2020 Vision Board & Moving Forward

2020 Vision Board & Moving Forward

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards."                   Soren Kierkegaard

Generally I make a vision board for my word of the year earlier in the season, usually in February or March. It's a way of visualizing my intentions for my word through the year. But this has not been anything like a normal year. So, instead of just a board looking at the year ahead, I am both looking back  to see how I have lived out my word, and then looking ahead at where I feel called to go in the rest of the year. This is our theme this month in our Living Your Word of the Year Facebook Group, looking back in order to move forward. This is a regular practice for me. A few times a year at least, I will read back through my written journals and my art journals to see where I am in this journey of spiritual transformation. And generally, God will use this time of looking back as a time for me to reflect and evaluate where I need to focus. I wrote about the start of this looking back process in my post two weeks ago, which you can read here. 

I have made a vision board for my word of the year for quite a few years. In fact, it's one of my favorite practices of the year. I usually put them on an artist canvas and display them in my home studio/office. They are visual reminders of my journey.

I begin by going through my collection of magazine pages and other ephemera that I have torn out and saved because the image or words stood out. I enjoy going through my magazines every few months and tearing out the pages, and the bonus is it keeps my magazine baskets from overflowing! Even though I read a lot online these days, I have not lost the enjoyment of holding a magazine in my hand and leafing through it.

Next I like to cover the edges of my canvas with gesso covered book pages. I do this in part because I don't frame the canvases and the papers add a subtle decoration to the edges.

Over the past few weeks I have looked back over the beginning of the year, and especially the months since we began experiencing the crisis of the coronavirus pandemic. In recent weeks the horrifying events of racial injustice that have taken place have been added to my time of reflection. All of this is in my heart and mind as I began to think about what the future may look like. There is so much to think about right now and so much that is unknown about how life will be lived in the months, and maybe even years, ahead of us. Below I have some reflection questions that helped me and that may be of use for you as well.

• Re-connect with your "why" for selecting your word for this year. Have the circumstances of the past few months changed your "why" at all?
• How have your life values led you through this time?
• What have you held onto? What have you had to let go of?
• As you look ahead, what are you sensing God calling you to? What might He be calling you to leave behind as you move forward? What might He be calling you to keep in your future life from these days?
• What have you been thankful for?
• What has brought joy? What has caused fear or disappointment?
• What do you need more of? What do you need less of?
• Are there areas in your life right now that require more trust in God and His promises?
• How has your faith been? On shaky ground? On a firm foundation? What has this time of crisis shown you about your relationship with God?

Let me also offer two great questions I read recently. The first was in a newsletter from Shelly Miller. She is an author and has an online group called The Sabbath Society. Here is her question for reflection:

"If the previous chapters of your life prepare you for what lies ahead, how might God be using your right now circumstances as preparation for what comes next?"

The other question was posted in our Facebook group last week and comes from Suzi Stringfield Denis.

"How is God using this time to transform me?" 

This week our prompt in our Living Your Word of the Year group is to spend some time reflecting on the past few months and thinking about where God may be leading you now with your word. Try making a vision board from that time of reflection. This project may take some time to work through. In the next few weeks we will offer more reflection questions that will help us evaluate the goals and intentions we set at the beginning of the year, and seeking God, will help us move forward in the second half of the year.

My vision board process surprises me each time. As I go through the process of cutting out letters and leafing through magazine pages I don't immediately see how they will come together. But once I start laying things out on the canvas the pieces start to fall nicely into place.

I hope you'll give a vision board for your word of the year a try. If you do, please share it in our Facebook group and/or on Instagram with the hashtag #livingyourword2020.

Join us in the Living Your Word Community

My friends Bernice Hopper, and Valerie Sjodin, and I share insights through blog posts for creatively living a word of the year. In our Facebook group, we encourage one another by posting questions and prompts to inspire living out a word focus, keeping a journal etc. It is a safe place to ask for prayer and support. If you would like to connect with others in creative ways about living your word, you can ask to join our Living Your Word of the Year 2020 by clicking on the link below.

