Pastor Jim's Blog: December 2017

“So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12

In January we often make lists. Lists of things you want to start doing or stop doing - things you want to change about yourself. Lists grow of ways to improve your life and your character. When I open my Bible, I find more lists. Things a follower of Christ should do. Things a follower of Christ should resist doing. Traits a follower of Christ should display.

Each January nearly two-thirds of America’s population have made New Year’s resolutions. And you’ve probably found, like I’ve found, that each day keeps blurring into the next while we try to make some progress with our many good intentions. Yet very little actually changes. That ball keeps dropping in Times Square each New Year’s. And we keep dropping the ball on our resolutions to improve. Only 20 percent of resolution makers report achieving any significant long-term change.

Author Mike Ashcraft suggests that we lose the lists and pick a word. “In looking through the lens of a single chosen word, I found a new approach to personal change and spiritual formation — one that is doable, memorable, effective, and sticky. The results have been greater than I expected.” “One of the coolest things to me is how My One Word not only gives people a doable way to focus on their spiritual formation, but an easy way to talk about it.”

Ashcraft goes on to say, “Around here you’ll hear people asking each other, ‘What’s your One Word?’ or, ‘How’s it going with your One Word?’ You’ll hear them answer, ‘My One Word is ___, and so far God’s been showing me ____.’ Change is happening. Couples, family, and friends all help hold each other accountable, simply by talking about their words - around the dinner table, at small group meetings, even on Facebook.”

What would your One Word be for 2018?

Our family will experience two weddings in 2018. Our daughter Abigail will be married on June 9 to Derek Walton in Cincinnati, Ohio. And our son, Joshua will be married to Samantha Cassady on August 4 in Seattle, Washington. The One Word that will be the focus for 2018 for me will be JOY. Psalm 68:3 says, “But let the righteous be joyful; let them exult before God; let them be jubilant with joy.”

My hope is that this theme verse will echo all year long as we celebrate the weddings of our kids, but also as we face the daily ups and downs of this changing life. Kay Warren defines joy as: “The settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of my life, the quiet confidence that ultimately that everything is going to be alright, and the determined choice to praise God in all things.” Growing our family brings great Joy. It is my prayer that in 2018 The One Word- JOY- will give me the determined choice to praise God in all things.

What will your One Word be? Don’t let the year choose The One Word. You choose your word and let it influence your year. May 2018 find you wrapped in God’s love and emboldened by God’s never-ending peace, mercy, hope and joy. Pr. Jim