One Word - 2019

2018 is a wrap.  My #oneword for 2018 was welcome.  And BOY HOWDY!  Did we welcome things in 2018!  We were welcomed home to our forever home that we purchased in the Spring.  That was HUGE.  Jake was welcomed on to a new basketball team that has allowed us to welcome a whole new group of friends.  Emma was welcomed into the Metal Fabrication program at Meridian Technology Center.  Lara welcomed new challenges and adventures at school that really stretched and grew her.  And Finn welcomed first grade with a vengeance!  He has broken out of his shell, and truly is a joy of a little boy to be around!  I welcomed the challenge of Grad School, and Britt welcomed the challenges of being a stay at home dad and tackling all of the logistics of running our home and kids all around.  We welcomed 2018, and for the most part, she welcomed us too!  There were bumps and bruises along the way, but each of those was a welcome moment of learning as well!

2019 came up fast!  We have been in warp speed as a family for the past couple of months.  So, unlike some years, I had no thought of my One Word until yesterday.  I read a few blog posts, found a list of popular "one word" choices, and prayed.  It was abundantly clear that God was telling me to LISTEN.  And not to just listen, but to HEAR!  Not just to Him, which has been a struggle here at the end of the year, but to my friends, my family, my co-workers and professors.  My students, my classmates, my kids.  LISTEN.  Listen for comprehension.  Listen for clarity.  Listen for compassion.  Listen to HEAR, not for a space to speak.

I also like to pick a Bible verse to focus on that goes along with my One Word.  I read through many verses yesterday, trying to find the right one that expressed the sentiment I felt for the word.  I had a hard time landing on one, but this one stood out to me.  So, I LISTENED!  I listened to what God was telling me, and I studied this verse.  James 1:19 says "Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry."  Those first 2 statements really speak to me.  And if we can change "angry" to "annoyed," we would be spot on!

I am entering 2019 with a pledge to be quick to listen, and slow to speak.  To listen to HEAR, not to listen for my turn to talk.  Along with that, I want to measure my words when I respond, not just respond with a knee-jerk reaction.  Listen, REALLY LISTEN, and understand what is being said,m instead of jumping in for the answer or the quick fix.  This one is going to be hard.  Pray for me!

As part of my One Word journey each year, I like to look back over the years that I have chosen a word and what that looked like.  I enjoyed re-reading last year's post about Welcome, and reflecting on all the changes we had this past year.  We welcomed so many new things, but the biggest change was our new home.  I know we won't have a year like this again, but I am excited to see what 2019 brings for us.  (And dreading 2020 just a little bit as that is the year my little ladies will graduate from high school, but let's not talk about that now...)  Here is a list of the past posts:

2018 - welcome
2017 - closer  (I was anxious, and blog-averse, as we opened 2017, so it's a short FB post)
2016 - greater
2015 - brave
2014 - joyful
2013 - resolution

So in the vein of today being New Year's Eve, I want to WELCOME all of you to 2019, and tell you to LISTEN to your surroundings in 2019.  Here's to a great year!  HAPPY NEW YEAR!