URL for Facebook group:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/livingyourwordoftheyear/ 

Hashtag for Instagram:  #livingyourword2020

Check out their blogs:

Bernice: https://newlycreative.com

Valerie: https://valeriesjodin.com/blog/ 

Facing the Unknown

Facing the Unknown

Life has been so different these past few months as we have experienced the coronavirus become a global pandemic. So much has changed is such a short period of time. Little knowledge of this virus and its impact on our future has led to feelings of uncertainty. The crises of so much death, job losses, food shortages, and social isolation have left us struggling with how to handle the immense amount of emotion and stress that crisis and uncertainty bring. Even if we have not faced the death of someone we know or suffered the loss of our income, we have all been impacted by the change this crisis has brought about and face an unknown future in some way.

This week in our Living Your Word of the Year group we are exploring this very topic with a reflection question:

How are you engaging with your word in light of the unknown?

This question has given me an opportunity to look at my word of the year, fruit, and to look back over the past few months. Taking time for some reflection will be something we are going to focus on in our group over the next month. I have always found reflection and evaluation to be valuable practices in my life. My written journal and my art journal both are great tools to help me with the process of seeking God to examine my heart and life. As pastor and author Marc Alan Schelske said, 

"Journaling is an outward expression of your inward thought and heart life."

I use both of my journals for this purpose.

This week I began to look back through my journal for the past few months. On March 16, when we were beginning to face this crisis, I began to explore in my journal what life might look like in the weeks ahead. At that time our governor had closed schools for a month and had just declared bars and restaurants to be closed. Our church had also made the decision to stop in-person services for as long as the Governor deemed it appropriate. Since my job and much of my life revolve around ministry in the community I needed to determine how I would move forward. So I took some time to pray, to read Scripture, and then talk through what I felt was my call with my husband, and then with my pastor.

The first thing I did was to spend time finding out what was known about the virus at that time. How was it spread, what preventive measures could be taken, etc. Using that information to help guide my practice. I spent some time reading in 1 Peter, a letter written to Christ followers on how to live during times of crisis and suffering. I read many other passages in Scripture as well, and I spent a lot of time praying. This is what I determined back in March:

I've tried to use these as my guidelines for the past few month. I am volunteering in the community, trying to help make sure kids and families are fed. I'm trying not to engage in the divisiveness that has sadly become a part of this pandemic. I am mainly working from home, but am fully following the safe guidelines we have been provided with when I go out a couple of times a week. I've lessened the amount of news I take it. Not because I agree or disagree with the broadcasts, but because I am so emotional over the loss of life and over the divisiveness in our nation at a time when we should be caring for and supporting each other. In the early phases of staying at home I spent too much time reading news stories and social media and had times of totally checking out by binge watching TV. I got off track with eating well and exercising for the first month or so, but have turned that ship around. And then I remembered my training. That is what discipleship is all about after all, training to be like Jesus. Building our faith through spiritual practices so that we can draw from that deep well in times of crisis. So, I got back to what I know: Begin my days in God's Word before anything else. So when I look back through my journals for  the past months I find this:

The fruit of years of walking with the Lord and learning to trust Him; the years of spending time reading and studying His Word and learning how to live a life of faith, have borne fruit I didn't know I would need for such a time as this. I found that, while I was concerned about the virus and loss of life and about my family, I also had a peace about my role right now. 

What has not been on my mind: fear and anxiety. That is not to say there have not been times of riding emotional roller coasters, but I have found that the many years of being in God's Word and trusting Him through some difficult trials in the past have produced trust and faith in who God is, and in His goodness and faithfulness.. He is on control, even when the world feels out of control. I don't want to appear as if I have the answers to what is going on or to know exactly how we should handle life right now. It's going to look different for each of us because we each face different situations in this crisis. My time of reflection has just pleasantly surprised me with seeing the fruit of walking with the Lord and pursuing Him wholeheartedly in the practice of spiritual disciplines.

