Back in January of 2011, an amazing friend of mine suggested that we reflect on the past year and give it a "WORD" to summarize what God taught us that year. This has been one of the most powerful and meaningful things I enjoy doing each year. Here are my list of words from throughout the years:
2010 - TRUST
(This was a year filled with anger, anxiety and frustrations in our family.)
2011 - FAITH
(This was a year filled with miracles and God's presence in the chaos. Sarah was prayed over and anointed with oil in June to battle against her anxiety, Bryan accepted Christ in January & was baptized in December, God healed a painful stress fracture of my left foot in November and I gave my life to Jesus in December.)
2012 - SURRENDER
(This was the year Bryan & I gave up our big house in Minnetrista, sold half of our stuff and moved into "Little Bluey" in March....leaving behind our debt, our comfort, and our "American Dream". I was baptized in Lake Minnetonka at the end of June and Bryan & I shared our faith story at church in November.)
2013 - SHINE
(This was the year when Bryan lost his job at Intersil in July, we met new neighbors by humbly sharing food, and I grew closer to God while attending BSF each week. Bryan helped build the new Freshwater Waconia campus and we both willing gave to God what He asked of us from our retirement savings.)
2014 - MINISTRY
(Bryan began his sabbatical and Joyful Noise Music was created. Bryan baptized Brenden in February. Back to school fears and anxiety hit our girls hard for Kindergarten and middle school. The decision to homeschool Sarah began in September. We had to start living with less on a very small income. The Miracle in the Manger event was born during the darkness of depression.)
2015 - GLORY
(Audio company dreams come and go. Bryan travels to Haiti for a missions trip and helps build a medical clinic. Brenden gets hurt during baseball season. I lead the daytime Journey off the Map VBS and we all attend Papa Krueger's funeral in Wisconsin. Bryan continue to play bass guitar in the worship band.)
2016 - WARFARE
(Our dreams and savings begin to run out and Bryan searches for a new job. A stressful interviewing process with Microchip ends abruptly and a job offer to go back into design engineering comes on his birthday in May. Tough transitions for everyone and terror runs wild all summer for Sarah until she get baptized in late July in Lake Waconia. My mom gets sick with an auto-immune disease and ends up in the hospital in August. Brenden breaks his wrist and needs surgery.)
2017 - ARISE
(Brenden returns to the basketball court after his wrist is healed. Sarah begins voice lessons at the Waconia Music Studio and builds back her confidence. Bryan prays for a way out of design engineering in February and God opens a door back into the FAE industry at Maxim Integrated a few months later. I meet a new friend during a spring bible study at church. Erin struggles with some food allergies but finds peace again by praying & spending time doing her devotions.)
2018 is a new adventure and I look forward to seeing what God has in mind for our family this year. So far....I think my word for the year might be BRAVE.
2018 is a new adventure and I look forward to seeing what God has in mind for our family this year. So far....I think my word for the year might be BRAVE.
So I ask you....what will your one word be for 2018? Take some time to pray and think about what this year looks like and what God has been gently prompting you to do?
Never let fear steal your joy or your dreams! Just go for it!
You will never succeed if you never try! ALL IN THIS YEAR!
