Defining 2018 one word at a time

WHAT is your word for 2018? As a New Year junkie, I love and adore all traditions related to New Year’s Eve and Day. My family has always been all out on New Year’s Eve complete with fireworks, great food, and an amazing countdown in our backyard.

The shifting of the clock to 12 is one of cheerful anticipation for what’s ahead. No matter how the past year was, midnight meant that life could magically change in an instant, just like in fairytales.

for me – I use the time to clean out my closets in order to “spark joy” way before it was trendy to do so, make a list of all the things I want to wish into the New Year, and just day of “letting go” in order to have a “clean slate” as I enter into a whole New Year of fresh starts.

One of my many traditions is having a word for the New Year and last year it was “rebuild,” and boy, did I rebuild! When I wished for 2017 to be the year I would rebuild my life, I forgot that rebuilding also meant tearing down. My former life needed to be torn down in order to welcome a new one.

For 2018, I choose the word abundance and that is abundance across all things: at work, at home, love, and kindness. Sometimes in the midst of life, we forget that with God, there is no lack. There is only abundance and as we spill over, we share what we have with those around us.

Aside from abundance, there are also other words that I want to keep close to my heart in the coming year. These words remind me of the lessons learned in 2017 that I will carry as I face another fresh start. Maybe these words will mean something to you as you welcome 2018.

Seasons. If there is anything I have learned from nature this year, it is this: life is made up of seasons and in order to fully enjoy it, we have to fully embrace the season we are in. Trust that God is with you in all seasons and trust that all is well.

Family. Family is the foundation of who I am and as I build my own in a land far away from home, the more I appreciate the family God has blessed me with. Love is powerful and on most days, it is our love for other

Grace. May we always have the grace to accept all things and know that God makes “all things work together for the good” (Romans 8:28) and that includes seasons of our lives that hurt and situa- tions that do not make sense.

Resilience. Whatever 2017 brought you I hope you remember that God created us to be resilient. Yes, we were hurt, we were confused, and life may have turned out differently but we continue to believe that we are made to overcome and in doing so, we develop stronger versions of ourselves because we know that we are stronger than whatever life throws our way.

Courage. To live in this life, we must be courageous. And being courageous, as quoted many times, is doing it even if our eyes are closed. We jump the chasm despite the nagging fear in our soul. It is our courage that propels us to where God wants us to be and most importantly, it is courage that allows us to love and show kindness when the world becomes cruel.

with great days we haven’t even imagined in our wildest dreams (Ephesians 3:20), may you remember that you are loved, and may you always believe that your best is always ahead of you.

Cheers!

*** A dearest happy birthday to the greatest man I know, my dad. You are my life’s hero and I thank you for all you are. I will forever be proud to call you dad. Your best is ahead. I love you!