Last year I trained myself to memorize some Scripture passages, something I had always struggled with in the past. The two passages I memorized and meditated over repeatedly through the past year were Philippians 4:4-7 and Colossians 3:1-3. They both come mind so often these days and I've learned the value of having Scripture "hidden in my heart". Those passages have helped me stay anchored, grounded in my faith in God. More unexpected fruit that has blossomed in a time of need.

So, how are you engaging with your word of the year in light of the unknown? May I encourage you to take time in the weeks ahead and reflect on how life has been for you over the past few months. We'll provide questions and Scripture passages to help guide us in prayer and in reflection and evaluation.

Join us in the Living Your Word Community

My friends Bernice Hopper, and Valerie Sjodin, and I share insights through blog posts for creatively living a word of the year. In our Facebook group, we encourage one another by posting questions and prompts to inspire living out a word focus, keeping a journal etc. It is a safe place to ask for prayer and support. If you would like to connect with others in creative ways about living your word, you can ask to join our Living Your Word of the Year 2020 by clicking on the link below.

URL for Facebook group:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/livingyourwordoftheyear/ 

Hashtag for Instagram:  #livingyourword2020

Check out their blogs:

Bernice: https://newlycreative.com

Valerie: https://valeriesjodin.com/blog/ 

Playing With Lettering My Word

Playing With Lettering My Word

One way I explore my word of the year is by reading books that will help me live out my intentions for my word. At the end of last year as I was exploring my choice for my 2020 word, fruit, I ran across an article that quoted Dallas Willard. As I looked up the Dallas Willard quote in one of his books, I realized that he had a lot to say about the areas I'm trying to further explore and grow in. So I decided that I would re-read, or finish reading, a few of his books this year. So, for me, this is the year of Dallas Willard! I am starting with his book "Renovation of the Heart", which is all about how we grow spiritually and what spiritual transformation looks like. I highly recommend it!

One way to keep what I'm reading in my mind is to slow down and write quotes from the books in both my writing journal and in my art journal. I used a few quotes to play with some of my lettering styles this past week in preparation for this week's challenge in our Living Your Word group, which is to letter your word and to think of a color that reflects your word.

Cutting letters out of painted papers is one of my favorite ways to make words. Green seems to be the color I am gravitating to for my word this year, as green is a color that symbolizes growth. On my page spread I used painted paper cut letters and then I lettered my quotes with my hand lettering and filled it with color.

Since I was thinking about my lettering styles, I played around throughout the week writing one of my theme verses for the year in a variety of the lettering styles I use. It was a great way to play this week!

Pop over to our Living Your Word Facebook group and join us in exploring ways to live out your word of the year. There has been a lot of great conversations and examples form group members of how they are living out their word. Valerie Sjodin has also written a blog post today about lettering your word of the year. Read it here.

Living Your Word 2020 Opportunity!

My friends Bernice Hopper, and Valerie Sjodin, and I share insights through blog posts for creatively living a word of the year. In our Facebook group, we encourage one another by posting questions and prompts to inspire living out a word focus, keeping a journal etc. It is a safe place to ask for prayer and support. If you would like to connect with others in creative ways about living your word, you can ask to join our Living Your Word of the Year 2020 by clicking on the link below.

URL for Facebook group:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/livingyourwordoftheyear/ 

Hashtag for Instagram:  #livingyourword2020

Check out their blogs:

Bernice: https://newlycreative.com

Valerie: https://valeriesjodin.com/blog/ 

Intentions or goals? What's the Difference and Why Does It Matter?

Intentions or goals? What's the Difference and Why Does It Matter?

