What's Your Word for the New Year?

                                                                        

What's your word? You know it's the trendy thing to do - to pick one word to focus on for the new year - one word in which to grow and to show you the way. 

Can one word make a difference? I think so. I so hope so. 

My last year's word was gratitude. Did I grow in gratitude in 2023? I'm not sure but I tried. My word for 2022 was love. Why love? God knew I needed to show more love. Did having love as my word cause me to give more love? You'd have to ask my family about that. 

I've picked a new word for approximately 6 new years. I pray. I ask God. He delivers. This year I didn't even have to ask. I was directly given my word. 

My word for this year is joy. I am striving to choose joy in the midst of life's trials. Tribulations will ultimately come. It's a deliberate decision I must make in advance of the tough times. Will I complain? Will I comply? Will I instead choose joy?!

When is the last time you laughed like the lady in the picture - that to-the-core / snorting / pee-provoking kind of laugh? It's been a while for me.

This Christmas I had the opportunity to choose joy. Maybe you did too. My family was to gather the weekend before Christmas. It would be a rarity for all of us to be together. Last year we were spread between 3 states and even two continents. This year was to be different until it wasn't.  

My one-year-old grandson was sick. He had to stay secluded from all our fun and so did his momma. Even with 5 other grandchildren present with the rest of the family, a big hole was left. My mother was sick too. We weren't complete. It wasn't the same. 

No picture-perfect moment to capture because all wouldn't be captured in the picture.

It was what it was. Life is what it is.

My Christmas is going to be a bit different from here on out anyway. I'm not the one dictating details. We previously ate what I cooked and did what I planned. I'm no longer the one in charge. We have new women in our fold. What about you? Are things now different at your house? My kids discuss and inform me of the consensus of their plans. As long as I make it onto their calendars, I'm not going to complain. I'm going to choose joy! 

Did your Christmas meet your expectations? If it did then your expectations were rightfully low. A lot of life fails to meet our expectations. That is the one thing we can expect. We can and should glean joy in each and every minor moment. God intends it that way. Life is lived in the small happenings of the day to day. When we celebrate a normal Thursday then there's less pressure for Christmas to be perfect. The older we get the less of perfect we see. We're wise enough and experienced enough to know perfection will be hard to come by if at all. 

This is when that gratitude journal comes in handy. Making ourselves stop to reflect and to thank, we are less likely to overlook a day's worth of goodness. Let's begin the New Year doing the opposite. This will be a resolution worthy to keep.

I want my choosing joy to be a first step, not an end result. I want it to springboard me to exude joy until it pours over others along my path. Both colds and laughs are contagious. I prefer to share the latter. If I were to belly-laugh like my pictured friend, how could those around me not at least smile?

So...

When my feelings are hurt...and they will be...I'll choose joy!

When I'm misunderstood...and I will be...I'll choose joy!

When my effort is not appreciated...and it will be...I'll choose joy!

When I'm overlooked...and I will be...I'll choose joy!

When I'm not invited...and I will be...I'll choose joy!

When I can't do all I used to do...I'll choose joy!

When those aches and pains come my way...and they will...I'll choose joy!

When wrinkles and grey hair stare back at me...and they will...I'll choose joy!

What is your word for the New Year, my friend? I'd love for you to comment below to let me know. Feel free to pick my word. I'll share. 😀 There's more than enough joy to go around! 

Let's Choose Joy!!

There's joy to be found

as I look around

to count all my blessings today.

God's goodness is there.

He's willing to share.

His love will be on display.