In Others’ Words: One Word 2015

 

You may not be ready to think about the 2015 yet, but I’ve been thinking about the upcoming new year since August. Yes, yes, I have.

Those of you who’ve hung around this blog long enough know I don’t do resolutions — rather, I focus on one word for an entire year. Well, this year I realized what next year’s word was fairly early.

But, as I like to do each year, I’ll recap the past nine years of words before I share what my word will be for year ten. (Wow! A decade of words! I ought to celebrate somehow, don’t you think?)

2006: gratitude – I kept a gratitude journal and found my “glass-half-empty” attitude revolutionized.

2007: simplify – A severe illness turned this word into survival. I embraced simpler things in ways I never imagined.

2008: content – as in “be content with such things as you have” (Hebrews 13:5) I bought a lot less that year!

2009 & 2010: forgiveness – I had a lot to learn and unlearn about forgiveness.

2011: hope – A word I clung to when life hurt or when my heart ached for others who were hurting. There were times I could have asked “Why?” Instead, I asked myself, “Are you going to abandon hope?” My answer: No.

2012: trust – During a year of change, I faced doubting versus trusting — and chose to trust. I also began posting trust quotes on my Facebook page to encourage myself and others.

2013: confidence – I feel so much stronger emotionally after keeping my heart and mind set on “not throwing away my confidence.” (Hebrews 10:35-36) And yes, I continued the tradition of posting confidence quotes on my FB page.

2014: think – I tried to anchor my thinking to truth more and more, rather than letting my thoughts go wandering. (The tree image/quote is from my 2013 One Word blog post.)

The word for 2015 slipped up on me slowly, as I seemed to write nonstop, week after week. I found myself . . . well, coming to the end of myself in a lot of ways. And I stumbled onto the idea that I needed to be collaborating with God as I wrote.

Collaborate.

Isn’t that a beautiful word?

Collaborate means to work jointly on an activity, especially to produce or create something. Synonyms: co-operate, join forces, team up, band together, work together, participate, combine, ally.

As always, I’ve wanted a verse to anchor my word to, and my treasured friend, author Cynthia Ruchti, shared the perfect one with me while we were at a writers retreat in Monterey:

For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it (complete it) until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6 NASB)

I’m still looking for my visual to accompany me one word — but I know I’ll find it before the new year begins.

In Your Words: What about you? What was your word for 2014? If you already know your word for 2015, I’d love for you to share! And if you do resolutions instead, how have those worked out for you this year?

To celebrate a decade of focusing on one word a year, I’m giving away one copy of My One Word, by Mike Ashcraft and Lisa Olsen, a wonderful book that helps you “lose the long list of resolutions … and do something about one thing this year instead of nothing about everything.” Leave a comment below and share your word for 2014 or 2015!

The Power of One Word #oneword2015 #giveaway
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What's Your One Word for 2015? #oneword2015 #giveaway
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