way, but also in the rest in Him way. Now I was not on board in that moment. I knew He was right about the situation, but REST . . . for a whole year?! I can barely sit still in my own house without bouncing from task to task.

But, of course he had me set. Just then the local radio station announced their next song, “Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.” – YEP! I rolled my eyes and shook my head. Whether you find a verse or word or habit to focus on this year I hope you lean into God’s direction for your heart.

Happy 2021 Friends!

Blog

2020: Redeem

Smoliver08@gmail.com

Happy New Decade Gang!

Anyone else feel very old, and very energized at the same time? . . . Just me? That’s ok too!

The New Year used to be the only time I made plans or tried to hit new goals. But several things changed over the last half decade and I wanted to share them with you. (I’ll get to the whole redeemed story soon so don’t go anywhere!)

I look at my life in sections, like volumes in a collection. In 2014 I finished up the “running through life” part. I had experienced an intense space of numbness in my spirit and went out on a limb landing in the arms of some truly godly women. They were years into a group study/fellowship routine and about to do a Restreat, yes we made up our own word.

We also picked a word to center us for the upcoming year. You can read all about each word I’ve had from 2015-2019 here, but the point I’m slowly making is that 2015 began the next section of my life which was very clearly about waking up and actually doing something about stuff I wasn’t happy with.

I realized I was going through the motions of life with very little concern for how my mind, body, spirit, etc were doing. Was I happy? Did I want to get better at X? Had my husband and I grown closer? I was not considering any of these things unless there was a GIANT issue I couldn’t ignore.

So between my Bible study, personal development, parenting development, writing, creating, and recovery this section of life has been all about gathering tools. And let me tell you, these tools are not all created equal and some of them come with heavy discomfort price tags. But where in life did I get the idea that anything worth having would be easy to get?

Let the redeemed of the LORD tell their story– those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,

Psalm 107:2

Today I think I’m entering a new section. And while I think it will look different at the end, I’m using the working title, the expression section. I find that I apply things to my life that I talk about. Reading and learning new things is only part of the journey to using the information. We have an easier time practicing when we internalize the tools to the point that we can explain them to others.

I also feel so strongly that God is doing a good work in me that will soon bear it’s first fruit. I believe he will REDEEM the pains of previous seasons and create something better.

~ Now that I’ve gone the long route to the original intent of this post, let me tell you how God gave me another re- word this year. ~

In October our church hosts an all-girl youth event. Every year we tease next year’s theme and we are doing a big 10 year celebration with Ruth as the main story. So my friend sends me this image to show at the event and in giant letters it says “Redeemed” over this wheat field….Y’all I literally started crying! Since year two I have had at least one- “what if He doesn’t give me a re- word this year” panic moment. I always promise myself to be ok with whatever word he brings me. And every year it comes. I mean for the last FIVE years God has been faithful in this small way that shows me He sees me and KNOWS me.

So when this word came sliding in months before I even had time to worry I just came undone. Because this year has been beyond difficult. We have had such uncertainty with work, which means finance uncertainty. And we lost two irreplaceable pillars in our family. I see God in this. I know He sees me. And I believe without question that He has big plans for my life and spirit in the year and years to come.

Thank you for listening, and leave your Word of the Year below!

Love,

Shari

Blog, Word

2019: Release

Smoliver08@gmail.com

July is a good time to talk about my word for 2019, right?

For real though, I have been feeling the presence and weight of this word all year. It has come up again and again as I have walked into new things. It has been my shout to God as I give up another area of my life to him. I’m learning I can’t make everything look ok… ever. I try so hard to hold everything level, but some things need to be pushed off the balance beam so I don’t go down too.

This year I just knew my line of re- words was at an end. I mean I had four in a row and four is our family number. But lo and behold God had another plan. He surprised me with this one, and I am still unhappy about it. Releasing things is not in my basic makeup. Giving things to God feels like tug-of-war, but God never throws in the towel. He continues to let me have go back and forth, faithfully taking what I give over to him regardless of how recently I passed that exact thing his way before.

Psalm 25:15

So we come to Release. If I’ve done things right there will be a series up very soon in our YouTube channel breaking down all the areas of my life I have been trying to manage through prayer and carefully mentor decisions. All year I have been feeling my way around working hard to reach out without jumping at every option like it’s gold. It is so hard to ascertain what God sends my way and what I will to be “from Him”. I fail all the time, but a framework has emerged and I’m giving it all I’ve got.

-Shari

Blog, Word

2018: Restore

Smoliver08@gmail.com

“It’s a brand new day and the sun is high!” – Name That Film?

Happy 2018 everyone! IS anyone else just so relieved 2017 is over? Actually 2017 tried to hang on into the new year at our house, but we officially squashed it and started the year over again on the 8th!

