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Devotions

What in the Word?

Have You Chosen a Word for 2021?

I haven’t always had a word for the year. It’s really only something I’ve done recently but it hasn’t been embraced the way I think it can be.

If I had to choose a word for last year it would be FOCUS.

It might seem a strange word to apply during a pandemic but I think many people can say that a lot came into FOCUS during 2020.

Focus on What’s Important:

Family, Friends, Your Health, Faith, Safety

Focus on What’s Not Important:

Sports, Entertainment, Hollywood, Religion, Temporary Pleasures

For me personally, FOCUS came from leaving a corporate job which was making me sick to FOCUS on what God wanted me to do with my life.

The amazing part is when I did FOCUS on God’s plan, and not my own ideas, I found a career I love and is tailored to fit me perfectly.

I love being my own boss, helping clients find peace and joy through organization, and having the time for a wide range of creative pursuits.

When I began to think of a word for 2021, I was leaning toward growth, because I do want to grow a lot in this next year:

    • Expanding Simply Designed Organization and the graphic design branch, Owl Simply Design
    • Write more novels in my Grace Series, publish at least one new novel this year
    • Publish the first novel in a new mystery series, The Sunday Mysteries, and write future novels
    • Spend more time in prayer and reading the Bible with devotions focused on the books of the Bible 

I was all set to make that my word until the first Monday night prayer service in January at my church. It was during the last song, I was down at the altar, praying for the upcoming election when our music minster began to sing a song that changed my thoughts on the word for this year.

It’s a song I’ve heard before and know the words, but when he sang out the word FORWARD, my spirit welled up and said “That’s your word for this year.”

I can’t tell you the song, I know it’s popular, but every time I try to think of it, I only hear the one word, FORWARD. Sung out clear and strong from that Monday night prayer service.

Nothing else will come to mind. I’ve tried to remember because I want to play the entire song over and over, but all I hear is the word FORWARD.

for·ward | fȯr-wƏrd (adverb)

    1. In the direction one is facing or traveling; toward the front
    2. Onward so as to make progress; toward a successful conclusion
    3. Toward the future, ahead in time

Wow, what a word! Powerful! No wonder I can only hear the one word, echoing in my head and heart.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been waiting for some forward motion in my life for A LONG TIME.

The last few years life has been a real battle with health, security, and peace of mind. It seems like every time I make it through one battle, finally receive a breakthrough after much prayer and seeking the Lord, only to find it’s short-lived, because of another battle, mostly the same one starts right back up.

It’s emotionally exhausting and a cause of great frustration.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve asked God to help me to walk into victory, the abundant life Jesus promised from John 10:10.

Abundantly
Abundantly
Abundantly
Abundantly

Last year, I focused not only on what God wanted and His plan for my life, but I also focused on obeying his leadings.

It hasn’t been easy and there have been a lot of tears, hurt, fear, doubt, and confusion.

But I stayed focus on God, or at least when I lost focus, I found it again.

I truly feel God is telling me to move FORWARD. Standing firm on His promises in faith has gotten me here and now, I can take those promises FORWARD into both my professional and personal life.

Moving FORWARD to

Knock down the darts of the enemy,

Pray with new authority,

Use my God-given talents to uplift and lead others to God,

Have a growing platform and a message to speak from,

Embrace a new, deeper relationship with the Lord,

Move forward, seeing the move of God in my life in unique and unexpected ways.

What a word! What a promise!

Have you asked the Lord to show you the word for your 2021 year?

He’ll answer if you ask.

Sometimes it’s with a whisper, sometimes a shout, and sometimes a song.

Ask Him.

Then be prepared to see the works of God in your life.

Until next time, may God’s grace surround you,

new beginnings
HopeWriter
Hope Writers

Hope*Writer Mastermind Series: Susan B. Arico

Writer & Coach for the Soul

Hello and Happy New Year! To start off 2021 in the right direction, I want to introduce you to my friend, Susan Arico from New England. Susan writes with a focus on our beautiful souls.

In her own words, I believe a soul is a beautiful thing to have, and a terrible thing to waste. Many of us are wasting our souls without realizing it by giving them away, a byte at a time, to our cell phones. Susan Arico

Isn’t that just beautiful? While also being an eye-opening statement.

I knew I struggled with letting my cell phone take over my life before I met Susan. I was aware of the problem but had no clear steps for how to take back my focus on the right things.

Susan’s website and blog (www.susanbarico.com) are FULL of wonderful advice, tips, tricks, and soul-searching ideas to help you focus more on your soul and less on your cell (phone).

One of the wonderful things (out of many) about Susan is her gentle guidance and encouragement to conquer your cell phone use. Teaching you –

"your soul matters. less cell (phone), more soul." Susan Arico

She has a quiet, authority which is powerful and uplifting. I love to hear her talk about this subject. Her passion for our souls and well-being is clearly heard in her voice and resonates with my soul.

For 2021, I want to learn to let my soul rest and my phone to not dictate my comings and goings. Thanks to Susan’s passion, I have a way to do this.

Besides blogging where she supports your phone goals and soul growth, she also runs personal phone challenges to help you stay accountable and offers screen coaching to help you go deeper in your journey.

For this new year, she created a 21- day challenge to help you create a new relationship with your phone to help you make the most of 2021.

Susan puts heart and passion into everything she does. She not only writes about the soul, but also has a passion for ending slavery and sex trafficking, and just a love of kids in general.

She talks often about her family (husband and four kiddos) and you will hear the love for them in all of her writings. Definitely check out her blog posts about living in Greece for three years.

I hope you have enjoyed getting to know a little bit more about my friend, Susan. I truly feel her ministry is an important and impactful one. I hope you check out her website and learn more from my wise friend.

Until next time, may God’s grace surround you,

new beginnings

Please note photos for this blog post are from my friend’s website.