My Word for the Year
And again being amazed at God's generous clues to finding it!
2024 Answered Prayers (12/27)
2024 Goals Recap (12/28)
2024 Life-Changers (12/30)
20+ Books I Read in 2024 (12/31)
2025 Word of the Year (1/1)
2025 Goals (1/2)
40 Books to Read in 2025 (1/3)
What’s Next? (1/6)
Picking a word for the year is something I have loved doing for 15 or so years. In the beginning, they started as words I simply picked based on what I wanted to do that year. The earliest one I remember was “Momentum”. I was just ready to start gaining momentum in my new wedding-planning business.
These days, I take a bit more direction from the Lord. I seek Him, I get curious. I read Scripture. I pray. I present to God what I think might be the word. I pray again.
And honestly, that’s the fun part! You pick a word at the beginning of the year from promptings from the Lord, and while you may have an idea of what it means, watching it unfold over the next 12 months is still a surprise. It goes in line with what I mentioned here and here about godly goalsetting.
For 2024 my word was FREE.
Free from:
my old self, which Christ has made new
pressure to meet expectations of who others think I’m supposed to be
to do’s that I make a 10 and are really a 2
extra things that keep me buried in tidying
a judgmental spirit that leads to pride
Satan’s thumb as I believe his lies
legalism and adding rules where God gives freedom
Free to:
see a to-do list as an opportunity and not crushing defeat if it’s not done
see goals as a fun way to grow closer to God and not the means of my salvation
rest without feeling like it’s a weakness
I had no idea I would literally be free from my work responsibilities and decide to be free from the traditional school obligations when we decided to homeschool. And be free from have our things because of the mold. And free from the mold! Well…soon.
Here’s a look back at my WOTY for the past 9 years. Free, Delight (in the Process), Presence, Rebuild, Make Room, Healthy, Led (Not Driven), Abundant, Small, Connect, and Momentum. They’ve both motivated me into seasons God was calling me to and surprised me when I saw what God had in mind when He put that word on my heart.
This year, I tossed around a few ideas for words that, as I heard them, felt like they could make sense:
MEEK - modest, not flashy/showy, a quiet year
FOUNDATIONS - I was pretty convinced this was it! I fell asleep listening to Psalms earlier this month when I wasn’t feeling great. I woke up and heard foundations. The verse wasn’t particularly connected, but as I thought about it, I realized that it felt appropriate.
We’re planning to build a house this year (a literal new foundation)
I’m excited to read Phylicia’s book Every Home a Foundation and incorporate it into our family
I long for more steady emotions
Foundational health habits instead of all the random things
The girls are walking through a very foundational time in their years at home
And holy cow, as I read through my notes, it is hitting me! There’s a phrase I wrote down in quotes that I read somewhere that is associated with the word foundations and liked…
And it completely connects with the word I ended up picking. 😭😭😭