Anyway for the past three years I have been praying for a word to center myself around. Something to anchor me to God and his plans for me. I use that time between Christmas and the new year to decompressing and sit still. Most years I get started and the word just comes straight at me, no searching, it just falls into my path.

This year was not that easy. I opened my Bible as much as possible, I searched all the faith hashtags, I even checked the verse of the day…every day. It was already Jan and I didn’t have clarity at all. I finally did the right thing, I stopped trying to hard. I prayed for it to come in the right time and set it aside.

With most things this tactic is meant to create space for the thing we want to “just happen” while in reality it isn’t happening for a variety of reasons. Usually letting go does not make something happen right away. But it this case it did! The very next lesson at church covered this verse and I was shocked and then felt foolish for doubting God’s provision.

wiirocku: “ Psalm 51:12 (NLT) - Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and make me willing to obey You. ”

There is so much to learn from taking a step back and feeling that connection. I pray this year restores order, peace, confidence, and love.

-Shari

Blog, Word

2017: Rejoice

Smoliver08@gmail.com

To say I was overjoyed at this year’s word would be cheesy and true. I try to really let God give me my word every year. This year I hadn’t had time to give it much focus and I was worried when I first sat down that it might be brave. (Man I did not want that one, but I knew it was possible.) Thankfully I was led to Zephaniah 3:17.

The Lord your God is in your midst,
    a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with gladness;
    he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing. ESV

Again a word that follows the re- format. I love how that works out. It feels like these three years will fit together as a time in my life that I had to re-view or re-learn my lessons from God. At the beginning, in 2015, God started this stage of my life and spiritual journey with Remain. I had so much desire to totally change and run to the end…skip the work and enjoy the “new me.” God knew I needed the reminder to wait and let Him refine me in His own time. Little did I know that remain would be even more appropriate as we waited to bring “Bo” home. Those long weeks were full of remaining and God was so good to us in that time.

This past year was more about endurance, and God was very clear in giving me Return as my word to hold on to. I took my troubles and worries on myself, and then returned them to Him over and over again. But it got easier and became more fluid as I learned slowly how to hold things with an open hand. I still have so much growing to do in that area, but 2016 was a good start.

And so we have come to 2017. I feel so blessed to have survived the wild ride of the last 13 months. God has continually guided me and confirmed his promises as we pray for the future.

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In the good times and the bad I will aim to Rejoice in Him.

Happy New Year!

-Shari

(Originally written Jan 2017 here)

Blog, Word

2016: Return

Smoliver08@gmail.com

This calendar shift has been a struggle for me. My world totally changed about three weeks before the new year, so I was a little underwhelmed by 2016 beginning.

However, I have been thinking about one important aspect of this time of renewal.

Last spring a dear friend gave me the idea to ask God for a word for the year. (You can read about it here.)

For me this word is about grounding myself when I get lost in my head, stuck in that “what can I do about it” mindset. There are so many ways to work toward a better relationship with God that I sometimes forget the main point…which is God himself. (All of those things are AMAZING tools, just saying.) I find that for me I get caught up it what I have to do, and I forget that I need only ask God to allow these tools to change me, to draw me nearer to him.

And so for the second year I have asked God to give me a word to focus in on when I get distracted, or when I feel weak. At first I felt drawn toward Obedience (bleh!), but I was praying God would give me a less harsh version. Turns out I had to remain a little instead of Google-ing synonymous.

Today I found some screen backgrounds in a Bible reading app I’ve had for a few months. (Sidebar – check out She Reads Truth sometime.) One of them had a verse from Joel that clearly was my answer:

image

Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, – Joel 2:13 partial ESV

And there it is : Return

I so often lately am worried about all the ways I could mess up. All the things I could lose if I make a wrong move. But that is not how this works. God’s will is going to happen. I am not responsible for it. I will play a part, but if I should choose not to or my time in that situation changes, it is not going to mess up His plan.

There is such freedom in this. In returning to Him and asking to be a part of his good work.

Happy New Year friends,

-Shari

(Originally written Jan 2016 here)

Blog, Word

2015: Remain

Smoliver08@gmail.com

Sometimes what you want to say comes out in pieces. I have wanted to share this for weeks, but I haven’t been satisfied with the results. However my desire to share has outweighed my tendency to be very critical of myself. So here goes…

Earlier this year I followed a friend’s lead and went in search of a word for the year. The idea being that this word would give me focus. I haven’t been as intentional as I would like spiritually, and when I found myself more aware and concerned about this I knew I needed something, something simple to anchor myself to.

At first one word was hard to come by, so this verse became my starting point:

Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”  -John 13:7 NIV

This settled easily into my thoughts as I tried to keep my worrying spirit at rest. But I was still on the lookout. 

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