I’ve procrastinated enough.

Every morning for the last 3 days, I’ve woken with the urge to share my word for this new year.

Then I start playing around with blog themes and I try to find fancy word art to go with the word I have in mind.

And I leave the computer with no blog post done – nothing accomplished.

I hope this isn’t what the whole year will look like.

Me procrastinating, distracted, not really wanting to dive in to what is coming.

It’s just that this word is not easy, and it’s a bit scary to be honest.

A look back on past words tells me I’ve been leading up to the 2014 word for some time:

2011 – Bold (and confident) – I began a journey of discovering the gifts, passions, and abilities God had given me, and sorting out how He wanted me to use them.

2012 – Free – I moved ahead with many things that God was laying on my heart – going back to school, reading through the whole Bible in a year, getting back into ministry with Josh.

2013 – Plenty – SO MUCH happened…  meeting Oliver, finishing university, publishing my first book, turning 40… and I became aware of the many blessings in my life, the plenty I exist in on a daily basis.

And now 2014…

The word is…

CHANGE.

There’s another word lingering in the shadows as well – Crazy.

Maybe it’s the combination of the two that scares me.

Crazy Change means something a little different than just plain old Change, doesn’t it?

I’m praying that I will be open to all that God has for this new year.

There’s scripture, a saying, a song,  and an image that go along with my word for 2014.

It has all been coming together in my heart for the past few days.

The scripture:

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”  – Romans 12:1-2

The heading for this scripture is Living Sacrifice by the way.  Maybe a lot of the crazy change will be from within instead of a lot of external changes.

Which leads me to the saying:

“Be the change you want to see in the world.” – Mahatma Gandhi

It has to start with me. I can complain all I want about the state of the world or how people should be doing this or that, but if I’m not willing to do it myself, I have no right to say anything.

And there’s this song that’s been on repeat in my van, my house, my mind, my heart – for almost two months now.

Recently people have been giving me gifts with a certain image on them… and I see now that it fits with what God is speaking in my life for this new year:

Image courtesy of Idea go/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

So there you have it…

Change – starting with me.

Crazy change – I might get some funny looks or “What is she doing now?” comments.  Remembering to live out the change as a “spiritual act of worship”, in love instead of in judgement of others, that just might be the crazy part.

And a cool song and beautiful image as well… what a way to end the year of Plenty.

Happy New Year and Blessings Abundant for 2014!