I’ve come to hate cliche’s. But the thing about cliche’s, is that the majority of times they have a reason and a purpose and a lot of their purpose is good.

It seems rather cliche to me to write a New Year post, to make resolutions…because it’s what is expected by most people at this time of year. But there is nothing wrong with making resoutions, and wanting to better yourself or make changes. What is life without change being a part of it? You have to keep things exciting somehow!

My community does this thing each year, where they pick a WORD for the year. This word is something that they really want to learn/strive in, in the upcoming year. It becomes a mantra, a reminder, something to pursue.

Over the past couple of years, I have chosen to NOT participate in deciding on a word. I’ve allowed hurts and scars on my heart to keep me from opening up, wholly. I knew that choosing a word, would mean that I had to share with people and be held accountable and live up to something. Well, that’s not real appealing to someone who is trying to hide, and is fearful of pretty much everything.

Scars on my heart have left me with this debilitating fear. Fear of love, of vulnerability, of being seen, of being honest, of sharing with others, of giving my heart away, of doing the uncomfortable things, of being different. But I’ve been sensing a change for the past few months. This desire or longing – to be intentional, to be kind, for depth and love, to feel alive.

So I’m deciding to embrace the change and to not push it away this time. I want to see God move in my life, and the lives of my loved ones. And although there are so many words that I could choose, because there are so many words that I need in my life right now…I am going to choose love.

Not a romantic love, or a friendly love, but God’s unconditional love. A love for people, but also God’s love for me. I need to fall back in love, with God and with His people. My scarred heart needs to know that it’s still capable of love and that the risk is and always will be worth it. As much as it scares the life out of me, I believe it’s what is needed. To know that depth again, that intimacy with my Maker, and that connection with Christ’s bride.

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God send his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love on another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.” 1 John 4:7-11

So I encourage you, wherever you are at spiritually, physically, emotionally…do what you’re afraid to do. Be brave, and learn from your mistakes. Don’t discredit your hurts and the lessons in your life, but embrace them and allow them to have their healing work and strengthening of person in you. Trust God, don’t ignore Him. No one will ever love you the way that He does. He is worthy of any and every effort on my our end and will always meet us with abounding grace.

This is my new series idea. Mixed in with these, will probably be random things I am learning. I just really enjoy writing. It’s a great way for me to process, learn and express myself. So I am dedicating one day a month to just writing.

I love worship. It has always been one of the most intimate ways that I can connect with God. I’ve learned a lot through practicing it, and watching others. I also have had the privilege to help be a part of teaching students about the heart of worship, and what worship leading is like because it’s more than just being on as stage. Through that, I have looked and found many worship stories/encounters in the Bible that I have fallen in love with. There are some ones you would expect and unconventional ones, but the Bible is full of them. It’s God’s story, so pretty much any encounter with God can be a worship experience. Which I love.

So in the future, I will write about different encounters I’ve read and things that I personally have learned and gleaned from the encounters/scripture and hopefully you can take something away from it too.

So you can expect the first one by the end of this month.
Thanks for sticking with me!