"... Being confident of this,
that he who began a good work in you
will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."
Philippians 1:6 (NIV)
There are times and seasons of the year which I hold fast, particularly those from October through December and with the addition of one day in January... that being the First.
There is something about the newness of the calendar which reminds me of awaking early and watching the sun rise from my kitchen window (often with the aroma of coffee brewing). Within it is a promise of good things and new beginnings.
January 1st brings with it a clean slate, with both the good times and the "not so good" of the previous year behind me. A new year to Trust and to have Faith and to "cleave to" (a good old fashioned term) the One who has promised never to "leave me nor forsake me".
The past twelve months have brought quite a lot of brokenness to the world in general as well as to this household. Figuratively (the lightening strike) and in actuality (my husband's broken collar bone). Christmas started out feeling broken this year but ended with joy and delight, a certain sign of restoring peace and joy... all brought about by the affection of people.
As I thought of the news of the world and the nation this past year, it was filled with broken people and places... to such an extinct that I had to refrain from watching the news from time to time. I heard a doctor speaking on a television program recently, saying that we were not made to be inundated with the bad news of the world on a 24/7 basis so stress abounds everywhere.
I'm certain this will continue in this next year. There are two events which will receive a great deal of coverage... the election for the office of U. S. President and the Mayan prophecy concerning destruction in December of 2012. Neither of which will bring peaceful images or words from TV stations.
I've been pondering my word for 2012 for a few weeks now. For years I kept the same word... hope. I needed hope more than anything except faith. Then my word was... create. I still need hope and I plan to create but my ponderings took me just ever so slightly in a different direction.
I kept thinking of the word renew and then ... restore... and finally restoration. That's was it! I want this to be the year of...
Restoration!
In the midst of the broken-ness of the world, only the Lord can offer true restoration... only He, for instance, can restore a soul to new life. He can take what was broken from past years and make them whole again... whether relationships, finances, people, things, ministry, hopes, dreams, or even your walk with Him. He came to restore...
In many ways my new word is a continuation of the last two as hope became create and create becomes restoration. Of course, I'll be pondering more of what this means to me over the weeks. :)
Note: I'm back from my computer break but I may take a little while to merge back into reading and writing online (and I am still way behind in answering e-mails!).
Image: Season of Peace; allposters.com
15 comments:
Thank you for such thoughtful and hopeful post.
Happy New Year! May it bring health and peace to you and your loved ones!
BR, Maria
Well said! Happy New Year!
Restoration...I like that word. I was reminded of something similar as I watched Mr. Clark last night in Times Square and I thought of something similar as I was reminded that we can feel physically better at an older age than we did years younger.
I am so in agreement with not watching the news all the time. Liberal media biases are embarrassingly obvious and much of what is said is half truths and fabrications anyway. We'll see the results of that very soon. If we take our cues from the Holy Spirit, we can rest secure. From what I am hearing in my own community, the media is miles away from having its "finger on the pulse of the American people." On that note, I will be glad to have the radio boys back from their respective vacations. ;>
Restoration sounds like a good word for the coming year. Last year it sometimes felt like the theme was 'survival' here :) Happy New Year!
I came across your blog a month ago and have enjoyed it ever since. You are such a great example to me just through your words and obvious love for our Savior. I could go on and on about things you have wrote that I agreed with or told my mother about during a phone conversation..now she reads you too! Thank you in so many ways..and restoration..yes!!
Somebody quoted Philippians 1:6 in church this morning, and I felt that this was God's word to me for the moment. Reading the same verse here on your lovely blog is another reminder to me that God still has plans for me. Thank you very much x
Lovely post...brought tears to my eyes. Like you, I refuse to watch much news these days, just enough to keep abreast of major events and then I turn it off. You are absolutely right in that we need restoration...the planet...our nation...our souls.
What an uplifting word and observation... "I want this to be the year of...Restoration....He came to restore". Wow...it was a much needed reminder to not fall prey to fear and despair...to be brave and do what must be done...not always easy...but we are never alone.
You can bet that I'll be adding my prayers to yours...prayers for perfect blessings,prosperity, love, hope and the much needed Restoration.
Love to you my friend.
Warmly,
Tracey
x0x
How awesome it was to discover your word for this year...a word I've heard a great deal in the past month or so and one which our Rabbi chose as the word of the year for our synagogue!
Lovely thought provoking post, as always.
What a great selection! The world needs restoration, too!
Hope you have a wonderful, blissful and contented year.... and you will have the New Mrs. C! How exciting!
Happy New Year, Brenda!
How delightful to find another lady who has a word for the year!
My new word for the year is "nourish" as the Lord will "nourish" and "cherish" His Bride. Now that my husband is in heaven, (as of November 16, 2011) I have need of Someone to "nourish" and care for me, and I have the best Someone of all.
I'm sure I can be confident in the tender loving care of the Lord whom I have known and trusted all these years. He is no Stranger, but an intimate and personal Friend. He has promised to pursue me with goodness and mercy every single day of my life. He is the kind of God who multiplies grace and peace to us.
He has a treasury of blessings ready to shower upon me if I trust Him (I have His Word on that in Psalm 31:19). Alone, yes, but not alone. I have the Mighty God, the widow's champion and defender, with me at all times and I look forward to all the "new things" He is up to. His mercies are "new" every morning. I know. I write them down!
May your New Year in 2012 be overflowing with the "milk and honey" of God's promises so that you may be full of delight as you watch them come to fruition.
Honey Bee
Restoration! Good word...I am pondering one for myself - don't have it yet though.
I have cut way back on viewing the news...to almost nothing. I read online and listen to the radio when I am out and about, but I found I needed to listen more to what the Lord was trying to say than the news.
Happy New Year!
Deanna
Beautiful post as usual. :) And you hit it perfectly on the dot for me...this year has been such a flurry. I also want to be restored..and dwell more in silence and stillness with Him.
Love to you, dear grandmamama. Happy New Year to you and yours!
Grace
Happy New Year!!! I've been thinking about my word, but I think it is going to be words. :) I'm thinking contentment, joy, and relax. I have reasons for each of them, but mostly contentment will breed joy, and there are several areas I need to work on contentment in. I'm also contemplating setting aside a few moments each day for relaxing (other than a quiet time). It is something very, very hard for me to do. It would be an interesting exercise.....
I was thinking and praying about restoration in 2012 and came across your blog. I think the past couple of years have been particularly hard for many Christians I know (myself included) and the Lord has amazing things planned and in store for us this year. I sense that this is a year of jubilee so we've got to be jubilant!
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