I have never been one who put much stock in setting New Year resolutions. Setting them never made much of an impact on my life, or took me very far into the year. Yet, I have been one who has continually sought change in my life. Not change for the sake of change itself, but rather a continual desire to become who God desires me to be. To me this is at the heart of spiritual formation. Over the years the practice of choosing a word to guide me through the year has been a significant tool to help with the goal of "Christ being formed" in me. (Galatians 4:19)

In conjunction with using a word as a lens on life through the year, has been the practice of setting intentions. A few weeks ago my friend, Bernice Hopper, asked me what I thought was the difference between intentions and goals. Here was my answer to her:

"I think the main difference between goals and intentions is in how you view them. Goals are usually specific in nature and are future oriented. I want to save 100.00 each month or I want to lose 20 pounds. Intentions are usually focused more on daily living in the present moment and lean toward habit forming and lifestyle. Both play a role. In fact intentions can help us meet goals. But I tend to prefer intentions because I think they help create a lifestyle or mindset instead of just completing tasks. Intentions can help us become the type of person we want to be. So instead of simply setting a goal of how many pounds I want to lose, instead my intentions are to eat healthier for my overall health. As I work on that I may or may not lose the pounds but will gain so many other health benefits. If I simply have a goal of losing ten pounds then every time the scale doesn't change I feel like I have failed."

Today I would like to expand on my answer to Bernice and explore a bit deeper into the topic. Here is a brief, basic rundown of goals and intentions from various definitions I found online:

Goals	Intentions
Future oriented	Present oriented
Concrete, tangible, specific	Aspirational, values-based characteristics
Action oriented	Way of being
Usually have a fixed outcome	Often ebb and flow as you grow
Generally more outwardly focused	Generally more inwardly focused
Usually focused on an end result	More focused on day-to-day living

I think both goals and intentions are valuable. However, I do tend to lean more toward using intentions, and here is the main reason why. To me, setting intentions is about making choices in my daily living that focus on who I want to be, more so than on what I want to get done. And this is based on a value for me: Doing flows out of being. Who I am is more important than what I do, and I want what I do to flow out of who I am. Who I am is about my character and my heart. I can change behaviors or habits and still have no change in my character or outlook. Because I also value authenticity - I want what I do to reflect who I am, or put another way - I want my actions to reflect my heart. And my heart is continually being transformed as I intentionally seek to be formed in the image of Christ.

So, I focus on intentions when looking at how I want to live out my word of the year. And I keep my values before me as I set those intentions. Then setting goals can help me put action to my intentions. But all of it is determined by my "why" - the values that guide my life. 

Some of my core values are:

• Faith first. Matthew 6:33 "Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness" has long been a guiding verse for me. 
• Doing flows out of being. Who I am guides what I do. You see this principle laid out in many of Paul's letters in the Bible. He gives a doctrinal foundation of who we are in Christ before he goes into instructions on how we are to live.
• Wholeness is the goal - seeking health in spirit, mind, body, emotions (Luke 10:27). Over the past few years I have used each of these areas as a guide to set my intentions.
• Authenticity. I highly value honesty and being real. I want the outside to match the inside. It may not always be pretty, but it is character shaping.
• Life long learning. Especially in the pursuit of spiritual formation, but other areas too. I am always curious!

So, then, each year when I have chosen a word through reflection and prayer, I set intentions for my word to be lived out through the year using my values as a guideline. I shared my mind map for my word a few weeks ago.

In keeping with the theme of my word, fruit, I used agricultural words to head each of my areas of focus. And my areas of focus are divided into the four areas of life that make us whole beings. 

Spiritual: This is a big focus for me this year. Since fruit is not something we can produce ourselves, my desire is to focus on being more dependent on the Holy Spirit. It is He who produces the fruit of Christ in our lives. I continually battle my stubborn, independent, I-can-do-it-myself personality, so I need to continually be intentional about leaning into and living by the Spirit. 

