A few years ago (2010 to be exact), as I was listening to klove in the morning, I first heard the idea of My One Word. I began thinking about this concept, but never really adopted a word for myself. Later on that year, I went through an extremely difficult time. For some strange reason, this concept of adopting a word came to mind. It was late spring, but I knew it still was not too late to choose a word for myself. Considering everything my family was dealing with, I chose the word SIMPLIFY. This word was so appropriate for me and the situation I was facing.
Confession: I am a hoarder. I hoard material possessions, memories, JUNK, emotions (both positive and negative), you name it! I knew that in order to be who I needed to be... who HE wanted me to be... I had to let go of some STUFF in my life and SIMPLIFY.
Laugh if you want, but since I had not had my one word for an entire year, I chose to keep (hoard) it in 2011. When 2012 rolled around, I knew I still had work to do in this area. I really wanted a new word though. I chose SIMPLICITY. Ha. I know, it is silly. I should have just kept the old word. I just felt the need to change it up a little! :)
I posted a while back about the fact that I read through Proverbs each month. During the summer of 2012, I was reading and a word stood out to me. The word was PRUDENT.
At this point, I had read through the book of Proverbs several times. I was not yet quite sure how to take this word. I did some research and discovered that PRUDENT means to be practical, wise, careful, cautious, not frivolous, etc. After some soul searching, I decided that this area in my life is in need of some serious work.
As the wife and mother in our home it is not only my responsibility, but my duty to act prudently in areas that pertain to our home. I prayed about this word for quite some time and even considered using it as my one word for 2013. Something just did not feel quite right about it though.
I knew I still had plenty of time to discover my word, so I did not stress about it. I have tried diligently to be more prudent in my life and in my home. It is wonderful! My outlook on many things has changed. Going through FPU also helped in HUGE ways in this area of my life. Just as with simplifying and adding simplicity in many areas in my life I feel more at peace in certain situations. I know this peace is a result of my striving to become a more PRUDENT (not perfect!) woman, wife, and mother.
Later in 2012 (it was actually during the fall) I was again reading Proverbs. Another word really struck me... INTEGRITY. This is not a new word to me. INTEGRITY is a word I have heard my entire life. As soon as I read the verse, I started doing research.
According to merriam-webster.com, INTEGRITY is incorruptibility... soundness... completeness. I LOVE this! My favorite part of the description is incorruptibility. When you look at the synonyms for INTEGRITY, you see words such as character, decency, goodness, rightness, virtue, and many things that made me think of the fruits of the Spirit. Right then and there, I sent a text to a dear friend and prayer partner and told her I thought this was supposed to be my one word.
What is your word? I would love for you to share!
What? You do not have a word? It is not too late!
Three simple steps:
1.determine the kind of person you want to become
2.identify the characteristics of that person
3.pick a word
Beyond the shadow of a doubt, I know it. INTEGRITY is my one word for 2013.
"Better a poor man who lives with integrity than someone who has deceitful lips and is a fool." -Proverbs 19:1
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