Last week as we turned the corner on a new year, I shared about two of my favorite New Years Traditions: A Letter to Self and choosing a Word of the Year. I shared the words the Lord has laid on my heart over the last several years, but I want to expand upon my words for 2025.
When I choose words for my year, I have a few rules for myself. First, it has to be laid on my heart from the Lord instead of something I want for myself. Second, it has to be rooted in Scripture (usually several scriptures). Third, I have to choose an image to accompany the word that is a visual representation of my perception or hopes for that word. This image usually goes on a 5x7 canvas along with the word written on the front and the scriptures on the back. Finally, this word can’t be something I tuck away and forget about. The canvases are displayed in a place where I constantly see them (which for me, is in my prayer closet) so that I can be reminded each day of what God wants to do in my heart and life that year. I’ve found that this kind of intention is infinitely more effective to reshape mindsets, habits, and identity than resolutions. Each year I choose words and have somewhat of an idea of what God wants to do and say through that word… and each year I am pleasantly surprised at how God uses that word in ways I expect AND in ways I don’t expect. The Lord has always laid three words on my heart and I get to see each of these words transform throughout the year. At times, all three words are at work. At other times, I bounce from word to word throughout different months and seasons. All of that to say, I want to tell you about what the Lord did through my 2025 words: Release, Receive, and Abundance. I plan to do this over the next three weeks, starting with Abundance today.
ABUNDANCE
When I was entering 2025, my life looked radically different than it does now. I had served at Midland Valley for five months. Andrew and I were dating and he was about to move to South Carolina to start an internship at Midland Valley. The future of our relationship was completely unknown, but I was praying desperately for doors to open for him to get a job here. In full transparency, we were anticipating for him to live with a family from the church during his internship and IF he got a job, he would rent his own apartment until we were ready to get married. Marriage seemed at least a year away - MAYBE we would get engaged toward the end of the year. I lived in an apartment alone with Pumpkin. I knew there were some exciting things in the work for the year: Third Wave Conference in Florida, M25 conference in Kansas, the Ministerial Candidate Workshop + my ordination interview (last 2 steps!), starting prison ministry with Inside Out, leading the Ash Wednesday service, preaching on Good Friday, bringing the Holy Week prayer stations to my new church, preaching Uncle Jeff’s memorial, visiting my family in Puerto Rico with Andrew, taking my teens to the Becoming Conference on a mission trip, and getting ordained that summer. When the Lord laid “abundance” on my heart I had no doubt that it would be a great year with everything on my radar. The Lord surprised me with so much more - mainly getting engaged, buying a house, and getting married within the course of 99 days. When I was preparing my canvas, I didn’t pick an image. Instead, I wrote the word and decided that throughout the year I would write down the different things that God blessed me with. Needless to say, that canvas ended completely full. But “abundance” means so much more to me than the blessings God gave. The verses I chose to root that word in were John 10:10, Ephesians 3:20, and Philippians 4:12-13. John 10:10 - “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” The spiritual season I’ve been living in since January 23, 2020 hasn’t been easy - it’s been filled with ups and downs, loss, betrayal, and grief (I just realized I’ve never blogged about it so I’ll have to share it with you at some point). I was so desperate for the abundant life Jesus talked about in John 10 and (hopefully) a respite from the spiritual attacks of the enemy. Ephesians 3:20 - “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us…”. I knew that God was more than able to do anything I requested of him. Just within that spiritual season, He’d given me strength, peace, healing, provision, and even extended moments of respite. I was confident that He’d been actively moving, molding, and shaping me. The call to leave Mt. Olive to go serve as the youth pastor at Midland Valley had been the biggest curveball I could have imagined during 2024, but I knew He had a purpose in it. So even though I didn’t know WHAT God was doing, I was certain that He was with me because I had seen that power at work in my life. Philippians 4:12-13- “ I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me”. Seeing verse 13 taken out of context throughout my life has caused me to superglue these two verses together, which made it an easy choice for my canvas. I had experienced God’s strength through the highs and lows, the abundance and need. But I was more than ready to embrace the abundance He had promised. 2025 brought more abundance than I knew what to do with, but it was so much sweeter because of the bitterness of the years before it. I appreciated the blessings of God so much more because of the hardships He had seen me through. Throughout the year, I felt guilty posting about the abundance because I knew so many friends that were in the pits of despair, loss, grief, and hell. Each time I shared a post, I was intentional to give all the glory and credit to the God who had blessed me while still trying to be sensitive to those that were hurting. I think I’ve learned more about humility in the past year than ever before. I gained a deep understanding that I had not earned or deserved any blessing that came my way, but that I was called to steward it faithfully. I had a responsibility to use my blessings to bless others - whether that was through encouragement, testimony, prayer, service, or literally sharing something tangible.
So today I invite you to reflect on the season you find yourself in - is it a season of abundance and blessing? A season of suffering and hardship? If the Lord has blessed you, how can you use the blessing to serve and bless those around you? Have you been praying for God to give you His eyes and ears to spot those who need the hope you have? If this is where you find yourself, I encourage you to begin to pray and ask these questions. Be creative and generous with your blessings. Be intentional to be consistent with your time with the Lord. I’m not sure about you, but in my experience it’s often easier for me to be consistent when things are hard because I need God to get through each day. When things are easier, it’s tempting for me to stand on my own strength. May we be faithful to devote ourselves daily to the God who is faithful to bless us with new mercies each morning.
If this is a season of hardship or suffering for you, take heart. The Lord has not abandoned you. He is present with you every moment - moving, molding, and shaping you even if you can’t see or feel it. A seed cannot take root until the hard ground has been broken up and prepared for growth. Keep relying on the Lord for your strength and peace. Pray BOLD prayers while you wait for the deliverance of His promises. Remind the devil who your God is and who you are as His child. Keep believing in the God who has come to give you abundant life, who is more than able to do whatever you ask or hope for (and more!), who strengthens you in the valleys and on the mountaintops. Find some good, reliable, Christ-centered friends to share your burdens with. Satan has the upperhand when he is able to isolate us from our community, shift our focus off of Jesus and solely onto our problems, or sow seeds of doubt in our minds about God’s heart/purpose/love for us.
May the Lord abundantly bless you, fill you, challenge you, and transform you this year.
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