My Three Words for 2017

Each year since 2013, I have paused in December to reflect on the year and envision the future.  I have made it a habit to choose three words to set the course for the new year.  These words are not exactly goals or resolutions, they are guiding principles, like compass points that keep me on the path of inward growth and outward purpose.  

Last year, my words were Lift, Pray, and Nourish.  They remained on my kitchen chalkboard wall for the entire year and I read them daily.  Here are my reflections on the power of these words:

Lift-  I wanted to get stronger through literal weight-lifting, and I wanted to be intentional with lifting burdens from others using my resources.  Happily, I am as strong as I've ever been thanks to a gym full of weights and machines and a log book where I track my progress.  And I've found ample opportunities to lift burdens of others...really, there is no shortage of burdens, so the onus is always on my listening and responding to the Holy Spirit.

Pray-  As always, this one is difficult for me, though I found recent comfort in this quote: 

“For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy.” ― Thérèse of Lisieux  

I think I am of the "surging heart" type, not the "prayer warrior" type.  I think that is okay.

Nourish-  I did better than in the past providng nourishing meals to my family, while openly admitting that every Friday is pizza night and not the healthy kind.  I definitely nourished my mind with a great deal of reading.  Because of my daughter's new driver's license and my kids' schedules this year, a whole world of uninterrupted time opened to me, which I used primarily for reading and listening to audio books.  

So enough of the old. My three words for 2017: Place, Practice, Magnify

Place-  The French have a culinary term called "mise en place."  (French pronunciation: ​[mi zɑ̃ ˈplas]) It refers to having everything in its place before you begin, all the ingredients and the pots and pans in place after carefully reading the recipe.  I've experimented a bit with this in the kitchen lately: placing pre-measured ingredients in little bowls around me before I begin cooking, which makes me feel like a professional and a bit glamorous, like I'm on a Food Network cooking show. But the implications are greater than an organized meal prep.  What if my home, my work, my relationships, and my mind could be described as "mise en place?"   Lofty, I know. 

Practice-  Lately I have been fascinated with all things liturgical and iconic.  I want to know the meanings behind the church year, liturgy, spiritual disciplines, and religious icons.  My evangelical church does not typically enter into these things, which is fine.  Better to do the work on my own.  But the point of knowing the meanings is to practice and experience their intended outcomes, which is deeper communion with God and others.  I am starting with the Daily Examen. 

Magnify- Mary said in Luke 1, "My soul magnifies the Lord."  She spoke this in response to God interrupting her simple life with a GREAT CALL.  She spoke it in the midst of personal turmoil and fear.  Whatever God asks of me, I want to magnify him.  And I want to hold up a magnifying glass to the needs of the world.  And I want to hold up the unforgiving glass to my own sin so that I may be ushered into God's river of forgiveness and the Holy Spirit's unending assistance.  

And with that, I am now accountable for another year of growth.  

My 3 Words for 2016

A handful of you have asked me about my three words for the new year.  Years ago, when I read about this idea on some guy's blog, I became intrigued and motivated to do this kind of high-arching goal-setting exercise.  Rather than write down a list of specific goals and resolutions each year, which quickly annoy the heck out of me,  I instead contemplate the stage of life I am in and create a framework of words that become a filter for my choices.  I post them around the house so they stay on my mind.  Admittedly, after a few months, they blend into the scenery, but every now and then, they jump out at me and remind me to ask...how's it going?  

These are the three words that have bubbled to the top of my thoughts over the last few weeks:  LIFT, PRAY, NOURISH.  (Kind of like Eat, Pray, Love, but hopefully not so self-serving as Ms. Gilbert's approach.)  

I'm not sure why LIFT is my word of choice, but it seems to encompass two personal values...physical strength and serving others.  I want to be able to lift heavy things, from furniture and dumbbells to medicine balls and toddlers running around church.  I want to push myself in the area of weight training at the gym.  My husband loves when I buff up and frankly, I've gotten a little soft over the last few years.  

I also want to LIFT the burdens of others when I can, using my gifts and resources and heart.  This is all about noticing needs, listening to God, and responding to that holy nudge.  It can hurt and be messy.  It can mean sacrifice and expense.  But it is a charge from God himself.  So I pray this song: "Take my feet and let them be swift and beautiful for thee," powerful words from one of my favorite hymns. 

PRAY is simple and direct, but it is oh so hard for me.  I think on God a lot, but the talking/listening part gets pushed aside, and I always feel the void in my spirit.  So I came up with an idea...nothing novel, just new to me.  I am keeping a prayer journal and spending each day of the week praying for important people and issues in my life.  Each person in my immediate family has a day dedicated to him or her.  Friends and extended family have a day.  I have a day to pray for personal needs.  And the world in general has a day.  As soon as I sit down with my coffee and Happy Light, I open my journal for focused prayer.  Then I read scripture from the online Revised Common Lectionary and meditate awhile on it.  

NOURISH is a word that sings in my ear.  It's about feeding myself and family nutritious foods and pouring love and grace into my relationships.  To me, this word is a pearl among all healthy living and psychology terminology.  

So there you go and here I go.  Welcome, sweet new year of opportunities to grow and do better.