Mind: For me, much of soul care is about the continual effort of training the mind, thoughts, and heart to the mind of Christ. Last year I made great strides in overcoming my doubt that I could memorize Scripture passages and am going to expand in that practice this year. Other spiritual practices such as prayer, journal writing, and reading help train my heart and mind as well.

Body: I really just added this category over the past few years as I have learned more about the body being an active part of our spiritual life. So areas of healthier eating and building exercise habits can help me grow healthier and stronger physically, and, I believe, aid the other areas as well. 

Finally emotions: Emotional and mental energy are so important to me. The more I understand my personality and being an introvert, the more I have learned to make time for self-care - the things that restore my energy and help me have a healthy outlook.

From here, setting intentions that are driven by my values, I can then go on and develop goals - action steps that will help me live out these intentions. Things such as reviewing my daily schedule and rearranging things or removing things to make time for walking at the park, which actually helps me build my exercise habit and has the added benefit of being out in nature, which I have learned is something that helps my emotional and mental outlook. I can now go through each area of focus and spend time planning steps that will help me live out my intentions and see healthy fruit produced as a result of following the Spirit's leading in each area.

Here are some questions that show the process in a nutshell:

Your values help determine your why: What are the values that guide your life? 

What are your hopes for your word this year? 

Intentions help determine your how: What intentions would help you live out your word in a manner that help you be who you want to be? Do they align with your values?

Goals help determine your what: What goals will help you move toward your intentions?

Valerie Sjodin will be also have a post today about intentions on her blog: valeriesjodin.com 

Living Your Word 2020 Opportunity!

My friends Bernice Hopper, and Valerie Sjodin, and I share insights through blog posts for creatively living a word of the year. In our Facebook group, we encourage one another by posting questions and prompts to inspire living out a word focus, keeping a journal etc. It is a safe place to ask for prayer and support. If you would like to connect with others in creative ways about living your word, you can ask to join our Living Your Word of the Year 2020 by clicking on the link below.

URL for Facebook group:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/livingyourwordoftheyear/ 

Hashtag for Instagram:  #livingyourword2020

Check out their blogs:

Bernice: https://newlycreative.com

Valerie: https://valeriesjodin.com/blog/ 

Using A Mind Map With My Word

Using a Mind Map With My Word

The challenge with using a word to guide you through the year is how to keep that word present throughout the whole year. We all start strong in January when everyone's focus is on fresh starts and setting goals, but the energy and motivation can often start to fizzle a early as February. This is where our Living Your Word of the Year group comes in. We share ways to engage with and practice your word of the year all year long.

So far I have looked at how I chose my word for the year and about my journal here. Last week I shared a video and a worksheet on how to do a word study in the Bible for your word, as did Valerie Sjodin. Bernice Hopper shared last week about how her word of the year changed to a new word. Information about joining our group can be found at the bottom of this post. 

This week we are focusing on using a Mind Map with your word. A Mind Map is a way of visually brainstorming. I am a visual person so it often helps me to use a Mind Map when I am trying to get clarity or to organize my thoughts. At litemind.com they describe a Mind Map like this:

"A Mind Map is a visual tool that helps structure information. A graphical way to represent ideas and concepts."

I used a Mind Map to organize and visualize how I want to live out my word this year. My word is fruit and I've decided to use an agricultural metaphor with my word this year, much like Scripture does. So I researched some verbs that are agricultural and have set up my intentions based on these words. By the way, I will be talking about the difference between goals and intentions in the next few weeks.

Another way I'll use a Mind Map is to try to sort through and organize things I am studying. Here is one I did for Galatians 5:22-23, where my word for the year, fruit, is found. I found some great articles and grammatical information and I was trying to sort it all out in my head. Mapping it out really helped as it gave me a visual.

I don't think there is a right way or a wrong way to do Mind Maps, but I do think they are a great tool!

Living Your Word 2020 Opportunity!

