My challenge this month from Lisa Burgess for my word of the year practice is to discover something new and answer the following questions:
- What’s a new fact you learned about your word?
- Does it change how you view your word?
- Does it give you a new idea for practicing your word?
I am a lifelong learner and love to explore new aspects of what we take for granted. Reflection and curiosity refresh the soul.
As you may remember I have a phrase this year instead of a single word – Honor the thirst deep within. I decided to go on a search for new surprises with two of the words – Honor and Thirst.
Honor
- What’s a new fact you learned about your word?
While I previously read many definitions of the word honor, I missed this one: “In square dancing, to honor is to meet or salute with a bow.”
- Does it change how you view your word?
Have I dance with my phrase this year? Bowing before the thirst deep within? What music is it swaying to? The image of dancing, instead of seriously studying our words of the year, makes me smile and brings joy to my soul. There is lightness and delight allemandering and do-si- dosing with my word.
- Does it give you a new idea for practicing your word?
I tend to be too serious and dancing with honor with my phrase this year lightens my focus. I didn’t realize how dark and somber this practice was in my heart. Now each morning I bow before my thirst, takes its hand and twirl.
Thirst
- What’s a new fact you learned about your word?
My approach to the word thirst was a deep craving, longing for more of God. Thirst is often described as strong desire for something. What I learned this week was another definition of thirst: a strong wish such as in “a thirst for adventure.”
- Does it change how you view your word?
I would whine to my mother when I was little, saying but I wish…. She had a funny response to set me straight. “You can wish on one hand and ‘pee’ in the other and see which was get full first.” When I hear the word “wish” I smiled remembering her words. Am I just wishing for a deepening thirst or am I actively seeking? Am I openly receptive to more of God? Makes me wonder how deeply I am actually thirsting for God. Need to pray and reflect about this new insight.
- Does it give you a new idea for practicing your word?
I read once a beautiful saying. “Lord I crawled across the barrenness to you with my empty cup uncertain in asking any small drop of refreshment. If only I had known you better I’d have come running with a bucket.” -Nancy Spiegelberg. When I ponder my phrase of the year, I will hold the image of a bucket. Not a cup just to wish for a sip, but a bottomless bucket open and receiving the Living Water.
What are you learning new this month?
P. S. I am so excited to share with you my latest book, Sacred Surroundings – Finding Grace in Every Place is available on Amazon. The e-book version can be preordered now and the print version will be released October 31. I appreciate your support in my writing and your sharing this book with others. Thank you!
I love the Nancy Spiegelberg quote. I want to now grab the largest bucket and drag it along all year to catch every drop of refreshment the Lord has for me. So grateful you shared, Jean! This post, and the quote, have confirmed to me my word for 2024 🙂
Jean you truly inspire me with your interactions with your word! Wow am I stuffy, I need to lighten up a bit!
Thanks Donna. I find this practice so life giving but I do have to focus to keep attentive to its lessons. Happy Thanksgiving!
Wow! You have really embraced your phrase for this year, Jean. I love that! I also love the word thirst, too. May we never lose our love and thirst for Jesus. Thanks for sharing. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend. God bless.
Ho Horace. This word of the year practice has been so powerful for me and this year using a phrase has been rich! You to have a great Thanksgiving!!
Dancing with your word…what a fun idea!
I enjoyed your reflections this month.
I am #8 on the One Word 2023 linkup this month
Loved reading your blog today. thanks for telling me which one you were!
I’m going to grab my bucket and run alongside you!
Isn’t that a great quote? Let’s go together!
Oh, I love that dancing with your word was one of your discoveries. Beautiful! I also consider myself too serious most of the time, so this is a practice I should experiment with more myself, and it should be quite easy with my word: dancing with humans. 🙂
I’m so excited that your book has been birthed into the world, Jean. Congratulations!
I sure do appreciate all the work and help you do for those of us practicing word of the year. Your questions were so helpful and guided me deeper.
Jean, I love that you’re learning to dance with your phrase of the year! We CAN get too serious sometimes, when there’s much joy to be embraced by lightening up! / Our women’s Bible study group at church is studying the gospel of Mark this year. From the story of the feeding of the 5,000 came this encouraging nugget: In the hands of Jesus, little is much . . . If we put ourselves into the hands of Jesus Christ, there is no telling what He can do with us and through us”–William Barclay. Hallelujah for that!
Cha- cha maybe – lots of back and forth type of dance. Definitely not smooth. LOL. Love that quote from Barclay – so true!!
What a wonderful exercise Lisa offered here, Jean, and your delving deeper into it only made your word that much more meaningful. I must have missed this post/challenge somehow, but it is certainly worth doing.
Have a blessed week, and know I’ll order your book at the end of the month!
Yes it was fun to explore and answer these questions about my words. Sort of a guided meditation really. Thanks for supporting my writing adventure!!
thank you jean..my word is knowledge and i havent thought much about it …but i am now..having taken courses for credit online at a community college in ohio..my knowledge has increased!!
..not just facts and proper citations etc. .but the knowledge i can still conquer fears as an old 78yr old lady..got an A in the public speaking class!!!!!..peace
Wow an A in public speaking – you go girl! I think this is wonderful you are feeding your mind and spirit in this way. Proud of you!!!