One Word: Cherish

And with the change of the numbers of the clock, 2015 is no more and a fresh calendar year begins! 2016. It's a blank piece of paper. So many things to plan. So many things to experience. New adventures just waiting for us. It's a time when people set new goals, and start with a clean slate. One of the things I have done in the last few years was to participate in the My One Word challenge and I am doing so again this year.

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Have you ever heard of the My One Word challenge? The challenge comes from the book by the same title and says:

Choose just one word that represents what you most hope God will do in you, and focus on it for an entire year. 

In the past, my words have been joy, faithful, and grow. It was interesting to reflect back on each of those words at the END of the year to see how they helped shape my year. I like to think about my word very carefully, and I usually turn to the Bible for inspiration. This year I was having a bit of trouble settling on a word. I was mulling over some nice ones: hope, compassion, courage, understanding, accountable...but they didn't feel right. Then I found myself humming an old Steve Green song...and as the words started running through my head--I knew I had found the answer. I knew what my word was going to be.

The dictionary has this to say about the word cherish:

Cherish is a verb with two primary definitions

1.

a :  to hold dear :  feel or show affection for 

b :  to keep or cultivate with care and affection :  nurture

2.

a : to entertain or harbor in the mind deeply and resolutely

To cherish something, is to hold it in great affection, and/or to think deeply about something. Synonyms for the word include treasure, prize, value, adore, appreciate. This word describes how we feel or treat something. It's an action word. 

The song that had been running through my mind was called Cherish the Treasure. And the chorus goes "I cherish the treasure, the treasure of you. Lifelong companion, I give myself to you. God has enabled me to walk with you faithfully, and cherish the treasure, the treasure of you." The song is a wedding song, but as I listened to the chorus I thought of all the things that God has given me to cherish. Yes, my husband and boys. But also my extended family. My friends. But it goes deeper then that. 

I did a Bible word search. Could I find the word Cherish in a scripture? Not at first. I couldn't find the word used in KJV or NKJV. But I did find it using the New Living Translation. And wow. It was PERFECT. 

Yes! This is what I needed to take my one word where it needed to go. 

You who cherish My law. 

What does this mean to me? 

It speaks of loving the word of God and holding it dear. To keep it and cultivate a relationship with it. To treasure it. To prize it. To value it greatly. Each of these requires a relationship. Remember, Cherish is an action! And the second portion of the scripture--it's reminding me to be brave and bold in this world where it's increasingly hard to be a practicing Christian! This is a great admonishment to not be hiding our lights under a bushel (Matthew 5:14-16)--but to be speaking the word of God loud and clear no matter what people say and do. If we TRULY cherish the word of God, we WILL do this.

And so this year, I am going to strive to cherish the word of God more. To cultivate a deeper relationship and make sure that if I truly value it, I demonstrate it with my actions. I'm to make sure my family and friends know how much I cherish them and I am going to endeavor to cherish every moment this year.

Yes, Cherish is my word.

What is yours?

*****

the Homeschool Mother's Journal Post for 1/5

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Click here to join in this week!

• In my life this week…
Let’s see. I’m on a normal schedule without anything extra worked in this week…well, except for maybe all the CRAZY winter weather we are going to get. Um, yeah. High of 7…SEVEN degrees tomorrow with a low of -12. After the last few summers being so mild, this weather is a doozy! Brrrrrrrrr…But I have no plans that require going outside, so I’m good! LOL! And I’m thankful that I don’t live in Antarctica. Or maybe even like New York during the time of the book Farmer Boy in the 1800’s when it was a high of -30. Um. No.

I am also excited to get started with our first “real” review for the The Old Schoolhouse Review Crew! We are putting in our preferences now and we will be getting our first assignment soon! I look forward to seeing which of the great vendors I will get to experience and share with all of you!

• In our homeschool this week…
We are doing three digit numbers with and without regrouping (carrying) which is exciting. We are also diving back into America History with our movement towards Daniel Boone! I love this because Daniel Boone was a big part of our state (Kentucky) history—we have Fort Boonesborough nearby and we recently visited it. We have some more states to learn as we walk westward…we both are enjoying that and he’s retaining a LOT of what he is learning. Cursive is almost done and we will be moving into our next handwriting book before too long. We will be learning how to write Postcards this week as we continue our work with adjectives and adverbs. We will be making a soda bottle feeder and stringing some popcorn and berries for the winter birds.

• Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…
I am hoping that soon we will be taking a trip down to South Carolina to visit my aunt and her family. She’s in various stages of treatment for cancer and she will have a break that will allow us to come and visit.