My friends Bernice Hopper, and Valerie Sjodin, and I share insights through blog posts for creatively living a word of the year. In our Facebook group, we encourage one another by posting questions and prompts to inspire living out a word focus, keeping a journal etc. It is a safe place to ask for prayer and support. If you would like to connect with others in creative ways about living your word, you can ask to join our Living Your Word of the Year 2020 by clicking on the link below.

URL for Facebook group:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/livingyourwordoftheyear/ 

Hashtag for Instagram:  #livingyourword2020

Check out their blogs:

Bernice: https://newlycreative.com

Valerie: https://valeriesjodin.com/blog/ 

S & T for Living Your Word of the Year

As I contemplated what to do for my art journal pages for the letters S and T, I decided to just play with some of my favorite art techniques. I am still being plagued with this on-again, off-again creative slump I have been battling since March. So play seems to be the best remedy right now!

My word for S is Sabbath. No matter how busy life gets I try hard to protect Friday as my Sabbath day. It gets hard at times, especially when I am busy. This Sabbath discipline has been a much needed lifeline to rest, to re-energizing, and to staying connected to God over the years.

For my page I cut letters out of painted papers. It's such a relaxing activity!

For the letter T I chose the word thankful. And for my page I did some collage with squares of painted papers in a grid pattern. Another very relaxing activity!

There are only 6 more letters and then our A-Z challenge and 2019 will be over. I am currently one letter behind and hope to get caught up by the time the next letter appears on the calendar. This has been a fun way to keep my focus on my word of the year and my goals for it.

Join Our Inspirational Facebook Group: Living Your Word of the Year

Bernice Hopper, Valerie Sjodin and I facilitate a Facebook group about Living your Word of the Year. In it we share insights through blog posts and connect with other like-hearted and like-minded people who want to live out a word focus throughout the year. We offer participants a bi-weekly A-Z Inspiration to help prompt reflection and creativity. as well as other inspirational ways to connect with your word of the year. If you would like to connect with others in creative ways about living your word throughout the year, explore new ideas, record thoughts, prayers, and events, you are invited to join our Facebook group.

 https://www.facebook.com/groups/203309083575277/

Please use #livingyourword2019 on social media.

Check out the other blogs:
Bernice: www.newlycreative.com
Valerie: www.valeriesjodin.com/blog

L is for Lens

L is for Lens

Ever since I began this journey of selecting a word to guide me through the year, I have resonated with how Ali Edwards says that her word of the year is like a lens that helps her focus. So for my "L" word in our Living Your Word A-Z Inspiration Challenge, I chose the word Lens. 

My word for 2019 is sacred. This year, more than any other, I feel like my word truly is acting as a lens. Much like the lenses on my camera give me a wide or zoomed in perspective, my word sacred is guiding my perspective on life in a number of areas. I started out the year with a desire to study Scripture and other resources on how God views our physical body. And so, I began to make some changes to make my body healthier in order to strive to live a wholly sacred life - body, mind, heart, and soul. I have made some big changes this year - I have eliminated most sugars and processed foods, I have increased my vegetable intake, I am cooking more and healthier, and most recently, I gave up caffeine and diet soda. The weight is coming off slower than I'd like but, overall, making these changes have not been as difficult as I had imagined they would be. I think, in part, that is due to the perspective change of using my word sacred as the lens by which I have focused on these changes. As Valerie said a few months ago, you have to know your why, and then your why helps you determine how you live. 

I really feel like the challenge we have designed is helping me live out my word more fully this year. 

Join Our Inspirational Facebook Group: Living Your Word of the Year

Bernice Hopper, Valerie Sjodin and I facilitate a Facebook group about Living your Word of the Year. In it we share insights through blog posts and connect with other like-hearted and like-minded people who want to live out a word focus throughout the year. We offer participants a bi-weekly A-Z Inspiration to help prompt reflection and creativity. as well as other inspirational ways to connect with your word of the year. If you would like to connect with others in creative ways about living your word throughout the year, explore new ideas, record thoughts, prayers, and events, you are invited to join our Facebook group.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/203309083575277/

Please use #livingyourword2019 on social media.

