New Year...New Word

Each year, I choose a Word of the Year.  

2014 was "New Life".

Boy did we see New Life in 2014.  Just in the literal sense of the word.  Their names are Sadie, Landon, Gabriel, Luke, Bo and Parker (he wasn't born this year but became part of our family this year).  

We have seen God take us into new places this year.  Birthing a new vision and expectancy within us and CTK.  Our new Wednesday Night Worship Team is amazing and our Dance Team and Drama Team...God is using so many talents that we didn't even know existed...breathing New Life into our people and excitement into our lives.  

2014 consisted of challenges, blessings, laughter, tears, hopes, excitement, disappointments, successes, joys, love, losses, gains...the list goes on and on.  

I started this year with a cancer scare and spent December with pneumonia but those two health problems don't define my year.  For every challenge faced, God was there with me and continued to open my eyes to the Joy that comes in the morning.  Each new day brings with it new possibilities and opportunities to see God's hand move and lives changed.  

New Life doesn't come easy.  I watched my daughter and daughter in law give birth to beautiful baby boys this year.  Juliana was in pre-term labor for days...pain and no sleep, distraught, exhaustion.  Scovia's water broke but the baby was not in position.  Over 24 hours of labor, most of it hard...I saw her cry, push, shake...the pain that even the drugs could not take away.  New Life is difficult and painful.  It doesn't stop with the birthing process.  After all the hard work of bringing the life into the world, you must now gather yourself together and nurse, change diapers, bathe him.  Now the work begins.  








So since 2014's Word of the Year was New Life...it leads into 2015's word of the year, "BRAVE".

2015 will bring new challenges and joys.  As we continue into this New Life, we need to be Brave.  Being brave isn't the absence of fear or the ignorance of who we are, what our short comings are or how ill-equipped we might be. It's continuing on, pressing forward, not stopping until the task is complete...Victory!  It's not about finishing first...the Victory is how we finish. Who did we touch along the way?  How did we show the love of Jesus to those we met?  What was our attitude?  What was our focus?  Did it change us?  

My prayer is to be BRAVE through it all so that I can with lifted hands, witness and be a part of the Victory party!!!  

Do you have a Word of the Year?  If so, share it with me. I would love to hear from you.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BABY GIRL, KELCIE!!!!  Our best New Years Eve, ever!!!!