Rooted in 2021

For the last 7 years, I have had a "Word of the Year" that God has put on my heart in some form or another before the new year begins. Some years, it feels like I'm going in to the 11th hour with no word in mind, and other years it feels like it's dropped in my life just moments into a new year with an already brand new, fresh word just starting. And that's what happened for 2021...God basically flashed it up in neon lights in the early days of 2020!

Every where I looked, I saw and heard the word ROOTED.  Since this is my 8th year doing this, God doesn't have to yell them too loudly at me anymore, but a little repetition does help me know just what the Lord is up to!

On a recent podcast with She Reads Truth, Amanda Bible Williams said, "You can't live by the book you don't know." If that's not the truth, I don't know what is! To live it, we must read it, study it, and know it. We must be ROOTED in God's word to be able to live by God's word. When we are ROOTED in Him, the things going on around us cannot uproot us. My prayer is to be ROOTED in God's word this year spending time with Him daily by reading and meditating on His word, listening to His words in music, and talking to others about what He is teaching us.

I'm planning ahead for the year to come and how I can be ROOTED in God's word -- I will be following the She Reads Truth plans throughout the year, starting with Faith in Practice on January 4th, and I will also be following a plan to read the Bible through this year with a group of ladies as we hold each other accountable and share what God is teaching us. I have a new journal that Brad got me for my birthday from Well Watered Women that will allow me to journal my prayers and all that I'm learning as I read. And one of my personal favorites - I love creating playlists with music that God is using to speak to me at any point in time. These are songs that are based off of God's word and allow me to continue to be ROOTED in Him throughout the day.

A few other things I have planned and in place include a bible study basket that will hold all of my supplies for bible study - my bible, pens and highlighters, journals, and a favorite candle. This is set up next to a chair in our room, and I'll have my new cozy blanket ready to grab for my quiet time.  I'm not quite ready to put the time in my daily planner because toddler life/mom of 3 life tends to make our schedules a little crazy! My hope is to have an early morning quiet time before any of the kids wake up, but most days it ends up being during Carson's nap time! Because of this, I'll start my day in prayer, reading a verse of the day and listen to a worship song (or 10), so that God has the first moments of my day! (I'm nowhere near perfect at this, but it is a goal worth striving for!!)

Another idea if you are doing a word of the year is to display it in various ways so you see it on a regular basis. This could be with home decor, creating a special art projected using the word, or doing something that represents your word.  For example, I think it would be fun to plant something this year as a symbol of being rooted. My favorite idea on this part is JEWELRY!! There is a beautiful "Rooted" necklace I have my eye on, but there are also giving keys and other ways you could "wear" your word - shirts, bracelets, etc.

Her roots were deep in His radiant truth. She knew that her journey was always through Him. And was always for Him.

A special thing I will be doing this year is reading through the Bible in a new one I purchased for Bryleigh. I plan on taking notes as I always do and leaving notes, stories, and advice to her throughout my reading. Then, over the next several years, I will continue to add notes for her and then gift it to her at a special time - high school graduation, 16th or 18th birthday...or more likely just when the Lord prompts me to pass it on to her. I am so excited to do this for her!