Welcome to my One Word 2023 Journey with Hope! Experiencing God move me from a place of timid happiness to scandalous Joy in Christ, forging a deeper trust in Him, resulting in Resilience, which birthed a relentless Hope, positioned me for my 2023 One Word Journey.
Already off to a good start pursuing the power of Hope in 2023, I anticipate a robust journey of discovery in the months ahead. Please come along and we will learn more about Hope together!
Choosing a word companion each new year provides a singular focus within the events of that year. God revealed my 2023 word a few months ago, weaving a three-fold cord with my 2021 One Word, Joy, 2022 One Word Resilience and newcomer Hope as the 2023 One Word candidate. Pursuing the power of Hope throughout 2023 involves… READ MORE
Cultivating Hope in the New Year
Not everyone faces the New Year with Hope. While many hold excitement for the fresh start, others dread yet another year, or glad to exit a disappointing year, face the new one with benign indifference. Making space for cultivating hope in the new year shifts our perspective from one of bleakness to one of positive…READ MORE
Holding Onto Hope in Hard Times
Sometimes stepping out into a new year as a book of blank pages feels intimidating. While we anticipate new and exciting experiences, apprehension of new hardships lingers in the background. Even as a new year infuses us with expectation, thoughts of holding onto Hope in Hard times tinges our enthusiasm with…READ MORE
Entering the new year with Hope, God blessed my days with many reflections on Hope, which poured forth here on the blog in many forms. My new One Word Friend seems intent on strengthening my heart for the days ahead. Learning the importance of hiding Hope in your heart helps prepare you for times when your heart loses the strength to see beyond the…READ MORE
The Hope Which Anchors Our Souls
My new One Word for 2023, Hope and I have fast-tracked our acquaintance, spending a good deal of time together as the new year came in clothed with uncertainty and trial. Every post written in the month of January had a theme surrounding Hope. Pondering a visual for my One Word friend, Hebrews 6:19-20 drew me in with the Hope which…READ MORE
My new One Word for 2023, Hope and I have fast-tracked our acquaintance, spending a good deal of time together as the new year came in clothed with uncertainty and trial. Every post written in the month of January had a theme surrounding Hope. But with the onset of spring, creation reminded me of the treasure of Hope in…READ MORE
While staying connected to my One Word Friend this past month, though without any specified direction, my new Friend spoke a Lent themed lesson into my heart. Introducing me to another friend well acquainted with previous cohorts Joy and Resilience, my One Word Friend took me on a journey through…READ MORE
Visuals enhance learning for me. Even more than illustrations, I often learn more reading a transcript of a presentation than when I simply listened to it. This month’s One Word challenge both inspired and enlightened me while exploring what Hope looks like through photographs captured in…READ MORE
Breathing Life into Dry Places
Lifelessness tends to lead to hopelessness. We wake up one morning realizing our lives resemble a series of robotic motions bereft of the once vibrant embracing of moments. Stuck in the liminal space of the present, we neither relish looking back nor forward. In this space, Hope began breathing life into…READ MORE
More of a comfortable friendship than a journey, my relationship with my One Word, Hope, took me to new levels through a sensory experience involving all five senses this month. More than any recent “One Word”, my connectedness with this year’s word friend has blossomed like a true friendship.
Hope threads the comfort of the eternal love of God into the minutiae of our days wrapping us fully in…READ MORE
3 Things Hope in Jesus Changes
While change in general tends to create anxiety for most people, we all have some areas we would love to see changed. Past mistakes for example, or perhaps a current difficult situation. Though such things may feel “hopeless”, placing our Hope in Jesus has the power to change everything: even our…READ MORE
So much in this world seeks to wound us. And in the wounding steals our Hope. At times, awash in grief, or simply noting the tragedy in the headlines, we wonder if Hope even has value anymore. But true, biblical Hope offers the most powerful answer to life’s sufferings. This month my One Word Friend revealed an important truth…READ MORE
When life kicks you in the gut, and the darkness of your hard path feels suffocating, though you long for the comfort of a loved one or friend, what is the one thing you need most?
Sometimes in your pain, disappointment or hurt, you wake up, the sunrise merely a reminder of no relief, no longed-for answers…READ MORE
November often beckons our hearts into a posture of gratitude as we move towards the end of another year, culminating in the celebration meal of Thanksgiving. As time drew near for another update on my 2023 One Word Hope, adding ways my heart feels thankful for Hope seemed the perfect update. READ MORE
