I don’t know about you, but I’m struggling to believe that 2018 is mere days away. 2017 has been a year. It’s had so much good and some hard. It’s been a year where God has shown and taught me a lot and it started with a word that I wasn’t sure I liked.
Release.
When 2017 started, I wasn’t sure what it meant and to be honest the word scared me. It still does if I’m honest.
When 2017 started I didn’t think I had anything to release. I was wrong.
In January our oldest got her driver’s license. Then at the end of the month our pastor and his wife asked us to consider my husband coming on staff. That started a season of praying and evaluating. In March our then 13-year-old son learned he’d been accepted to the early college program at one of the local high schools and in August became our first child to attend a public school full time. In June our oldest left for six-weeks in France for an immersion program where she could text us for less than an hour a week.
And so the year went.
It’s felt like God was stripping so much from my life, from our family’s life. None of it was bad per se. It was just a lot.
Now as 2018 approaches, I’ve got this sense in my spirit that God has more to teach me about RELEASE.
Do you embrace a word of the year at the beginning of a year? How do you prepare your heart for a new year?
I’m not big on resolutions, but I do want to chase God’s heart and will for my life. A word or theme for the year works well for me, but I’d love to hear how you do it! 
Comments 22
Cara:
I admire you so much. One of the things I respect the most is your honesty. And yes, “release” can be scary, but we are women of faith in a big, big God, who never lets us go. (Thanks for sharing the C.S. Lewis quote. I hadn’t read that one.)
Beth, I cannot tell you how very much your support and walking with me has mattered. Knowing you are there has been huge in this struggle. 🙂
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PS It’s a good quote, isn’t it?
Great word, Cara. I’ve found that every year my word is a bit scary, as it’s never what I expect. It’s like God says, “Here is a word for you. Watch for it through the journey I’m going to take you on.” Two years ago my word was “joy,” and that was the year my husband had cancer and three surgeries, and my sister stepped into heaven. But I did find joy that year. The CS Lewis quote is totally appropriate and true. 2017 was “something new” (Isa 43:19) and boy did my life turn upside down. Now I’m leading a MOPS group at 71 years old, and not writing. I’m praying about my word for 2018. Had nothing, then on Dec 31st at church, I got 4 possibilities. Waiting to see which one.
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I always have that mix of anticipation and dread with a word. How will God reveal Himself through it over the year? And what will I got through to learn it!
Thanks so much for this blog post, Cara!!
It came to me at just the right time. Sometimes I feel chained down by something… that turned out to be my own feelings, fears, nervousness, you name it. That word is exactly what I need.
RELEASE.
Release from myself into the joy and freedom of God’s love, God’s bounty, and God’s grace. Thanks so, so, so much!!!
PS Love that C.S.Lewis quote!! So true!!
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I’m so glad this post came at the right time, Odelia!
Love the encouragement to pray for a word for the year. I’ve never done that before. I have prayed for a Scripture for a specific time in my life, but a word for the year sounds exciting and a bit frightening. The unknown… How will the Lord reveal Himself, perfect me, change my life through this word. Wow! My hubby and I are on a fast right now to begin our year dedicated to the Lord and I have to say its actually been very easy. I wonder if I’ve made the things we are fasting to easy, however I know me and sweets and tv are not easy for me to give up. LOL I’m choosing to read again. Making intentional moments of rest. I love this idea of a word for the year to meditate on and study the word to understand the word. Hmmm. Thank you so much for sharing about this interesting way to let the Lord work in me. God bless!
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You are so welcome. When it was a new concept to me, I loved how it centered my approach to study and worship. It’ll be fun to see how God speaks to you through the process.
Cara, what a great word to focus on for a couple of years. I hope you find even more amazing things and people to release into God’s tender care.
My word for 2018 is grace. Like you, I’m a little scared about it. Usually when grace is necessary, somebody’s messed up on something. 🙂 However, I think grace might be a lot more complex than that. I’m more eager than scared about the journey, because God’s got great plans for me (Jeremiah 29:11).
Blessings for your year!
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Andrea, Grace is a good word and one I’m working on as it relates to RELEASE. They’re pretty interconnected.
It sounds like they would be. I found the same to be true last year. My word was “see,” but it ended up including “perspective” and “content(ment)” as well. It was quite a beautiful, if sometimes rough, journey, one I will treasure for years to come. I’m interested to see what other words will be included in my journey to “grace” this year. Best wishes for your journey with “release” and “grace” and whatever other aspects God grants you in 2018.
Oh, Cara. You have had a year. It’s funny how God gives us words that we may think we know about . . . until we realize living them out becomes very personal and sometimes a little scary.
I have been focusing on One Word for a number years now. the word God gave me for this year is Hope. I thought I knew a fair amount about hope, but already, He’s showing me I don’t understand it as well as I thought I did. 😉 I’m sure He’ll have plenty of lessons to help me learn how to live it out well. 🙂
I love the CS Lewis quote!
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2017 was a year 🙂 Glad to be n 2018 and trying not to bring 2017 with me! Hope is a word I need, too! So much richness to it!
My word is Shelter. I’ve come through a season that has left me feeling very fragile emotionally and spiritually, and I’m praying to feel the Lord’s shelter in new ways. I always want to be a person who can offer sheltering love and grace to others.
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What a beautiful word, Erin. Last year has left me feeling fragile, too. I love that you’re pressing into God as your shelter.
You are such an inspiration! Release…it’s definitely a word that causes my hands to clench tighter when God wants to see an open palm.
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That’s sweet, Hannah, because I don’t feel like an inspiration!
Last year my Word was encourage. I am naturally an encourager so that was pretty easy. This year the word that keeps coming to my attention is Trust! We are retired and don’t have the fall back of a steady job or a lot of insurance. I trust God for my Salvation and the final outcome of what’s best for me but that insurance is a sticky subject. Pray that a solution may be found. Thanks for the special words edition of this post! Blessings! ( I’m waiting for Imperfect Justice to come in my mailbox, I won it)!
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Encouagers are so needed in this world, Paula. Praying God will be gentle with you as He leads you into trusting Him more. PS I mailed the book yesterday!
Last year, my spiritual journal was entitled Dream 2017. I saw how my dream of becoming a writer slowly turned into a reality. I started a blog site and had been publishing regularly. I picked up the novel that I had shoved in the backburner when it got rejected in 2015. I attended the ACFW conference and it was surreal to be seated among published authors, listening to best-selling writers, and finding more solid editing directions for my novel. I was even able to pitch it and got the interest of an agent. Now, I’m still working on it to make it submission ready. My spiritual journal’s title for this year is Design 2018. It’s time to build on the foundations of my dream and make sure the writer’s life that I’m building becomes sustainable for me and my family and what God had designed it to be. My word for the year is Design. Thanks for being an inspiration!
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i love the progression of your words, Lani.