Check out the other blogs:
Bernice: www.newlycreative.com
Valerie: www.valeriesjodin.com/blog

J & K ~ A Joyful Journey to Keep My Word in Focus

A Joyful Journey to Keep My Word in Focus

My word for 2019 is sacred. I am on a journey this year that is a continuation of a journey I have been on for the past 31 years - becoming a sacred vessel to be used by God for His purpose and His glory. Being sacred is about being formed in Christ-likeness with our whole being - heart, mind, soul and body. For years now I have adopted Robert Mulholland's definition of spiritual formation as somewhat of a guideline for my life. His definition is: Spiritual formation is the process of being formed in the image of Christ for the sake of others.

• Process reminds me that life is a journey. Growing in maturity in life and Christ-likeness is a life-long journey. A journey of growing and changing and moving toward wholeness.

• Being formed in the image of Christ reminds me that my whole being is being transformed by interaction with the Spirit, and I have a responsibility to be ever-growing in practices that enable me to die to my false self and continually grow into the new self that I am in Christ.

• For the sake of others reminds me that I do not live for myself but for Christ who lived a life of love and sacrifice for the sake of others. 

 Picking my word for this year aligned with these reminders and is helping me "be formed" as I try to live in a manner of sacredness, continually offering my life for God's purpose and glory. 

Our Living Your Word group is using A-Z words to help us focus on living out our word for the year. (You can find info about the group at the end of this post.) Quite by accident, my words for J and K ended up being connected. I was working on a blog post for my J word - joyful - while at the same time I was starting to determine my K word and work on my art journal page. I guess it's not too surprising that my words are connected since this is after-all a journey.

It actually began back in January when I read a quote in a blog post for a health challenge I was participating in.

"Impatience stems from an anxious heart. And anxiety is the adversary of wholeness." ~Alisa Keaton

So as I thought about this quote a passage from Philippians 4 came to mind. I dug into the passage a bit and then decided to memorize it. I've been doing so ever since, which is no small feat for me. I have always struggled with memorizing verses, let alone a passage. But I really wanted this passage to be one that helped me keep my mind focused on prayer and gratitude and the peace of God that results from it.

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:4-7 NRSV

Since January I have come back to this passage repeatedly to study and reflect on. Here are some of my study notes and thoughts n this passage.

You can faintly see a map hidden under the gesso on the background of this page. As I turned the page to think about a word for "k", I noticed that the reverse side of the map had the word "anchor" on it. I thought about how an anchor keeps a boat securely in place. God's Word and prayer serve as anchors to keep our faith securely in place. One of the threads that appeared for me in the Philippians 4 passage was that the way to keep anxiety or worry at bay is to keep at prayer. It's so simple, yet I always seem to forget. Prayer and staying in God's Word keep me secure in Him. 

"You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast because they trust in you." Isaiah 26:3

Prayer in Philippians 4 and a mind that is steadfast - stayed on, kept focused on God results in the peace of God - perfect peace - shalom shalom. God's perfect peace is whole, complete, sacred.

Join Our Inspirational Facebook Group: Living Your Word of the Year

Bernice Hopper, Valerie Sjodin and I facilitate a Facebook group about Living your Word of the Year. In it we share insights through blog posts and connect with other like-hearted and like-minded people who want to live out a word focus throughout the year. We offer participants a bi-weekly A-Z Inspiration to help prompt reflection and creativity. as well as other inspirational ways to connect with your word of the year. If you would like to connect with others in creative ways about living your word throughout the year, explore new ideas, record thoughts, prayers, and events, you are invited to join our Facebook group.

 https://www.facebook.com/groups/203309083575277/

Please use #livingyourword2019 on social media.

Check out the other blogs:
Bernice: www.newlycreative.com
Valerie: www.valeriesjodin.com/blog