• My favorite thing this week was…
Playing in the snow! We had about 3” on Friday and had a fun snow day!

• My kiddos favorite thing this week was…
Definitely the same as mine! Snow!!

• Things I’m working on…
Continuing my focus on my word of the year—FAITHFUL. So far so good. I’ve done pretty well finishing what I start in these first few days of the new year. I know I’m still getting started, but I WANT this…I feel like I can do it and if I do get the habit of being faithful under my belt I will have accomplished so much!

• I’m cooking…
Hmmm. Let’s see. It’s definitely soup and chili weather so I absolutely have those two things in my sights this week! I am also going to do up some bread. I wish I had some sourdough starter because I have a thing for sourdough bread. It’s the carb love of my life. LOL!

• I’m grateful for…
Warmth. Family. And usually mild winters....and homemade hot cocoa for the cold ones!

• I’m praying for…
Friends who have health problems. My “aunt-in-love” who just had major angioplasty surgery. And as always a blessing for our family this year in the form of a baby. We have been trying for 3 years as of this month…but we know that God is always in control and He knows what we need, as well as what we want so we just keep praying and then just pouring our love out over the family we have. To enjoy the gifts we are already blessed with.

• A photo, video, link, or quote to share (silly, serious or both!)…

Baby Britches is in love with our new citrus juicer and always wants to "Do self! No mommy help!" Thankfully there aren't any sharp parts or complicated pieces and he CAN do it without much help.

One Word for 2014

Here we are on December 31, 2013...at the very cusp of the new year. A new year means new goals. New dreams. And this year, I'm joining with other The Old Schoolhouse Review Crew bloggers and seeking a word...just one word...to focus on over the course of the year. A word to print off and put on my fridge so that I can see it every single day and bring to mind what it means every time.
Joy...that was my word for 2013. After suffering a miscarriage at the end of 2012, I asked God to "Show me Joy!" And that word became my unofficial word for the year. The loving Father granted me my request and this year was full of moments of joy. Joy in the big stuff and joy in the little stuff. It was the perfect fit. But now I'm searching again. There are so many words I could choose...intentional, focus, love, simplify, purify, commitment...the list goes on and on and on.

But none of those fit...none of those are a match to my goals for 2014.

In March of 2014, I will be attending a Women's Enrichment Weekend where the theme of the weekend is "The Fruits of the Spirit".

I love reading that scripture. I memorized it ages ago. There are so many words in that scripture that I could focus on...and as I read it over this past week as part of word search, one kept jumping out. 

*F a i t h f u l n e s s*

What is the definition of the word faithful?

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary:

1. full of faith
2. steadfast in affection or allegiance
3. firm in adherence to promises or in observance of duty
4. true to the facts or a standard

If you are faithful, then you are practicing faithfulness.

There are synonyms that help bring to light the depths of meaning in the word faithful:
true, loyal, steadfast, devoted, constant, staunch, reliable, steady, true-blue

I am drawn to this word. I see places in my life where I need to become more faithful. I could have chosen the word "Perseverance" because I'm absolutely horrible about follow-thru on things. I will start with great intentions and then something always comes up which spins me around. But then I thought about it and faithful describes that too. Being faithful to complete something. Being faithful to stay true to a goal or mission.

And that took me to one of my favorite scriptures...

There is a song by Christian Artist Steve Green called "He who Began a Good Work in You" and the chorus is written as:
"He who began a good work in you, will be faithful to complete it...He who started the work will be faithful to complete it in you."

And that line just keeps rolling through my mind. God is not like me in just cranking a wheel and then walking away. Or starting to work with someone and then walking away. He is a God of finishing. He starts things and I can count on His faithfulness to see them to completion. I want to be more like that. I want to be counted as someone who is faithful. To pray faithfully. To study faithfully. But not just in my spiritual life...in my everyday life too. If I tell someone I will do something, I want them to know I will be faithful and keep my promise to do it. No excuses. No "I forgot's". When I plan out a list of goals of things to accomplish, I want to be faithful to my list and work hard at completing them. I want to be faithful to my vows I made to my husband to take of the family and home. To be his faithful "helpmeet" that he can count on no matter what. To be faithful to take my health seriously and get back on track. To be faithful to commitments big or small.

And so my one word for 2014...

I will be checking in quarterly in 2014 to share how it's going focusing on my word. I'm excited about it because I think so much of what I need to work on can be encapsulated in this word!

Do YOU have a word picked for 2014?