My Word for 2013

My word for 2011 was "Peace".  I prayed for peace a lot.  In praying for peace I was not exactly sure how God would bring peace into my life.  At times, I wasn't even sure he would.  Except that He promises that we will have peace - not as the world has peace.

For 2012 we were looking at having our fourth child so in my mind I knew we needed to move out of our "small" house.  We got the house ready to sell by April - listed it and within a month we had had two offers.  If you have been reading my blog or if you know me - then you know - I had a baby - we moved out of our house then found out the sale fell through and then moved back into our house in a 3 week span.

I think I just functioned and did what I had to do and then I just kept going and then something hit me.  It started small at first.  A scary thought here, a panicked feeling there, an anxious moment - and then the darkness hit.

It overcame me.  I was barely functioning and having many panic attacks.  I wasn't eating (which NEVER EVER EVER happens to me) and I wasn't sleeping.  I had no peace.  I had no rest.   And honestly my life was good.  I had no major things going on.  I couldn't figure it out.  I had never gone through this before.   I won't go into all the details now, maybe later, but I certainly wasn't getting the peace I had prayed for.  So I prayed harder.  I prayed longer.  I prayed more than I had ever prayed in my life.  I spent 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 hours a night in serious prayer. 

I also called, texted or e-mailed close people in my life who I knew would pray for me and encourage me.  I cannot tell you what it did for me to have these people praying for me and to have them sometimes daily text me or call me with verses that I grasped onto.  I normally hold things in and don't tell anyone what is going on but I knew I needed help and I needed them. 

I told you all of that to tell you - once this storm passed and it did pass - I had peace.  I had peace like I have NEVER had in my life.  God gave me incredible peace.  He gave me the peace He had promised but in a way I could not have imagined.  And because of this my word for 2013 is

Encouragement

The encouragement I received from my husband - from my Godly friends literally felt like it saved my life.  I want to be that to others.  I want to be the encourager.  We all could be complainers.  We all have something we could complain about but I don't want to be known as a complainer.  I have everything to be thankful for.  I want to do for everyone what these wonderful people did for me.  So I give you full permission to hold me accountable.  If I start being discouraging remind me of my word.  Encourage me - encourage each other!

This is my verse for the year:

²² Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
²³ They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
²⁴ “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“Therefore I hope in Him!”

Lamentations 3:22-24

His compassions fail not - they are NEW every morning.  If we fail today - His compassion and mercy is new and fresh for us - the very next morning, as soon as we wake up.

And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, ²⁵ not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.  Heb. 10:24-25